Foto: Anneli Ivaste
Tõnu Kõrvits. The Sound of Wings
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Risto Joost, conductor
Release: June 2023, Ondine
Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits (1969) belongs to the Estonian’s most prominent composers. His works are rich with delicate atmosphere possessing a particularly Northern feel combined with a romantic and Impressionistic touch. This new album is the final volume in a trilogy of works for choir and orchestra.
Moorland Elegies (ODE 1306-2), You Are Light and Morning (ODE 1363-2) and The Sound of Wings form a kind of a trilogy, albeit this was never a purpose in itself. The first two cycles are linked to the elements of earth and water. In this final part of the trilogy everything is carried by the element of air, and those existential themes which Tõnu Kõrvits has dealt with for decades in his works – nature, life, death, suffering, love – find a liberating and soaring solution. The composer has said that it is “the brightest work in the trilogy (…), which emanates the most light. It is a song of flying, of dreaming, of courage and unconditional love.”
One of the sources of inspiration for The Sound of Wings was Amelia Mary Earhart’s attempt to be the first woman in aviation history to fly around the globe together with navigator Fred Noonan, which was cut short whilst crossing the Pacific Ocean. (Look more: Ondine website)
The lyrics are written by the well-known Estonian writer Doris Kareva, whose texts and translations have been also the bases of the Kõrvits’ former works.
In September 2023 Tõnu Kõrvits’ “The Sound of Wings” will be performed at MITO Festivali in Milano and Torino.
Tõnu Kõrvits’ music and the creative processes in the rehearsal room have inspired also a photo series “Borderline Sounds” by Anneli Ivaste. The exhibition has been shown in several cities in Estonia.
