Maarja Purga, Sten Lassmann, Valle-Rasmus Roots, Mari-Liis Vind, Kirill Ogorodnikov - Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice (2024) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Five Romances: No. 1, How Could I Sleep
02. Five Romances: No. 2, A Memory
03. Five Romances: No. 3, Beach Swallow
04. Five Romances: No. 4, Wind
05. Five Romances: No. 5, The Onset of Happiness
06. Two Romances: No. 1, Big and Silent
07. Two Romances: No. 2, I have a Shelter under the Sky
08. To the Swing!
09. Words Found a Lovely Melody
10. Leaves Were Falling
11. A Snowflake
12. Cheating Old Nick
13. White Ball
14. Two Songs to Words by Ernst Enno: No. 1, Up There
15. Two Songs to Words by Ernst Enno: No. 2, Bind the eyes!
16. Songs on Poetry by Betti Alver: No. 1, Up There
17. Songs on Poetry by Betti Alver: No. 2, Again and Again
18. Songs on Poetry by Betti Alver: No. 3, The Birds Were Laughing
19. Three Seto Fairytale Songs: No. 1, The Singing Tree
20. Three Seto Fairytale Songs: No. 2, A Cradle Song
21. Three Seto Fairytale Songs: No. 3, The Orphan of a Cuckoo
22. Night Shades
23. Two Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, Cello and Piano: No. 1, Night
24. Two Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, Cello and Piano: No. 2, With Eyes Closed
25. The Marian Fern for Soprano, Flute and Piano
26. Herding Calls for Soprano, Flute and Guitar (Version for Mezzo-Soprano)
27. Songs from the Fields: I. Moderato -
28. Songs from the Fields: II. Andante tenuto -
29. Songs from the Fields: III. Largo -
30. Songs from the Fields: IV. Allegro -
31. Songs from the Fields: V. Rubato -
32. Songs from the Fields: VI. Allegro giocoso -
33. Five Romances: No. 5, The Onset of Happiness (Arr. for Soprano and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik)
34. The Marian Fern (Arr. for Soprano, Flute and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik)
35. Songs from the Fields: I. Moderato - (Arr. for Soprano, Flute, Cello and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik)
36. Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice
37. Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice

For the latter part of her long life, Ester Mägi (1922–2021) was known as ‘the First Lady of Estonian music’, her modest, charming disposition endearing her to all who met her. But her music reveals the true strength of her personality, and this first complete recording of her songs for female voice – over half a century of compositional activity – covers a striking emotional range, from the ambivalent feelings of falling in love to dramatic ritual invocations of startling force and power. Many of the earlier songs are openly romantic, but Mägi soon began to tap into the hypnotic energy of Estonian runic folksong, with its echoes of village life and its incantations intended to placate a hostile environment.

Maarja Purga, mezzo-soprano
Valle-Rasmus Roots, cello
Mari-Liis Vind, flute
Kirill Ogorodnikov, guitar
Sten Lassmann, piano

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