Veljo Tormis: Litany to Thunder

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This startling record begins with two sopranos and a gentle piano sounding for all the world like Enya singing Satie; two tracks later we have a hair-raising chorus and drum hurling curses upon iron (which makes the tools of work and war). It's all the work of Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, who uses simple, even primitive melodies and ancient folk poetry (perhaps too simple for some listeners, especially those who understand no Finnish or Estonian) with exciting, sometimes atonal but always accessible accompaniment for chorus and/or instruments. The results can be plaintive and calm or vigorous, even feral. The effect is rather like Orff's Carmina Burana with less symphonic glamour but more musical substance. The most entertaining piece on the disc is "The Bishop and the Pagan," which retells (in a way) the story of St. Henry, who was martyred on a frozen lake in 1158 by an angry peasant with an ax. An alto and two tenors sing a medieval Latin poem in praise of Henry to a very chantlike melody in parallel fifths; meanwhile, baritones and basses pound out (softly at first) an ancient Finnish lyric told from the peasant's point of view. (You can guess how things end up.) The highlight is when the Henry trio is reduced to a wordless on-pitch howling while the peasant's chant is at its strongest--followed by a surprisingly witty ending. Not coincidentally, the next piece on the record, "Litany to Thunder," depicts the sacrifice of an ox to the god of thunder and rain. Frankly, it's terrifying. --Matthew Westphal

Veljo Tormis: Litany to Thunder, Music, Allan Vurma, Veljo Tormis, Kaia Urb, Mati Turi, Tiit Kogermann, Choral, Choral Music, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Vocal, Vocal Music

Average customer rating:

More primeval and minimalist than "Forgotten Peoples"

Estonian Music

fell beauty

To put it simply - Beautiful

Unbelievable 'Curse upon iron'

Veljo Tormis: Litany to Thunder
Tonu Kaljuste , and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00002DEH5
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Tracks:

Litany To Thunder: How Can I Recognize My Home
Litany To Thunder: Singing Aboard Ship
Litany To Thunder: Curse Upon Iron
Litany To Thunder: The Singer's Childhood
Litany To Thunder: Songs Of The Ancient Sea
Litany To Thunder: The Bishop And The Pagan
Litany To Thunder
Litany To Thunder: The Lost Geese

Amazon.com

This startling record begins with two sopranos and a gentle piano sounding for all the world like Enya singing Satie; two tracks later we have a hair-raising chorus and drum hurling curses upon iron (which makes the tools of work and war). It's all the work of Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, who uses simple, even primitive melodies and ancient folk poetry (perhaps too simple for some listeners, especially those who understand no Finnish or Estonian) with exciting, sometimes atonal but always accessible accompaniment for chorus and/or instruments. The results can be plaintive and calm or vigorous, even feral. The effect is rather like Orff's Carmina Burana with less symphonic glamour but more musical substance. The most entertaining piece on the disc is "The Bishop and the Pagan," which retells (in a way) the story of St. Henry, who was martyred on a frozen lake in 1158 by an angry peasant with an ax. An alto and two tenors sing a medieval Latin poem in praise of Henry to a very chantlike melody in parallel fifths; meanwhile, baritones and basses pound out (softly at first) an ancient Finnish lyric told from the peasant's point of view. (You can guess how things end up.) The highlight is when the Henry trio is reduced to a wordless on-pitch howling while the peasant's chant is at its strongest--followed by a surprisingly witty ending. Not coincidentally, the next piece on the record, "Litany to Thunder," depicts the sacrifice of an ox to the god of thunder and rain. Frankly, it's terrifying. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

More primeval and minimalist than "Forgotten Peoples".......2007-05-20

Partly based upon previous experience with "Forgotten Peoples," and under the influence of other reviewers' enthusiasm, I purchsed "Litany to Thunder."

Portions of the work are rather like "Carmina Burana" as a previous reviewer indicated, and I also found some of it akin to another Orff work, namely the opera "Antigonae" or perhaps even Stravinsky's "Les Noces."

Nonetheless, although "Forgotten Peoples" was truly a major musical discovery for me (with very few drawbacks), I cannot say the same for "Litany to Thunder."

It's a fascinating work, but the first and last pieces on this disc are irritatingly repetitious. In spite of this, the novelties of the combined vocal/instrumental combinations in all of the music are very expressive of austere power, a constantly-shifting runic starkness with raw percussiveness, from near-lullabies to full-throttle timpani.

I'd say overall that it's worth buying, but it would not be my first choice for a Veljo Tormis disc. That would be "Forgotten Peoples."

Estonian Music.......2004-09-22

Why anyone would expect Tormis to sound like Arvo Part just because they are both Estonian is beyond me. No one is surprised that Steve Reich sounds nothing like Aaron Copland. If anything, Tormis' music is more "ethnically" Estonian than Part's, whose music is structured more after the Eastern Orthodox Church and his own unique "tintinnabuli" style. Tormis works in the area somewhere between the faithful recordings of an enthomusicologist like Alan Lomax, and a composer like Zoltan Kodaly (or Aaron Copland!) who took his inspiration from the native music of his country and added his own interpretation to it.

It would be unfortunate if anyone avoided this music out of a discomfort with so-called "Paganism" or "Shamanism." This music is valuable and needs to be heard. "Curse Upon Iron" especially is brilliantly imaginative. "The Lost Geese" achieves an almost hypnotic effect through the simple, repeated melodic line. I have had both songs running through my head since I heard them and it has not been unpleasant. The other works on the CD are memorable as well. This music is the real thing -- authentic and powerful.

fell beauty.......2003-07-25

One of the best classical CDs I have heard, ever! haunting and beautiful!

To put it simply - Beautiful.......2003-02-07

I heard the song "How Can I Recognize my Home?" as I was flipping through different radio stations driving home last night. I've always loved the type of music that has a choir singing in Latin, especially the sopranos. It was so beautiful, I had to pull my car over and wait until the piece ended so I could write down the name and buy it as as soon as possible. I'm a filmmaker, and I could see this vision for my next movie accompanied by this piece. It was so beautifully sad; the emotion in this music is simply beyond words. I highly recommend that everyone listen to this music.

Unbelievable 'Curse upon iron'.......2001-09-29

I heard (and saw) one piece from this CD performed live under direction of Kaljuste (but not with the same choir). It was just unbelievable and though I've heard many amazing choral performances before, this was just so different than anything else. 'Curse upon iron' by Veljo Tormis is obscure and brilliant at the same time, so one should listen to it without prejudice. Then it can be pure joy.

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