Mon July 8th at 7 pm St John’s Church, Tartu

Estonian National Male Choir, Rein Rannap (piano), conductor Mikk Üleoja

In programme: songs by Rein Rannap to texts by Lydia Koidula, Hando Runnel, Ernst Enno, Urmas Alender and others

 

The joint concert of the Estonian National Male Choir and Rein Rannap is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this year’s Glasperlenspiel, bringing Rannap’s timeless songs to the texts of Estonian poets Lydia Koidula, Ott Arder, Urmas Alender, Hando Runnel and others to the audience in a new setting. Originally arranged by Siim Aimla, Kuldar Schütz and Riivo Jõgi for male choir a cappella, the Tartu concert will feature all the songs with the composer himself on piano, who will also add introductions and solo parts. Alongside the best-known and best-loved tunes, the programme will include a significant new work by Rannap on the theme of war, created to words from Estonian folklore, in which both choir and piano can, according to the composer, go wild in an ethno-rock style. Rannap has said of the new piece: “I felt that I could add a slightly longer song to this programme, where I could push the accelerator pedal to the bottom and take both the choir and the piano to the extreme.”