Festival Klaaspärlimäng esitleb: Ida versus Lääs

On October 8^th, Tallinn St. John’s church will host a somewhat unusual concert presenting works by Mozart, Cage, Pärt and Vähi, the common denominator of which is the synthesis of Eastern and Western traditions, performed by Hans Christian Aavik and Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta under the baton of Andres Kaljuste.

The program includes Mozart’s Violin concerto No. 5, also known as “Turkish” where the great composer suddenly intertwines western traditional soundscape with oriental tones.

Arvo Pärt’s “Orient & Occident” is likewise a mix of two cultures built on a monophonic melody that, though sounding oriental, is based on minor scale well known in western musicology.

Peeter Vähi has drawn inspiration from the Tibetan tradition of chanting mantras while composing his work “Prayer Wheel” in Eastern scale including also quarter tones, unfamiliar to the ears of the Western listener.

The concert’s interlude is the scandalous work by John Cage 4’33’’, presenting 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence that well displays the composer’s close connection to Zen Buddhism.