Veljo Tormis achieved a breakthrough with the release of a double CD, Forgotten Peoples. Photograph: Eve Tarm/AP
The Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, who has died aged 86, wrote choral works based on the folksong and poetry of languages that are now disappearing or extinct. Those from the Finno-Ugric family that have established themselves in modern nations Estonian, Finnish and Hungarian have flourished, but several related tongues used to be heard on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. The rites, poetry and music of the people who spoke them never attracted attention at a national level: in taking them as the creative basis for his music, Tormis created a personal sound museum of a lost world.
Other composers from the region most notably Sibelius have often used folklore from the viewpoint of western musical ideals. Tormis was a pioneer in letting the folklore dictate the course of the music, rather than trying to coerce it into the established frameworks of western music. His work is free in narrative fantasy, incorporating such features as the sounds of village life or birdsong, sparse in development and lavish in theatricality. The usual life of a composer, with its symphonies and operas, would have been too limiting for him. As he put it: I dont use folk melody it is folk melody that uses me.
He achieved a breakthrough with the release of a double CD on the ECM label, Forgotten Peoples (1992), on which the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir was conducted by Tnu Kaljuste. The opening track of the first choral cycle, Livonian Heritage, depicts birds waking in a dense forest; Livonians lived on the coast of what is now Latvia. Another cycle, Ingrian Evenings, recreates a festive evening of songs and dances in a village, and so is often presented as a staged work; Ingrians were Lutheran Finns speaking a south-eastern dialect of Finnish, who by the 17th century had moved to the St Petersburg region, at the eastern end of the gulf.
A further ECM recording, Litany to Thunder (1999), contains Curse Upon Iron, a work of symbolic importance for Estonians. It features the shamans drum of the Koryak people, living in the northern part of Kamchatka, on Russias far east coast, and denounces the destructive military uses of the metal.
Tormis was born the eldest son of a Lutheran parish clerk, Riho Tormis, and his wife, Johanna, in Kuusalu, east of the capital city of Tallinn. He was nine when Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union, and after organ and choral conducting studies in Tallinn (1942-51) went to the Moscow Conservatoire to study composition with Vissarion Shebalin (1951-56). When he returned to Tallinn, he quickly rose to prominence as a composer, initially producing works in a traditional vein, including symphonies and an opera, The Swans Flight (1966). His Overture No 2 (1959) was the first work by an Estonian composer to be performed at the Warsaw Autumn festival, in 1961. Two of the countrys other leading composers, Arvo Prt and Kuldar Sink, studied with him during his time as a teacher at the Tallinn Music high school (1956-60).
From the Khrushchev thaw of the late 1950s, when national music became a secret tool of anti-Sovietism, Tormis explored Estonian folklore, and then in the 1970s and 80s that of other Finno-Ugric and Baltic peoples. He produced more than 60 choral cycles, often including the names of native peoples in the titles, as with his Votic Wedding Songs, Vepsian Paths and Izhorian Epic, all also to be heard on Forgotten Peoples.
His music was taken up not only in Estonia, but in Latvia, Lithuania and other Soviet-bloc countries. Singing in general was a significant factor in public demonstrations in the years leading up to Estonias independence from Soviet rule in 1991, and Tormis drew on its power to express the forest pantheism that remains at least as strong in the national psyche as the Christianity that followed it. At the Estonian Song festival, held every five years in Tallinn most recently in 2014 thousands of people in amateur choirs sang Tormiss works, and he was an avid visitor to schools, keen to reconnect children with their ancient heritage.
Other parts of the world with a strong choral tradition started taking up Tormiss music, not least as a result of the global tours of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. During the Gorbachev glasnost period of the 1980s it found a particular following in the US and Germany, and the ECM releases brought it an audience throughout western Europe.
Tormiss political concerns extended beyond national independence to environmental issues, social exclusion, and the emptiness of modern politics. In 2000 he retired from composition. A very gracious man, he was revered by a nation that loves to sing.
In 1951, he married Lea Rummo, a theatre historian. She survives him, along with their son, Tnu, a photographer whose work appears on the cover of Forgotten Peoples and on many subsequent recordings of his fathers music.
Veljo Tormis, composer, born 7 August 1930; died 21 January 2017
Read more:
Veljo Tormis obituary | Music | The Guardian - The Guardian
- PANTHEISM: Nature, universe, science and religion [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Pantheism - New World Encyclopedia - Info:Main Page - New ... [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Is your spiritual home right here on Earth? | World Pantheism [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- The Higher Pantheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Does pantheism relate to free will? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Pantheism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Pantheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Pantheism Master (Original Mix) - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Pantheism (Original Mix) - Video [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2015]
- Never losing dignity [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2015]
- How to Pronounce Pantheism - Video [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2015]
- Synopsis | The Beginnings Of Hindu Pantheism By Charles Rockwell Lanman - Video [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2015]
- Pantheism explained - Video [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2015]
- Wk 40 Katey on Pantheism and Souls - Video [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2015] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2015]
- What is pantheism ? - Bible Questions Answered [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2015] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2015]
- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pantheism - New Advent [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2015]
- A discussion of Atheistic Pantheism and Classical Deism [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2015]
- Naturalistic pantheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2015]
- Pantheists in History: a history of pantheism [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2015]
- AN INTRODUCTION TO PANTHEISM by Jan Garrett - WKU [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2015]
- A Religion of Nature, Earth, Gaia | World Pantheism [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2015] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2015]
- Pantheism and Biblical Christianity Bill Muehlenbergs ... [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2015]
- Metaphysics of Pantheism - Famous Pantheist Quotes [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2015] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2015]
- pantheism [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Pantheism - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Pantheism - RationalWiki [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Panentheism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Varieties of Theism: What is Pantheism? Is the Universe or ... [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- What Is Pantheism?|God and Nature Are Same Thing|Bible ... [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Panentheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Pantheism - History - AllAboutHistory.org [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2016]
- Theology, Pantheism Spinoza: Discussion Metaphysics of ... [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2016]
- Pantheism as "Sexed-up Atheism" | World Pantheism [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2016]
- What is pantheism? - gotquestions.org [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2016]
- Pantheism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- Nature Mysticism : Quotations, Links, Bibliography, Notes ... [Last Updated On: November 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 25th, 2016]
- Pantheism | Neo-Paganism.com [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2016]
- Monism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: January 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2017]
- Our fight to the death with nature is not one we can win - The Age [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Pantheism - Norse Mythology for Smart People [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- How Alexis de Tocqueville can help us stay sane - The Washington ... - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Educational Reformer Hirsch Promotes Knowledge Against Its ... - National Review [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- 'Evilution:' The Secret Luciferian, Spiritual Origin To One of The Biggest Hoaxes in History Evolution - The Christian Truther [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Poet Robinson Jeffers to be topic at OLLI meeting - Chico Enterprise-Record [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Our Lady of Fatima and the Battle With Freemasonry, Part 1 - Church Militant [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- What Is Wrong With Yoga? - Catholic Church [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Spinozism - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- 4 books tell stories of Ky. drug world - Glasgow Daily Times [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- Albert Einstein's Surprising Thoughts on the Meaning of Life | Big ... - Big Think [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2017]
- An Interview with Emmanuel Donate, JD Director, Hispanic American Freethinkers - Conatus News [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Walker: Christmas lights and environmental pantheism - The Daily Tribune [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Left-wing Oprah Eyes Possible Presidential Bid in 2020 - The New American [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- Do you have a biblical worldview? - WND.com [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- Arlene's Flowers case abandoned religious protections - Kitsap Sun [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- Demystifying the Beliefs of Pantheism - thoughtco.com [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- Why Sacrifices? - Algemeiner [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2017]
- Adventist Church Goes Back to Court to Defend Sabbath Keepers - Adventist Review [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2017]
- Need to propagate Sufism in its right context: Dr Qasim - Kashmir Reader [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2017]
- Families leave thousands of cremated remains behind - The Sydney Morning Herald [Last Updated On: April 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 2nd, 2017]
- Composer Theofanidis unconvincing as theologian in Atlanta Symphony's Creation/Creator - Washington Classical Review [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2017]
- Adventists appeal court ruling on Kellogg Sabbath accommodation case - Adventist News Network [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2017]
- Hinduism vs Hindutva: The search for an ideology in times of cow politics - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2017]
- Families leave thousands of cremated remains behind - Bellingen Courier Sun [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2017]
- Winter is coming; help me turn yarn into warmth - Port Huron Times Herald [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2017]
- Hitler Was Not a Christian - Splice Today [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2017]
- Why I Had To Make a Clean Break With Christianity - Patheos - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: April 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 27th, 2017]
- A war of opposites: Rubbishing Hinduism's eclectic nature, Hindutva treats any expression of dissent as sedition - Times of India (blog) [Last Updated On: May 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 2nd, 2017]
- In response to Tim Martin, God exists - Eureka Times Standard [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2017]
- Opposed to Catholicism - Church Militant [Last Updated On: May 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 6th, 2017]
- Dunphy: The growls of empty stomachs - Alton Telegraph [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2017]
- Escape into the wild with Maasthi Gudi- The New Indian Express - The New Indian Express [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2017]
- Rishe Groner - Tablet Magazine [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- 'Sgt. Pepper's' Turns 50: The Newsweek Review of The Beatles' Masterpiece - Newsweek [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- Seven Things Evil Is Not: What the Death of My Son Taught Me - ChristianityToday.com [Last Updated On: June 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 8th, 2017]
- How Scotland inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula - The Scotsman [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2017]
- My Turn: Respecting Mother - Concord Monitor [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2017]
- Who were the authors of the so-called Gnostic gospels, and what did they believe? - Aleteia EN [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2017]
- This Former MTV Icon Found Inner Peace Through Islam - HuffPost [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2017]
- Views | Pantheism.com [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- New Names for Old Gods - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]