Baltic Voices 1
This remarkable collection of choral music by Baltic composers opens our ears to both their similarities and differences. There are folk influences aplenty (from Veijo Tormis in particular), but also some surprises. Sven-David  Sandstrom's "Hear my prayer" takes Purcell's piece of the same name as a  jumping-off point, and although his treatment is modern, the lamentation  remains vivid. Arvo Part's history of Jesus' genealogy, sung in English, is  almost fun in its seemingly endless repetition of "which was the son of,"  while Rautavaara's four-part, seven-minuteLorca Suiteis a fascinating study in miniatures. Vasks's "Dona nobis pacem" (the only piece with orchestral  accompaniment) has a hypnotic downward vocal sequence that contrasts with  the rising strings. The other works hold the interest as well, and the  ubiquitous and gifted Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber  Choir in lush performances. Fans of the great Eastern choral tradition won't want to miss this.--Robert Levine