The Path and the Traces (Rada ja jäljed) (2005)
(for string orchestra)

I spent a few weeks on the island of Crete this March and took part in a lavish church service in the local cathedral to mark the beginning of Lent. It had a transcendent effect on me. The traditional singing of the ancient Greek church as sung by the fantastic cantors resounded nearly throughout the service. As a result of the experiences I gained I started composing a new work right there on Crete and called Tõnu who thought that an concert dedicated to the re-opening of St John’s Church in Tartu would be a suitable venue. I also thought that it would be my gift to Arvo Pärt on the occasion of his birthday.

The harmonics on C strings of the violas and cellos form an axis that passes through the entire work and all of the material. The groups of chords form sound pillars, between which lingers a gradually thickening polyphony of melismatic melodies. As my composition method, I used the vectorial method that has become my hallmark in the last few years. The growing intensity on the emotional level reaches its limits at a certain point, and all that follows is a premonition of something that remains on the other side of the border.

On a more personal level, what gives this music an additional dimension is that the period in which it was written coincided with the passing of my father.

Erkki-Sven Tüür