Ärkamine (Awakening / Resurrectio) (2011)
(for mixed choir and orchestra)

Awakening like waking up from sleep, waking to a new life, the awakening of dulled senses to clarity, religious awakening, the wakening of nature in spring... this word has an extremely profound and extensive field of meaning. I believe that awakening can be viewed as a life-long process, contrary to falling asleep and fading away. While composing this piece I lingered deep on the level of instincts and senses, I let the text form strips of melody without fearing that they might occasionally resemble Estonian folk songs, Gregorian chant or something I used to write for the prog-rock band In Spe. The task of the orchestra is to surround the choir with a constantly changing "aura", the intensity, colour and transparency of which moves from one extreme to another. From a musical perspective, this composition can also be viewed as an awakening to the light. At least I dare hope so.

I decided to use beautiful Estonian poetry by Juhan Liiv, Ernst Enno, Jaan Kaplinski and Doris Kareva along with Latin liturgical texts related to Easter. I would like to thank father Vello Salo who recommended the text in praise of the Paschal candle.

Erkki-Sven Tüür
Translated by Pirjo Püvi