The first couple of times when your tour guide in Ireland points out
"ADC," you may be perplexed, but soon, it becomes clear the frequent
call is for "Another Damn Castle." On the concert circuit, the same
acronym stands for "Another Decent Chorus."

You'd never think of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in those
terms.  Just as the Bay Area's own Chanticleer, Tonu Kaljuste's Estonian
chorus is distinct and distinguished, special in many ways, not "just
another" of the kind.

Two dozen soloists blend their voices in a unique manner, allowing
individual lines to be heard against a pedal-point ensemble - difficult
to describe, impossible not to be enchanted by it.

Presented by San Francisco Performances for the fourth time, EPCC had
its finest concert locally tonight in Herbst Theater, finding the perfect
venue and conducted in great form by Paul Hillier in a mini-survey of
choral music from the Baltic.  (Kaljuste, who founded the chorus in 1981,
has named Hillier artistic director and chief conductor.)

Unlike intriguing, but also frustrating past performances in the din
of St. Ignatius Church, tonight's concert in Herbst was crystalline,
intimate, altogether glorious.  Hillier presented an exciting and rewarding
program of mostly unfamiliar music.

There was a time, not long ago, that the novelty at such concerts would
have been Arvo Part; by now, his is the familiar (and much appreciated)
presence.  Part's "Two Slavonic Palms," on the program tonight, were of
his usual mastery, but less dark and intense than his other works.

The only other name recognized tonight, Einojuhani Rautavaara, was
represented by a tremendous work, "Suite de Lorca." These authentically
and fiercely Spanish songs by the Finnish composer, performed by Estonian
singers for an American audience bridged ethnic and geographic differences
as well as narrow musical preferences: folk, classical, "religious" -
the intensely dramatic settings for Lorca's poems appealed to all.

There were good, strong works by Cyrillus Kreek (Estonian, 1889-1962),
Veljo Tormis (Estonian, born 1930), Per Norgard (Danish, born 1932),
Russian Orthodox pieces by the Vasily Titov, Dmitry Bortniansky and the
18th century Italian court musician in St. Petersburg, Giuseppe Sarti,
but the evening belonged to two phenomenal composers simply unknown, at
least in these parts, certainly to me...  but no longer.

I'll make sure to become more familiar with the works of Sven-David
Sandstrom (Swedish, born 1942) and Urmas Sisask (Estonian, born 1960).

Sandstrom's "Hear My Prayer" opened in a deceptively bland manner (bringing
to mind some ADC experiences), but just when the listener was ready to
tune out, something astonishing happened - and kept on happening all the
way through the lengthy work: harmonic/chromatic progressions arose from
the guts of the work, inventive, surprising sound sculptures fundamentally,
honestly linked with the material, not clever, attention-getting bits.
The 1986 work, English text adapted from Purcell, is both pure and pure
gold.

And, the best was yet to come: five of Sisask's 24-song cycle from 1988,
"Gloria Patri," provided the kind of experience that compel the listener
to run to the nearest all-night record store and seek out the man's
music, not waiting until the next day.

The liturgical sections "Surrexit Christus," "Omnis una gaudeamus,"
"Benedicamus" "Oremus" and "Confitemini Domino" form a huge reverse arc,
starting high (in volume, energy), descend slowly to a stillness at the
juncture of sound and silence, and then rise again.  The opening and
closing sections are "just" beautiful music; the middle ones - especially
"Oremus" - are more than that.  If music is communication beyond words,
Sisask succeeded in speaking "beyond music" here, with a clear, transparent
texture, a sustained, unique sound.

When you hear something new, the only way to describe it is by saying
what it is not.  That "music beyond music" is *not* trance music or
ostinato or noodling.  The work moves forward, there is no repetition
or threading water, only stunning, unusual music of instant impact and
lasting impression.

The Estonians did justice to Sisask by virtually disappearing, becoming
instruments of the music.  Hillier and EPCC - a partnership to save
choral music from ADC.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
[log in to unmask]