Mart Saar, So Far!

One of my sabbatical projects—a rather ambitious one—is to create a selected edition of choral works for mixed voices, by Estonian composer, Mart Saar (1882-1963). Saar was a virtuoso organist and pianist, music critic, pedagogue, and one of the founders of the Estonian national music style, particularly in choral and vocal music. He was trained in organ at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and studied composition with Rimsky-Korsakov. He was an important influence on the generation of composers to follow him, including Veljo Tormis and Ester Mägi.

Saar's Music - Out of Print

 

All of his choral music is out of print (as are many of the rest of his works). I have found musty editions in the Estonian Music Academy library. The first edition of his mixed choir pieces date from 1909 and are in poor condition. Subsequent editions came out as Saar added to his opus. The quality of the print and paper vary greatly. Some early editions were rebound in the ‘80’s using staples and laminated card stock!   Two collected editions of his choral works, Valimik Koorilaul (ed., Villem Kapp. , 1957) and Kogutid Koorilaule ( ed., Vardo Rumessen. 1982) are hardbound and of slightly better quality.  Efforts to take shortcuts with the 1982 edition, possibly to save costs, resulted in even poorer quality reproduction. The scale of the notation has been reduced in size compared to the 1957 edition and is harder to read. In some cases, the individual parts have been condensed onto single staves.  As a result, the 1982 edition is even harder to use because of smaller dimensions and crowed staves. The quality of the paper is poor. It has been suggested that during Soviet times, the quality of publishing was generally poor and the editions were filled with errors. Nevertheless, Estonian choral singers have adjusted to such editions and have grown used to reading SATB scores in piano score (two lines, bass and treble, for 4-8 parts).

 

1982 edition

 

In order to make Saar’s music more accessible to audiences outside Estonia (particularly in America), it must be republished and, in my opinion, notated in choral score (SATB, four lines). It is unclear who holds the copyright to his music, particularly that which was published during the Soviet Era. Some Estonians justify copying, performing and recording his works freely for this reason. This approach would not work in the U.S.  Even if copies were available, they are difficult to read, especially where 8-part divisi occur. Further, no word-for-word translations, critical commentary, or  pronunciation guides exist for Saar’s music.

Mart Saar, so far (here’s where my project stands):

Proposed Selected Edition

(corresponds to recording by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir,  Mikk Űleoja)

Meie elu Our Life 1910. Folk poetry (folklore)

Sööt Fallow 1934. Juhan Liiv (1864-1913)

Seitse sammeldanud sängi Seven Mossed-grown Beds 1919.  Kalevpoeg

Mestalaul Forest Song 1934. Kanteletar

Põhjavaim Northern Guardian 1910. Marie Heiberg (1890-1942)

Allik Spring 1913. Karl Eduard Sööt (1862-1950)

Mets Kohiseb The Winds are Sighing 1907. Anna Haava (1864-1957)

Kasehaldjate laul Birch Fairies Song 1924. Julius Oro (1901-1941)

Luule, se ei tule tuulest Poetry comes not of the Wind 1934. Anna Haava

Lindude laul Bird’s Song 1924. Julius Oro, fairytale drama: The Lost Princess

Kõver  kuuseke A Humped Spruce 1931.Eduard Ludwig Wöhermann (1863-1934)

Latsõ Hällütamise laul Lullaby 1933. Jacob Hort, Songs of the Setu.
Imäl oli jo Mother Once Had 1912. Folklore
Vihmakõne, vellekõne Oh Rain, My Brother 1915. Folklore
Karjase kaebus Herd boy’s Lament 1919. Folklore
Noore veljo veeritäge Young Brethren, Sing! 1930. Folklore
Tere kuusi, tere petäj Hello Spruces, Hello Pines! 1924 Folklore
Si om leelo liinast tuudu They brought the Singsong from the City 1924. Folklore
Jaan läheb jaanitulele Jann is Going to Midsummer Bonfire 1926. Folklore
Miks sa nutad, tammekene Oak tree, Why are You Crying?  1930. Folklore

RESEARCH RESOURCES:

Estonian Music Information Center. Director, Evi Arujärv, has offered valuable advice. She was able to share information on securing copyright permission to Saar’s choral works.

Estonian Academy of Music and Theater. Musicologist, Professor Mart Humal, has provided a wealth of information on Saar (there are no resources printed in English beyond CD liner notes) and locating his manuscripts.
Estonian Authors Society. This agency is the go-to for copyright information and permission to reprint texts of the various poets from which Saar draws his texts. They can help determine which texts are in the public domain
Estonian Museum of Theater and Music.  I am told that manuscript copies of Saar’s choral works are housed here.
Estonian National Library. Heather MacLaughlin-Garbes, a recent acquaintance, and University of Washington DMA, has done an outstanding dissertation on Ester Mägi, a student of Mart Saar and a prolific Estonian composer.
Heather used this resource in doing her research of Mägi and I am checking it out for resources on Mart Saar!

Estonian Boys Choir Rehearses Britten’s War Requiem

Hirvo Surva with Estonian Boys' Choir

After hearing a performance of Britten’s War Requiem at ACDA National last March, I was thrilled to be invited by Hirvo Surva, conductor of the Estonian National Opera Boys Choir, to sit in on a rehearsal for an upcoming performance of the Requiem on December 6, here in Tallinn.

The rehearsal featured 32 boys, ages 9 through 13, drawn from the soprano and alto section of the larger mixed group (reminder: this is an SATB group, males only, ages 9 – 18). Since much of the writing for the boys choir in the Requiem is in unison, all the boys are singing in their soprano range, even the altos, including a couple of voices that have begun to mutate. In some of the movements the tessitura lies rather high, the final In paradisum, for example.

The sound of their voices is incredible. It is much more robust than the traditional English choir-boy sound, using a mix of chest and head, rather than all head. The sound is not forced, yet very full, rich, clear, and centered in the middle of the pitch. Of course, this is a reflection of Hirvo Surva’s fine teaching!

The rehearsal environment is resonant and well-lit. The tone of the rehearsal is a nice mix of warmth, humor, good pacing, high musical standards, and boys just being boys. One can tell that Hirvo loves the boys and they love and trust him. They sing in seated position for the most part; the rehearsal lasted 90 minutes. They are at ease when not singing and, they are behaving like boys. One boy imitates flatulence precisely with a cut-off and the group dissolves in laughter, including the conductor. Yet, Mr. Surva demands their attention and focus, and keeps things moving. He sets very clear boundaries for their behavior. One boy is dismissed from rehearsal for not bringing his score to class. Hirvo informs me that Opera Boys Choir has a ‘three strikes’ rule; if any such undesirable behavior happens a fourth time, the singer is dismissed from membership in the choir. The culture of the group is strong as is the desire to be a team player in the group. So far, nobody has been dismissed. Yet there is never a sense of fear or feeling of strictness; Hirvo allows the boys to be normal kids (making incredible music). They barely display any fatigue. Naturally, they are very curious about the tall American in the room and eager to show their best behavior as young singers/musicians.

Soprano, age 9

Here are some observations about warm-ups:

Warm-ups using short and long sibilants [s] emphasizing expansion of ribs and relaxed shoulders.

Warm-ups on simple vocalises or held unisons emphasizing balanced resonance via alternating mixed and pure vowels

      [ö, o and ü, i]

Warm-ups using solfege syllables emphasizing vowel unification and legato (breath support and line)

Solfege /ear training using hands sign only to dictate pitches (sing what you see)

Interval training and tuning using two-part dictation with hands signs (soprano = r.h., alto = l.h.).

     Ever tried that as a teacher?  It is tricky!

Arpeggiated chord structures using number dictation and sung response, ex., 1-3-5-6-4-2-(7)-1

Soprano, age 12

Here are some observations about rehearsal on the War Requiem:

Specific work on legato line, proper diction, and beautiful vowel shapes

Work on text inflection, taking weight out of tops

Speaking the parts in rhythm – including rests

The boys are relaxed, funny and a little fidgety, but when called to task, they sit properly and sing beautifully

Hirvo calls the boys by name to bring them into focus

Gets the boys to keep tone focused and forward – not breathy or inefficient

Hirvo uses appropriate wait times when querying the boys and before giving a cue (says, “are you ready?” without

     speaking)

Getting the boys to be engaged musically by thinking about the textual meaning

Creating imagery to help them picture the text: “Have a visual image of the text in your mind!”

Hirvo drills boys on translation of the Latin

He says, “Tune the vowel”!

Has them speak the text to the get the right resonance and inflection by asking the boys to put resonance in the

       speaking voices and showing proper word stress/inflection in via lyrical recitation of the diction

Uses parallels in Estonian speech patterns to teach appropriate word stress in Latin.

Does random individual assessments:  “Please stand and sing this phrase demonstrating the concept being taught

     (word   stress, vowel, legato line, etc.)”

Praises boys frequently and reinforces good habits.

Estonians habitually vigorously aspirate the initial [h]; it sounds like [ς].  This is characteristic of Estonian diction

     but inappropriate for Latin. Hirvo gets the kids out of the habit when singing in Latin.

Hirvo talks to them about flipping [r] before the beat. When singing in Romance languages, the Estonians will never have a problem with the flipped or trilled [r].

In paradisum = high tessitura! He’s asking the boys to add space/modify, and to get the air moving before onset.

Informal assessment: “Rate your sound!  On a scale of 1 to 4, how beautiful is your forte?” They talk about great tenors:

     Caruso, Domingo, Pavarotti (make your tone fat, like Pavarotti!

 

Without speaking, I join the boys at the piano during the break. They are clumped around one boy who is playing a piano riff from an American pop tune that I happen to know. I reach around him and mirror his right hand one octave higher, adding a bass line with my left hand—thank goodness for root position major and minor triads. The boys marvel. I utter, “Do you all understand English?” Of course, they speak beautifully—practically without accent! This is the new generation of Estonians. One boy reports that he learned on his own by watching cartoons. They all chime in!  Another reports with great pride that he has studied it on his own!

Wow! What an inspiring evening. I love the sound of a healthy boy choir. I can’t wait to see the War Requiem, two weeks from tomorrow, featuring British conductor, Jan Latham Koenig, The State Choir Latvija, Samuel Boden (tenor), Gavin Carr )baritone), the Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra!

For the arts, Tallinn rocks! Because the country is small, they are all concentrated here in the capital city!

Estonian diction explored

17.11.13

 

Pirita Beach, with Tallinn skyline in the distance

I have been fascinated with this week’s observations of Muusikakeskkool and Ellerhein girls’ choirs! There is a lot to learn before I begin to work with both groups in January. Though the girls, ages 14 through 18, speak English fairly well, there are so many cultural differences, I am afraid that old remedies I pull out of my pedagogical bag of tricks will be met with stares and bewilderment.  All of my clever American cultural expressions and clichés are off the table! Teaching musical concepts, vocal technique, and engaging students in textual comprehension and expression will present a new challenge.

To that end, I have begun coaching with a voice teacher, Vilja Sliževski, Professor of Choral Studies from the EAMT (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) who works solely with undergraduate and graduate choral conductors. EAMT choral conducting students take private lessons with Vilja focusing on choral vocal pedagogy for the duration of their degree program.

Vilja talks about how language and cultural conditioning uniquely influences the development of small muscles in spoken and sung Estonian diction. Estonians do not ‘emote’ in their speech patterns as American do. Inflection and word stress is much more varied in our speech than in theirs. They do not speak loudly, especially in public; their speech is lyrical and fluid. In Estonian diction, word stress is more predictable and cadenced, with the first syllable in most words receiving primary stress. Estonian lacks the plosives and fricatives that are common in English. There is no discernable spoken difference between /d/ and /t/, and /p/ and /b/. These consonants are very softly articulated.  In general, articulators such as the lips and the tongue are not as engaged in the production of Estonian as they are in American English. By comparison, Americans are outwardly emotive in speech volume, inflection and facial expression; Estonians’ expression resides more in the interior realm. This may be why it seems they are a little ‘stiff’ outwardly in choral performances I have witnessed.

Estonian vowels tend toward to be formed more toward the middle and back of mouth.  As a result, much time is spent in rehearsal and warm-ups getting the girls’ sound more ‘forward.’ Estonians use three vowel sounds that we do not /ö/, /ü/, and /õ/. The two former are similar to the mixed vowels found in German and French, with a little less rounding of the lips. The latter, /õ/ has no equivalent in the Romance languages. Interestingly, these mixed vowels are constantly in vocalises; what a great idea for balancing resonance! For example, the brightness of the /i/ combined with a back vowel /u/ works beautifully for finding a nice chiaroscuro (light-dark) balance in the voice. Too bad that this mixed vowel sound is so problematic for speakers of American English. Another sound prevalent in Estonian is the trilled [rr]. This r-trill is considerably elongated—much longer than I have observed in Spanish. Sitting on the bus among the teenagers, I hear the r-trill standing out—a brilliant light percussion that sounds like the vibrating wings of a hummingbird. Many of the vocalises used here precede the mixed vowels with the r-trill. This is a great way of establishing the right kind of breath pressure for a balanced onset:

                Sample vocalise: Do-mi-so-me-do. Sung on /rö/ - /ü/ - /i/

Just looking at these singers and listening to their sound is an education. What appears to be a lack of overt jaw movement seems to be normal for sung Estonian diction. The direction to ‘open your mouth,’ which is certainly valid in in making modifications for upper registers, becomes a potentially confusing pedagogical direction for these young Estonians.

When it is my turn at the podium, I will be teaching literature from the States; that’s what they want to sing! Therein lies the challenge: finding ways to teach American diction to non-native speakers. I am very excited about undertaking the task! I have begun to appreciate the challenge as I coach the Ellerhein Girls’ Choir on their English diction for Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. Goodness! Our language is certainly complex! Too bad our spellings and pronunciations are so inconsistent! For native Estonian speakers, the open /Ɛ/ and the open /I/ just don’t exist. Words such as less come out sounding like lace. Well sounds like whale. Tim sounds like team!  They tend to produce a mixed vowel /ö/ wherever a single /o/ appears in English. The word Estonian comes out sounding like Estönian, making it sound like the diction feigned by Hollywood actors in LA! Initially, the girls could not hear the difference between /e/ and /Ɛ/ (as in lace and less)! Imagine teaching English appropriate for an African American Spiritual, or a folksong from the Southern Appalachian tradition!

 Stay tuned. I will let you know what it’s like!

Nägemiste (see you later)!

Tim

Getting Settled!

4-8.11.13

I am finally beginning to adjust to the 10-hour time difference, the colder climate, and the challenge of sustaining a conversation in English of any substance; all clichés, colorful modifiers and esoteric subject matter is off limits! The air is filled with Estonian and Russian both distinctly different in their tone and cadence. I am trying to add five new Estonian words to my vocabulary daily. Beyond please, thank-you, good day, and excuse me, my Estonian has to be rehearsed in advanced, phrase by phrase.

There is so much to do just to get oriented. Which market shall I shop at? How do you tell which coffee grind is for French press? Where can one buy a broom? Which soap is for the face and which is for the toilet bowl?

The week began with two outstanding concerts, informal meetings with students at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT), and observations of two treble choirs which I will have the honor of co-conducting in the spring, The Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, and the Girls’ Choir at the Muusikakeskool in Tallinn.

Last Sunday, I heard Stockhausen’s Herbstmusik (autumn music) 1974: No. 40, performed at Theatre No.99 (the theatre features regular theatre, music, dance, and has a weekly jazz night). Stockhausen’s work is a slightly mischievous multimedia mix of visual theatre, music for clarinet and viola, mime, and sounds amplified by microphones, featuring four players who make natural sounds with hammers, nails, sticks, dried leaves, straw, and running water. Activities of autumn, nailing, breaking sticks, threshing grain, and a young couple tussling in wet leaves become a texture of rhythm and sound grouped into four movements ending with a duet for clarinet and viola using serial techniques. I loved it!

On Monday, I attended a concert of Veljo Tormis’ Unustatud Rahvad (Forgotten Peoples), an incredible set of six song cycles, performed in a 14^th Century mill which had been converted into a performance space. The composer and his wife, Lea, were both in attendance. I have had the privilege of meeting Veljo during the 2007 International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) World Symposium on Baltic Music. Twice, I have shared meals alongside him. He speaks Estonian, Russian, and German, but no English. He has a great sense of humor and appreciated that I could use my limited Estonian to count the strawberries on my dessert plate.

The free concert was not well advertised and the place was small. I got there an hour early only to discover that admittance was by pre-invitation. I stood patiently and reminded the doorkeeper of my presence. While waiting, I chatted briefly with Veljo and Lea (still can’t say much in Estonian) and joked to them that they may not be able to get into the concert. Along with a few dozen “uninvited,” I was admitted just before the performance began—a small miracle! The set of six cycles takes just over three hours. The choir of 25 (including two conductors, male and female) made multiple formation changes, sang from under the stage, above the stage in a gallery, and in the round, sometimes with only tiny folder lamps in a darkened space!  The music ‘catalogues’ and preserves the song heritage from Finno-Ugric peoples in and around the area of Estonia, Western Russia (Karelia) and Finland. Multiple dialects and language variants are used (Finnish and Estonian being very close cousins), peoples, some of whose languages and songs are nearly extinct. The evening was pure magic. The acoustics in the mill, a circular building with ancient stone walls, are magnificent. The ensemble was a pick-up choir of singers from the EAMT and the professional community. They were outstanding and athletic—singing without apparent fatigue for three hours, with only one intermission. WWU audiences will be hearing one of these song cycles for sure, either Votive Wedding Songs, or Ingrian Evenings!

Both Choirs, Ellerhein and Muusikakeskool, are outstanding. The girls are ages 14 to 18. Those who are in the Muusikakeskool (music high school) study solfeggio and often play in orchestra, band, or study piano. Their music literacy is high. The singing quality is clear and resonant, without vibrato. The tone is warm and reflects the tall darker vowels prevalent in the Estonian language. It will be interesting to see how they sound on music from the Americas, which I will introduce to them in January!

More to come! I must go to the ilusalong (beauty salon) for a haircut!

Head aiga! Have a good day!