(A short autobiography from the booklet of the CD 'Casting a Spell')
I was born at
Kuusalu near Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, on 7 August 1930. I
got the speciality of a composer from the Moscow Conservatoire
(1951-1956), having previously studied the organ, choral
conducting and composition in Tallinn. I have taught at the
Tallinn Music School and worked in the Estonian Composers' Union.
Since 1969, I have been a freelance composer.
The most essential part of my work is choral music, the most essential part of which, in its turn, is connected with the ancient folk song of Estonians and other Finnic peoples. The best-known compositions in this field are the incantation Curse Upon Iron (Raua needmine) and the extended series Estonian Calendar Songs (Eesti kalendrilaulud) and Forgotten Peoples (Unustatud rahvad; on the motifs of Livonian, Votic, Izhorian, Ingrian Finnish, Vepsian and Karelian folklore). All in all, I have written about 60 cycles or series, about 40 extended choral works and about 80 songs for a cappella choir. In other genres, Overture No 2 for symphony orchestra, the opera Swan's Flight (Luigelend) and the cantata-ballet Estonian Ballads (Eesti ballaadid) have gained wide critical acclaim.
I consider Estonian Calendar Songs (1966-67)as a turning point in my artistic life. Prior to that, I had been following the example of the outstanding Estonian composers of the previous generation - Mart Saar, Cyrillus Kreek, Eduard Tubin. I had been using folk tunes as the source material for thematic-intonational development, for creating the musical "mother tongue". Now, I discovered the Estonian ancient runo song as a synchretic phenomen which, besides the melody and words, comprises a specific form and a manner of performance, and the social function of song - an integral part of a nation's life. Yet my music can by no means be labelled as folk or world music. It is rather an attempt to preserve the authenticity of the source material, making a compromise with the forms and performing opportunities of modern philharmonic music. Therefore, it is classical choral music.
January 1996, Veljo Tormis
Veljo Tormis has been elected Composer in Residence at University of Tartu for 1997 (for two semesters sterting from 10 feb.).