Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice

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Catalogue No: TOCC0741
EAN/UPC: 5060113447418
Release Date: 2024-10-04
Composer: Ester Mägi
Artists: Kirill Ogorodnikov, Maarja Purga, Mari-Liis Vind, Sten Lassmann, Valle-Rasmus Roots

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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

Listen To This Recording:

Viis romanssi (‘Five Romances’) (9:53)

  1. No. 1, Kuis võiksin magada (‘How Could I Sleep’) (1:48)
  2. No. 2, Mälestus (‘A Memory’) (1:35)
  3. No. 3, Rannapääsuke (‘Beach Swallow’) (2:55)
  4. No. 4, Tuul (‘Wind’) (1:45)
  5. No. 5, Õnne algus (‘The Onset of Happiness’) (1:50)

Kaks romanssi (‘Two Romances’) (2:38)

  1. No. 1, Suur ja vaikne (‘Big and Silent’) (1:23)
  2. No. 2, Mul on tare taeva all (‘I have a Shelter under the Sky’) (1:15)*

  1. Kiigele! (‘To the Swing!’) (1:38)*
  2. Leidsid sõnad kalli viisi (‘Words Found a Lovely Melody’) (3:33)*
  3. Lehed langs’sid (‘Leaves were Falling’) (1:34)*
  4. Lumehelbeke (‘A Snowflake’) (1:32)*
  5. Vanatühja petmine (‘Cheating Old Nick’) (1:32)*
  6. Valge pall (‘White Ball’) (3:02)*

Kaks laulu Ernst Enno sõnadele (‘Two Songs to Words by Ernst Enno) (5:09)

  1. No. 1, Sääl kõrgel (‘Up There’) (2:20)
  2. No. 2, Köitke kinni! (‘Bind the eyes!’) (2:49)

Laulud Betti Alveri luulega (‘Songs on Poetry by Betti Alver’) (7:13)

  1. No. 1, Puust palitu (‘Wooden Overcoat’) (2:37)
  2. No. 2, Jälle ja jälle (‘Again and Again’) (2:21)
  3. No. 3, Linnud naersid (‘The Birds were Laughing’) (2:15)

Kolm setu muinasjutulaulu (‘Three Seto Fairytale Songs’) (9:16)

  1. No. 1, Laulev puu (‘The Singing Tree’) (3:36)
  2. No. 2, Uinutamislaul (‘A Cradle Song’) (2:51)
  3. No. 3, Vaeslaps käoks (‘The Orphan of a Cuckoo’) (2:49)

  1. Ööhõlmad (‘Night Shades’) (4:43)

Kaks laulu (‘Two Songs’) for soprano or mezzo-soprano, cello and piano(7:39)

  1. No. 1, Öö (‘Night’) (5:05)
  2. No. 2, Silmil suletuil (‘With Eyes Closed’) (2:28)

  1. Maarjasõnajalg (‘The Marian Fern’) for soprano, flute and piano (3:49)
  2. Huiked (‘Herding Calls’) for soprano, flute and guitar (9:55)

Põllul laulmine (‘Songs from the Fields’) (8:53)

  1. I. Moderato – (1:42)
  2. II. Andante tenuto – (1:31)
  3. III. Largo – (1:26)
  4. IV. Allegro – (0:59)
  5. V. Rubato – (1:18)
  6. VI. Allegro giocoso (1:58)

Available on Digital Edition Only

  1. Viis romanssi (‘Five Romances’): No. 5, Õnne algus (‘The Onset of Happiness’) [Arr. for Mezzo-Soprano and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik] (1:49)
  2. Maarjasõnajalg (‘The Marian Fern’) for soprano, flute and piano [Arr. for Mezzo-Soprano, Flute and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik]
  3. Põllul laulmine (‘Songs from the Fields’): I. Moderato – [Arr. for Mezzo-Soprano, Flute, Cello and Guitar by Heiki Mätlik] (8:29)

*First Recordings

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3 reviews for Ester Mägi: Complete Songs for Female Voice

  1. :

    ‘Purga’s mezzo voice is alternately rich and light, easily performing repertoire written for both mezzo and lyric, displaying her extensive range and variety of tonal colors. She beautifully conveys the many facets of Mägi’s creativity in the genre, revealing the composer’s understanding and admiration for Estonian folk songs and the influence of her teachers, especially Mart Saar, the founding father of the Estonian national choral and solo-song tradition, and Vissarion Shebalin, close friend of Dmitri Shostakovich.

    Lassmann is superb; a supportive and thoughtful collaborator, he expertly performs the demanding accompaniments, supporting the vocal lines, playfully portraying nature sounds including birds, leaves, and gusts of wind, while also shining in his own virtuosic moments.

    This program has first recordings of 7 songs, including the hauntingly beautiful ‘Leaves were Falling’, with gentle arpeggiations in the accompaniment and moments of unaccompanied melody, and ‘Valge Pall’ (White Ball), a joyous and rollicking tale of a tennis game. […]

    Songs scored for voice with cello and piano, flute and piano, and flute with guitar are complex and offer another glimpse into Mägi’s mastery of polyphony and her ability to create nature sounds in both instruments and voice. […]

    Whether an introduction to Estonian music, or a welcome addition to one’s collection, this is a magnificent program, well researched and performed.’

    —Liana Valente, American Record Guide, April 2025

  2. :

    ‘Ester Mägi had a special gift in writing for voice, making these songs a complete joy to listen to. Having heard the disc several time, I find that some songs have embedded themselves on my memory.[…]

    A song about tennis might seem an unlikely subject but in Ester Mägi’s hands we have a really delightful song, White Ball, charting the forward and backward thrust of hitting the ball over the net while describing the trees and birds around the court – again disarmingly simple, but highly effective with a truly superb melody that remains long in the memory. […]

    The entire disc is a joy and it is hard to imagine one could ever hear these songs sung more beautifully than by Maarja Purga, whose soaring mezzo voice is crystalline with a diction so clear that it enabled me to follow the Estonian, though I know not a single word, and even to pick up again at any point which I find quite remarkable; all credit to her. She is more than ably accompanied by Sten Lassmann whose pianism is so complementary to, and respectful of, her voice; he is a true partner. Likewise, the cellist, flautist and guitarist deliver finely measured accompaniment. We are unlikely ever to come across a finer compendium of Ester Mägi’s songs for female voice.’

    —Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International

  3. :

    ‘Album annab helilooja käekirjast ja kõlaesteetikast hea ülevaate, läbi aastakümnete on tajuda nii meloodiate ülesehituses kui klaveri mänguvõtetes sarnaseid jooni. […]

    Maarja Purga hääleulatus on õnneks enam kui piisav, imeliselt kõlab ta näiteks kõrgemas registris, kus avaldub tema potentsiaal dramaatilisteks ooperirollideks.’

    —Maarja Leemet, laulja, Musika

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