Calendar of Music Events

In principio: Estonian baroque from the 17th and 21st centuries

On stage: Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Andrew Lawrence-King (music director) and soloists.

Who is a composer? Today, it is likely someone who has dedicated themselves to the study of composition and holds a diploma to that effect. However, to break through in the competitive field, one must undoubtedly find a unique style. Writing like Mozart would be considered cliché. Yet, the further back we look in time, the more we see that the lines between musicians and composers were incredibly fine, and music could comfortably be written in the same style for centuries. The violin virtuoso Corelli, with only six opus numbers, was anything but a mere composer. Indeed, we also expect modern musicians to have improvisational skills, and accompanists seem to constantly solve harmony problems – after all, only the bass line was written down. But then, there's the matter of style!

We like to talk about the rich history of Estonian music. Johann Valentin Meder comes to mind first. He was not afraid to write like Buxtehude, and he played the instrument as well – indeed, he was a schoolmaster. Of course, he is our composer, although Germans and Latvians also claim him as their own. To avoid similar misunderstandings in the future, it might be wise to fully embrace the music director of the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Andrew Lawrence-King, as truly our own. What he is not afraid of will be revealed at the concert. In any case, we are privileged that Estonian music can find a human and life-affirming common ground among musicians separated by several centuries.

Tickets available at Fienta.

See also facebook.com/TallinnaBarokkorkester

The concert is organised in collaboration with Tallinn Philharmonic Society and Tallinn Baroque Orchestra