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Cover: Rudolf Tobias – Joonas (Jonah)

Rudolf Tobias

Joonas (Jonah)

Mirjam Mesak
Kai Rüütel-Pajula
Mati Turi
Taavi Tampuu
Raiko Raalik
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Tõnu Kaljuste

ODE 1456-2D · 2 CDs · November 2025

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Track listing

25 tracks · 107:46

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Rudolf Tobias

  1. Joonas (Jonah), Oratorio (1909) 50:06
  2. 1 Teie, õelad (Ye, villans) 2:26
  3. 2 Ei usu te mu sõna (Ye believe not my word). Arioso 2:14
  4. 3 Nii ütleb Jumal (Thus sayeth God). Aria with choir 5:16
  5. 4 Kuhu ma lähen Su vaimu eest? (Whither shall I go from Thy spirit?) 4:47
  6. 5 Torm: Aita meid päästa (Storm: Help save us) 3:56
  7. 6 Tänukoor: Ja nägid lained siis Sind (Chorus of Thanksgiving: And the waves then saw Thee!) 4:01
  8. 7 Nii kui Joonas kord kolm päeva (For as Jonah was three days) 7:35
  9. 8 On Issanda arm (It is of the Lord’s mercies) 4:16
  10. 9 Palve: Mu Issandat küll hüüdsin (Prayer: I cried unto the Lord) 4:56
  11. 10 Terzett: Ei jäta tema hinge (Trio: Thou wilt not leave his soul) 3:03
  12. 11 Oh, anna tuhat keelt Sa mulle (O give a thousand tongues unto me) 1:21
  13. 12 Fuuga: Sind, mu Jumal, armastan (Fugue: I love Thee, my God) 6:08

CD 2

Rudolf Tobias

  1. Joonas (Jonah), Oratorio (1909) 57:54
  2. 1 Kättemaksupsalm: Issand, ilmu meile (Psalm of Vengeance: Lord, show Thyself) 3:21
  3. 2 Sanctus: Püha, püha (Sanctus: Holy, holy) 2:15
  4. 3 Aaria: Sinu tahet (Aria: Thy will) 4:11
  5. 4 Oh, Issand, Su pühad, neid on väheks jäänud (O Lord, Thy faithful are few and far between) 5:17
  6. 5 Koraal: Oh, Issand, taevast vaata nüüd (Chorale: O Lord, look down from heav’n, behold) 1:32
  7. 6 Arietta: Jumal nüüd vaatab alla (Arietta: God looks now down) 3:04
  8. 7 Laskem meid süüa (Let us eat) 8:12
  9. 8 Intermezzo: Ei inimene (Intermezzo: Neither man) 2:01
  10. 9 De profundis clamavi: Issand, halasta! (Lord, have mercy!) 5:06
  11. 10 Ei Sinust hoolinud keegi (None pitied thee) 0:56
  12. 11 Kui käes on viimne kohtupäev (When the last day of judgement is here) 7:17
  13. 12 Duett: Mis on see inimene (Duet: What is man) 4:16
  14. 13 Lõpukoor: Vaata, sääl on Looja maja (Closing chorus: Behold, the tabernacle of God) 10:19

About this recording

This release is the world première recording of Estonia’s first major work in art music in its original score and sung in Estonian. Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918) is widely celebrated in Estonia as the ‘father of Estonian music’ and considered as the first Estonian composer to have obtained a degree in composing after completing his studies at the St Petersburg Conservatoire. In this recording the composer’s magnum opus, Joonas (Jonah Oratorio) is performed by a first-class Estonian line up led by the award-winning ensembles Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and conductor Tõnu Kaljuste.

Tobias began writing his first ideas for the oratorio Jonah between 1904 and 1907. Between 1908 and 1909, during his stays in Paris, Prague, Eichwald and Leipzig, Tobias rewrote, orchestrated and extensively revised the original score. The final score of Jonah was premiered with the composer himself conducting it on November 26, 1909, at St Andrew’s Church in Leipzig. Tobias conducted parts of it in concerts in Germany and Estonia, but it was never performed again in its entirety during the composer’s lifetime. In 1973 the manuscripts of Jonah were examined by the Estonian pianist and musicologist Vardo Rumessen, who wrote that there were notable confusions in Tobias’s manuscripts and thought ‘the technical execution and orchestration of the work was incomplete and sketchy in places’. With the help of the Russian musicologist Yuri Fortunatov, Rumessen decided to reconstruct and re-orchestrate the work by sections and added a new ending. For this new recording conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, Rudolf Tobias’ original score has been used for the first time revealing the composer’s original voice in this iconic work in Estonian music.

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) is one of the best-known Estonian music ensembles, performing all around the world. The choir’s repertoire extends from Baroque to the music of the 21st century, with a special focus on the Estonian composers, such as Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Tõnu Kõrvits, and others. The choir has two Grammy Awards, 16 Grammy nominations, Gramophone Award, Diapason d’Or, and Prix Caecilia, among others. BBC Music Magazine and Classic FM have both named the EPCC as one of the 10 best choirs in the world. EPCC has collaborated with many eminent conductors and orchestras including Claudio Abbado, Richard Tognetti, Gustavo Dudamel, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Philip Glass Ensemble, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, among others. The choir is a welcome guest at prestigious festivals such as the BBC Proms, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg Festspiele, and venues as the Sydney Opera House, Wiener Konzerthaus, the Hong Kong City Hall, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Kennedy Center in Washington, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum and the Lincoln Center in New York, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The EPCC was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who was the Artistic Director of the choir for twenty years. He was succeeded by Paul Hillier, Daniel Reuss and Kaspars Putniņš.

In 2021, Tõnu Kaljuste resumed the role of the Chief Conductor.Tallinn Chamber Orchestra (TCO) was founded in 1993 by Tõnu Kaljuste. During the past three decades it has become one of Estonia’s signature orchestras and a welcome performer on numerous stages and at prestigious festivals in Europe and all over the world. TCO has gained recognition for its artistically integral programmes, style-sensitive play and mastery of interpretation. The orchestra’s diverse repertoire includes music from the Baroque era to the works of modern composers. Since 1993, the orchestra’s artistic directors and chief conductors have been Tõnu Kaljuste, Juha Kangas and Risto Joost. In 2013, TCO received the Estonian Music Council’s Prize for Interpretation. TCO is one of performers on Arvo Pärt’s record Adam’s Lament, which won a Grammy in 2014.

Tõnu Kaljuste has gained international recognition with his diverse repertoire, which ranges from operas and classical symphonic works to contemporary music. He has worked with major modernist composers of Northern and Eastern Europe, such as Alfred Schnittke, György Kurtág, Krzysztof Penderecki, Giya Kancheli, and Einojuhani Rautavaara, and is recognised as an expert interpreter and advocate of Estonian composers, including Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits, Veljo Tormis, and Heino Eller. Kaljuste got Grammy for Best Choral Performance for the Arvo Pärt album Adam’s Lament in 2014. His recordings have had a number of Grammy nominations in various categories from opera (David and Bathsheba by the Norwegian composer Ståle Kleiberg) to symphonic music. In 2019 he won the International Classical Music Award for the recording of Arvo Pärt’s symphonies with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra. He is the founder and artistic director of the project theatre Nargen Opera (established in 2004) and has led the Nargenfestival since 2006.

Features

World première recording of the original version sung in Estonian

Booklet with liner notes in English and the sung texts in Estonian and in English

The artists

Mirjam Mesak

Mirjam Mesak (soprano) is a current member of the Bayerische Staatsoper ensemble, where she has left an indelible impression with her roles, from Iolanta to Musetta. In September 2022, she starred in the lead role of Axel Ranisch’s film Orphea in Love, which premiered at the Bayerische Staatsoper. The film, which was later screened in cinemas across Germany, showcased not only her “outstanding voice” (Crescendo) but also her impressive acting talent.

Full biography

Kai Rüütel-Pajula

Kai Rüütel-Pajula (mezzo-soprano) has appeared to critical acclaim on the stages of the Royal Ballet and Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater an der Wien, Teatro Real, Opera Vlaanderen, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Opéra National de Lyon, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and Dallas Opera. A consummate singer and actress, she has collaborated with notable directors such as Robert Carsen, Laurent Pelly, Keith Warner and Calixto Beito.

Full biography

Mati Turi

Mati Turi (tenor) is a highly regarded and sought-after performer on stages both in Estonia and abroad. His repertoire includes a rich selection of opera roles, solo parts of numerous oratorial works, and vocal chamber music. His repertoire is showcasing works ranging from Baroque to contemporary Estonian compositions.

Full biography

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ODE 1417-2 · CD · Jun 2023

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