Maria Faust: Mass of Mary; Collegium Musicale, Helina Kuljus, Lili Kirikal, Oliver Povel, Maria Faust, Kirstjan Kungla, Indrek Vau, Andres Kontus, conductor: Endrik Üksvärav; Estonian File Productions
Reviewed 16 July 2024

Jazz, chant and polyphony side-by-side in a outstanding Estonian mass devoted to all victims of home violence

Maria Faust is an Estonian jazz artist and composer, and her work as a jazz saxophonist alongside that of conducting ensembles such because the Copenhagen Estonian Choir, and instructing composition and improvisation has all fed into her Mass of Mary. Written in 20202 the work is for chamber choir, vocal soloists and instrumental quartet, with choral music impressed by chant and polyphony alongside extra jazz-influenced instrumental contributions.

On this recording from Estonian File Productions (ERP), Maria Faust’s Mass of Mary is carried out by the Estonian chamber choir Collegium Musicale with soloists Helina Kuljus (soprano), Lili Kirikal (soprano) and Oliver Povel (tenor), with Maria Faust (alto saxophone), Kirstjan Kungla (bassoon), Indrek Vau (trumpet) and Andres Kontus (trombone) carried out by Endrik Üksvärav.

The work makes use of the liturgical mass textual content – Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei – interspersed with poetic texts compiled by Estonian playwright Eero Epner (born 1978) from works by Karl Ristikivi (1912-1977) and different poets. These actions – Mom, Baby, Holy Spirit – discover the fragility of familial relationships in circumstances of victims of home violence, and the work is devoted to all victims of home violence. Maria Faust says of her intentions for the piece, ‘This work doesn’t blame or train and doesn’t suggest options. Reasonably, it’s a comfort, and is the least that I, as a composer and a human being, can do and provides to society’.

Mom unaccompanied, trendy therapy of folk-inspired materials, hyperlinks it to different modern Estonian choral works (the music of Veljo Tormis got here to thoughts), when the voices are joined by the devices, their insistency intensifies the second. For all of the disturbing narrative in Mom, about home violence, there’s a thoughtfulness to each the phrases and the music. Sung in Estonian and with lower than impeccable diction, it’s nonetheless difficult to establish which passages Faust makes use of the devices to spotlight, however actually the combination of two teams working independently is putting.

Gloria units up a rhythmic determine within the choir after which use this nearly as an accompaniment to long-breathed melodic passages within the devices, once more creating slightly a considerate ambiance. This nonetheless expands because the instrumental contribution strikes in the direction of extra free-flowing, composed jazz with putting thrives within the instrumental traces. Credo is equally multi-layered with totally different sections of the choir and the devices creating separate traces with totally different metres and rhythmic pulses, the result’s putting and at instances hypnotic. 

Baby begins with a soprano soloist singing nearly a infantile melody from which grows the motion. Once more, a considerate nearly mystical therapy of disturbing occasions, the putting chorale intensified by occasional instrumental contributions, once more with Faust layering totally different concepts and timbres and in the direction of the tip introducing a quavering soprano line that ups the sense of disturbance.

Reasonably daringly Sanctus Benedictus begins with a protracted, rhythmically fascinating, bassoon solo that expands into an instrumental peroration to which choral drones are at first discreetly added. That is very a lot about Faust’s sound-world and her have to evoke the intimate world explored within the work slightly than being impressed by the liturgical context of the textual content. Gradual the rhythmic insistency of the unique instrumental traces appears to be amplified by the singers as all come collectively in a particular ensemble earlier than issues unravel.

Holy Spirit, which begins with the chanting of two traces from the Code of Legal Process, pairs the insistency of this chanting with extra ingratiating instrumental traces, however then the textual content explores the girl’s response to there being no grounds for prosecution, utilizing imaginative choral textures with instrumental punctuation because the music appears to step by step receded with repeated urging to forgive.

Agnus Dei returns us to the world of acquainted Estonian modern choral textures, efficient and evocative with an underpinning of a sluggish brass chorale.  The Agnus Dei makes use of the phrases of the Requiem slightly than the common mass, so we finish with an exciting prayer for relaxation, ‘Dona eis requiem’. The brief Finale units the intriguing phrases ‘Does man have a soul?’ in music that appears to steadily unwind

This can be a outstanding work, one which receives a terrific efficiency from all involved. The best way that Maria Faust has blended modern choral sounds impressed by chant and polyphony with devices and jazz creates a outstanding combine. At first learn, you may suppose that such mash-ups because the Hilliard Ensemble and Jan Garbarek’s Officium could be an affect, however under no circumstances. Faust has her personal agenda and creates a sound world that’s without delay distinctive, interesting and fascinating. All in all, a outstanding new work.

Maria Faust (born 1979) – Mass of Mary (Maarja Missa)
Collegium Musicale
Helina Kuljus (soprano)
Lili Kirikal (soprano)
Oliver Povel (tenor)
Maria Faust (alto saxophone)
Kristjan Kungla (bassoon)
Indrek Vau (trumpet)
Andres Kontus (trombone)
Endrik Uksvarav (conductor)
Recorded in Arvo Half Centre (Estonia), 10-12 February 2022
ERP 12822 1CD [45:41]
Obtainable on CD and on Vinyl