Estonian Pcc:Riga Sinf:Reuss - Tuur: Awakening/ The Wanderers Evening Song/ Insula Deserta

This new release showcases a cross section of choral and orchestral works by Erkki-Sven Tuur (b. 1959), who with Arvo Part counts among the most popular Estonian composers internationally. The central piece on this disc is the world premiere recording of Awakening (arkamine), written in 2011. It features the acclaimed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Sinfonietta Riga under the direction of Daniel Reuss. According to Tuur, Awakening contemplates the springtime mystery of nature's rebirth, embracing both the Christian conception of the world and the rather more pantheistic comprehension of creation peculiar to ancient Estonians. Also included is The Wanderer's Evening Song, a choral setting of poems by Ernst Enno and written for the EPCC's 20th anniversary in 2001. Insula deserta, for string orchestra, became Tuur's first great success outside of Estonia, when first performed in Finland in 1989.