Music of Time
Tallinn
Baroque
Orchestra
A new initiative
for Early Music
in Estonia
Let's
make an Orchestra
Thanks to everyone who supported our first concert, La Musica, on International Women's Day. Our second concert is April 1st, Baroque Fools: Folias & Fantasias from Old and New Worlds
Ortiz, Coelho, Fernandes, Monteverdi, Corelli, Vivaldi etc.
Some Fools remain anonymous!
Sunday May 14th 19.00 at Mustpeade Maja
Españoleta: Dances & Tientos from Spain,
South America & Africa
A new dawn... The musicians of the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra have launched a new initiative, to create a Historically Informed orchestral ensemble in Estonia that rehearses every week and performs every month.
The idea is to create the Orchestra first, and then seek funding. We are not asking for money, but for your practical support, advice and expertise.
And if you are a musician who wants Estonia to have a Baroque Orchestra, come and play with us!
Players' information and sign-up page here.
​
FaceBook: Tallinna BarokkOrkester
#LetsmakeanOrchestra
​
Email: BarokkOrkester @ gmail.com
:
Webpage: www.MusicTime.ee/TBO
We have started!
​
Our first rehearsal was Monday February 6th where 21 musicians rehearsed Monteverdi's Ballo and La Musica ritornello (Orfeo, 1607), as well as a Monteverdian Toccata featuring fragments of Estonian melodies.
​
Channeling Caccini's Le nuove musiche (1601) we are working on text-based articulations, on Tactus-based rhythm, in order to create our own distinctive historically-informed sound. Our Rhetorical aims are to share with our listeners communicative, delightful and emotionally moving music.
#Rhetoric+Rhythm=Passion
​
THANKS to Brian Clark, specialist in Urtext performing editions of Renaissance, Baroque and early Classical music, for supporting TBO by allowing us sight of his (2006) edition of Francesca Caccini's opera Ruggiero (1625). See the full catalogue of publications at PrimaLaMusica.com
​
​
Barokkorkestri uus tulemine
Eestis ulatub barokkorkestrite ajalugu aastasse 1987.
Tänaseks on meil päris palju muusikuid, kes on end pühendanud mõne barokkinstrumendi mängimisele ja saanud, tihti maailma tunnustatumates kõrgkoolides, erialase hariduse. Järjest tuleb juurde ka kutseliste koosseisude orkestrante, kelle kireks on ajastu pillide mängimine.
See on loonud võimaluse justkui mitmete barokkorkestrite tekkeks. Kuigi nad on tihti pakkunud publikule unustamatuid elamusi, on siiani olnud ühiseks nimetajaks projektipõhisus ja see on paraku ka siiski kuulda. Inspireerivat on muidugi olnud: barokkorkestri kontserdid Haapsalu festivalil Toomas Siitani juhatusel, Tallinna barokkorkestri esinemine festivalil Tallinn feat. Reval 2021. aastal Tõnu Kaljuste dirigeerimisel ja 2022. a. kontsert, kus kapellmeister oli Andrew Lawrence-King.
​
Just viimasena mainitud kontserdi positiivsetest emotsioonidest kantuna ja tunnetades suurt potentsiaali, mille üheks sambaks oli noorte andekate muusikute lisandumine, asusid festivali korraldajad ja orkestri initsiatiivgrupp otsima võimalust barokkorkestri regulaarseks tööks. Vaid see viiks orkestri rahvusvaheliselt hinnatud tasemele.
Kõige tähtsam selle tulemuse saavutamiseks - muusikud - on meil olemas. Hetkel, ükskõik, mis nime kandva eesti barokkorkestri tarvis toetuse küsimine nõuaks suurt veenmistööd ja oleks vähem või rohkem avansi palumine. Otsustasime minna teist teed. Me oleme ääretult tänulikud Andrew Lawrence-Kingile, kes märkas orkestri suurt soovi ja võimekust ning tuli vastu meie palvele ja soostus orkestriga regulaarselt töötama.
​
Kokkulepitud põhimõtted on järgmised:
-
Orkestri proov on igal nädalal
​​
-
Kontsert on iga kuu
​​
-
Muusikute töö esimesel aastal (ka muusikalise juhi oma) ei ole tasustatud
​​
-
Orkester on avatud kõikidele barokkpille mängivatele muusikutele, kõikidest orkestritest ja ansamblitest, kes soostuvad eelmiste punktidega
​​
-
Orkester on avatud koostööks kõikide meie festivalidega, kooridega, dirigentidega
​
-
Kuigi orkestri muusikalised ambitsioonid on kõrged, on oodatud ka need huvilised, kelle barokkinstrumendi mängimise kogemused ei ole väga pikaajalised. Otsime võimalusi jõukohastes lugudes kaasalöömiseks ja anname tagasisidet.
Kui oled huvitatud, siis palun anna endast märku ja kirjuta.
​
Loomulikult on hea, kui saate seda infot jagada inimestele, kes võiks nende plaanidega haakuda. Igasugune tagasiside: ettepanekud, värsked ideed, kriitika ja küsimused - kõik on oodatud.
See kõik on meile äärmiselt oluline, sest lisaks soovile saada suurepärane orkester, unistame ka sellest, et tegu oleks kõiki varajase muusika mängijaid ühendava ettevõtmisega.
Initsiatiivgrupi nimel
Egmont Välja, Reet Sukk, Taavi-Mats Utt
Baroque Orchestra - a new dawn
The history of baroque orchestras in Estonia dates back to 1987.
​
Today, we have many musicians who have dedicated themselves to playing baroque instruments: many have received professional education in some of the world's most prestigious conservatoires. There is also an increasing number of professional mainstream orchestral players with a passion for period instruments.
​
This has created an opportunity for the emergence of several baroque ensembles, who have offered audiences many memorable experiences. But until now, orchestral music-making has been limited to occasional projects, lacking continuity. Of course, there have been inspiring events: baroque orchestral concerts under the direction of Toomas Siitan at the Haapsalu Festival, the performances of the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra at the festival Tallinn feat. Reval in 2021 conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, and in 2022 with Andrew Lawrence-King.
Uplifted by the positive energy of that most recent concert and aware of the great potential of talented musicians of Estonia's younger generation, the organizers of the Festival and the orchestra's initiative group started looking for opportunities for the Baroque Orchestra to work together regularly. Only this can bring the orchestra to international-level artistic standards.
​
Estonia already has the most important resource to achieve this: fine musicians! But in the present circumstances, it would be difficult to ask for finanical support in advance for any baroque orchestra in Estonia. So we have decided to take a different path. We are extremely grateful to Andrew Lawrence-King, who - seeing the great enthusiam and potential of the musicians - has accepted our request to work regularly and pro bono with this new initiative of the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra.
The agreed principles are as follows:
• The Orchestra rehearses every week
• There is a concert every month
• Musicians' work in the first year (including that of the musical director) is not paid
• The Orchestra is open to all musicians who play baroque instruments, from any orchestra or ensemble, who agree to the previous points.
​
• The Orchestra is eager to collaborate with all our festivals, choirs and conductors.
• The artistic aims of the Orchestra are high. Nevertheless, we welcome all musicians, even those with only moderate experience of baroque playing: we will encourage you to participate as fully as possible, give feedback as you train with us, and help you progress to full membership.
If you are interested, please email us.
Meanwhile, please share this information with anyone who might be interested in these plans. All comments are welcome: suggestions, fresh ideas, criticism, questions, offers of practical help.
​
All of this is extremely important to us, because in addition to the desire to have a great Baroque Orchestra, we also dream that it will be a venture that unites all players of Early Music.
​
On behalf of the initiative group,
Egmont Välja, Reet Sukk, Taavi-Mats Utt
Tallinn Baroque Orchestra & Vox Clamantis
directed by Andrew Lawrence-King
at Festival Tallinn feat. Reval 2022
Andrew Lawrence-King writes...
Let’s make a Baroque Orchestra
Amidst all the multitude, variety and excellence of musical activity in Estonia, we lack a Baroque Orchestra.
I mean no disrespect to those Early Music ensembles who occasionally present Baroque music with an orchestral line-up, nor to those modern orchestras who sometimes perform Baroque repertoire. But there is no orchestra working in the context of Historically Informed Performance, rehearsing every week and performing every month. Such clarity of purpose and continuity of ensemble-playing are essential to develop the quality and cohesion that an international-level orchestra must attain.
So I’m delighted at the new initiative from the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, starting regular rehearsals and performances now, and finding funding later. And I am honoured to be invited to direct and coach them pro bono, whilst we work together to establish a strong artistic team that Estonians can be proud to support.
I’m inspired by the stories of two orchestras in Finland. 50 years ago, a bunch of provincial music-school students continued playing together whilst studying in Helsinki, returning home to transform themselves into the fully-funded, world-class Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. Their unique spirit still supports their musical excellence to this day. Another group of early music students began rehearsing together on the sixth floor of the Sibelius Academy. Many years of highly idealistic work finally brought them institutional security as the Finnish Baroque Orchestra.
If you would like Estonia to have its own world-class Baroque Orchestra, please join us ! Please pass on this news to all your baroque friends, musical colleagues and cultural contacts. Please come and play with us, share your expertise and experience. Please offer your comments and advice. Please give us any practical support that you can.
We are starting right now. See you at rehearsal, at the concert!
With all best wishes,
Andrew
​