Raimund Kull
October 3, 1882 Narva –October 10, 1942 TallinnMember of the Estonian Actors' Union since 1937
Buried at Tallinn Forest Cemetary
The main importance of the wide musical activity of conductor, pedagogue and composer Raimund Kull lies in his work as a longtime musical director of Estonia Theatre. Beside that, Kull has written music for chamber ensembles, choirs and different types of orchestras.
Raimud Kull graduated from Narva music society’s Russian elementary school in 1896 and Narca city school in 1899, where he started to play orchestral instruments and got the first practice as a orchestra musician. From 1900–1906, he studied trombone in St. Petersburg Consevatory in the class of Prof. Franz Joseph Türner, in 1921 he improved his skills in Berlin. Parallel to studies, Kull played from 1901–1912 in orchestras of St. Petersburg, in summer time also in Caucasia and Crimea. From 1909–1912 he acted as a orchestra conductor in St. Petersburg, Kazan and Rostov. He conducted musical performances in St. Petersburg Estonian Educational Society, he was a board member of St Petersburg Imperial Russian Musical Society and held a concert-lectures in St. Petersburg’s Conservatory Great Hall. In 1912, he returned to Estonia.
From 1912–1920, Raimund Kull was a Chief Conductor of Estonia Theatre Orchestra, from 1920 conductor and from 1930–1942 a Music Director. In addition to musical stage performances, he organised with the theatre orchestra also popular concerts at several places in Tallinn. With his enthusiastic activity he helped to create the foundation to Estonian opera culture and tradition of symphonic concerts.
Beside Estonia Theatre Orchestra, Kull conducted also Estonian Navy Orchestra (1918–1927) and State Broadcast Symphony Orchestra (1934–1939). Concerts took him to several cities abroad: Stockholm, Helsinki, Warsaw, Riga, Budapest and others. Raimund Kull has directed also choirs and has been a general conductor of wind orchestras at general song celebrations in 1928, 1933 and 1938, also director of several county songdays.
Raimund Kull was one of the founders of Tallinn Higher Music School in 1919 and trombone teacher at the same (1929–1941, Professor from 1937).
Raimund Kull has written mainly orchestral music and choral songs. His best-known orchestral works are The Battle of Kriusha (1920) and march Homeland that has been performed for many years at song celebrations together with the song with the same title on Mihkel Veske’s text. Kull’s romantic sound language is characterised by effective pictorial images and fluent melody.
Raimund Kull has been ascribed the Republic of Estonia Order of the Cross of the Eagle 3rd Class (1932), Order fo the White Star 3rd Class (1937), title of the Conductor of Tallinn and golden badge of Estonian Actors’ Union (1937).
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