International Early Music Performers Gather in Viljandi
Text Timo Raussi Photos Viljandi Early Music Festival, Kaupo Kikkas
You don’t have to travel thousands of kilometres to experience the atmosphere of the medieval world this summer. With its castle ruins, cobbled streets, and picturesque lakeside setting, Viljandi, which received its town charter in 1283, provides the perfect backdrop.
Just one week before folk musicians and lively festival crowds arrive for the famous Viljandi Folk Music Festival, the town’s historic surroundings become the stage for the Viljandi Early Music Festival. The event brings together music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods with traditions from different world cultures, alongside an engaging programme of workshops and activities.
Held from Wednesday to Friday, 15–17 July, the festival welcomes performers from Estonia, Israel, India, and elsewhere in Europe. India is this year’s featured country, with its musical and dance traditions playing a prominent role in the programme. In addition to evening concerts, visitors can enjoy workshops, guided experience tours through the town and on Lake Viljandi, as well as activities for children accompanying their families.
The festival opens on 15 July with “Missa Votiva”, one of the most significant sacred works of the late Baroque by Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. The performance features the Israeli Moran Singers Ensemble along with the Estonian early music ensemble Hortus Musicus, under the direction of Andres Mustonen, one of Estonia’s best-known conductors specialising in early music.
The following evening turns to the traditions of Indian classical music. Mukesh Sharma, a virtuoso of the sarod, a lute-like string instrument, performs a concert based on the melodic structures of ragas. He is joined by Kathak dancer Moumala Nayak and Estonian tabla player Arno Kalbus, offering audiences an introduction to the rich musical and dance traditions of northern India.
The closing day features the audiovisual performance “The Seasons—Vivaldi, Desyatnikov, Navitrolla.” Antonio Vivaldi‘s famous “The Four Seasons”, first published in 1723, continues seamlessly into Ukrainian composer Leonid Desyatnikov‘s twelve-part work of the same name from 1996. The music is accompanied by video projections inspired by paintings by Estonian artist Navitrolla. The evening also includes a world premiere, as audiences will hear Marcel Johannes Kits‘ new cello arrangement of Vivaldi’s masterpiece for the first time.
Alongside the concerts, festival visitors can participate in workshops exploring Kathak dance, medieval cuisine, traditional handicrafts and even the making of a medieval hunting bow. A four-hour themed experience tour allows participants to dress in medieval costume, climb the church tower with a guide, try historical games, sample period dishes during a cruise on Lake Viljandi, and create a commemorative medal to take home.
More information about the festival programme and registration for workshops and accompanying events is available here.
Tickets for individual concerts and festival passes covering all evening performances are available here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsAndres Mustonen Baroque Early Music Festival events Hortus Musicus Indian classical music Medieval Viljandi
