The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier - Baltic Voices 3 (2005)

Paul Hillier continues his top–class 'Baltic Voices' series with a compilation that embraces Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. It is an attractive, stylistically wide– ranging programme, one that carefully avoids the obvious in its choice of pieces. The styles range from pseudo–medievalism (Augustinas) through 'sculptural minimalism' (Gudmundsen– Holmgreen) to modernism (Saariaho, with a version of Nuits, adieux that transfers its original electronic effects to the choir), by way of 'spiral canon' (MaOulis), elaborated Sprechstimme (Bergman), new spirituality (Martinaitis), ascetic ritualism (Tüür, whose Meditatio strikes me as the intellectually toughest yet most rewarding music on the disc and least deserves having a label pinned on it), and straightforward folksiness (Górecki, in soft–grained but undeniably memorable form).
Not all of the works are on an especially exalted level but they are well chosen as vehicles for displaying the versatility and polish of Hillier's fine Estonian singers. Harmonia Mundi's recording is unimpeachable and the disc comes with a thoughtful background essay as well as notes on composers and works, all by Hillier, plus texts and translations presented with scrupulous care. A quality issue this, then, and a high priority, surely, for anyone interested in the contemporary choral repertoire.