Ülo Krigul: Liquid Turns

Estonia’s landscape and legends have shaped the music of Ülo Krigul. The composer, born in Tallinn in 1978, captures the mystical atmosphere of his homeland’s forests, windswept meadows and island-speckled coastline in the works on this album. He does so in restless compositions propelled by the near-obsessive repetition of melodic mantras, haunting vocals and electroacoustic sounds, alongside rhythms that mirror the effects of strong emotions on the human heart. Three of the four works on this compelling collection—And the Sea Arose, Aga vaata aina üles and Liquid turns—date from 2019-2020, when Krigul was composer-in-residence with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Aga vaata aina üles, six miniatures for unaccompanied choir, and Vesi ise for choir and electronics mark Krigul’s cards as a choral composer of tremendous skill and imagination.