Concerto for Chamber Orchestra no.1 op.16 (1961) -
Concert that took Estonian music to the world
Jaan Rääts is a composer whose Concerto for Chamber Orchestra no. 1 op.16 (1961) is the first Estonian composition that paved the way for Estonian music in the world and was performed already in the last century on all continents of the world: Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia. Georg Collins wrote in the New York Times in 1963: 'The playing of the Concerto for Chamber Orchestra by the young Estonian composer Jaan Rääts, was equally flawless.../.../ This excellent orchestra is conducted by Rudolf Baršai.' (Collins, New York Times 1963) In 1963, Thomas Russell wrote about the concert in the Daily Worker.
Today, Jaan Rääts’ Concerto for Chamber Orchestra Nr. 1 Op.16 (1961) continues to be one of the most played concertos and business card of Estonian music in the world. The concerto has been performed by many of the world's top orchestras and conductors around the world more than 2500 times in nearly 80 countries, including Japan, France, Israel, England, USA, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Kenya, Poland, Tunisia, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary, Russia, Brazil, Mexico.
Concerto for Chamber Orchestra no. 1 op.16 (1961) was premiered by Tallinn Chamber Orchestra In 1961, in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu, under the direction of Neeme Järvi.
Neeme Järvi: "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is masterfully written and became popular immediately after premiere with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. Rudolf Baršai has performed it with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra all over the world. Rääts' symphonies and instrumental concertos were constantly in the repertoire of our orchestras." (EMIK 2008, p. 9)
The international success of the concert was facilitated by the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, who, fascinated by the rhythmicity of the concert, introduced the score to Rudolf Baršai, the creator and conductor of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra.
On January 26, 1963, Jaan Rääts' work was performed by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and Rudolf Baršai in Paris, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. On October 17, 1963, the concert premiered at The Royal Festival Hall in England. In October 1963 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the concert was received with a standing ovation, where the final of the concerto was repeated. In 1964, Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No.1 Op.16 was performed by Rudolf Baršai and Moscow Chamber Orchestra at the contemporary music festival "Warsaw Autumn" and "Prague Spring".
In 1972, the Moscow Conservatory's Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Mikhail Terian, with Concerto for Chamber Orchestra no.1 op 16 won the gold medal in the World Youth Orchestra Competition of Herbert von Karajan In Berlin. In 1991, concerto was performed in four concerts by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in New York and by the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on December 12, 1993 by Neeme Jävi.
Saulius Sondeckis contributed significantly to the worldwide distribution of the work, who at the end of 1960 took the concerto into the program of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and under Saulius Sondeckis, concerto spread on all continents of the world.
Eri Klas: "His Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is a jewel of Estonian music and probably the most played work of Estonian music in the world" (EMIK 2008, p. 9).
Jaan Rääts’ Concerto for Chamber Orchestra welcomed Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, who attended the celebration of the 365th anniversary of the University of Tartu in 2007.
In 2017 the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra released its first LP, featuring recordings of Jaan Rääts' Chamber Concerto No. 1 conducted by Neeme Järvi and Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No. 2 conducted by Risto Joost.
In 2018 Jaan Rääts' Chamber Concerto No. 1 opened the Gramophone Music Awards, at Covent Garden in London, where maestro Neeme Järvi was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra was conducted by Kristjan Järvi.
In 2022 Chamber Concerto No. 1 was performed again in Israel by the Jerusalem Camerata under the baton of Andres Mustonen in honor of the Republic of Estonia's birthday.
The Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No.1 Op.16 has been performed by Estonian interpretes to the farthest corners of the world - Australia - conducted by Toivo Peäske and the Tallinn Music High School String Orchestra in March 2008. Rasmus Puur and VHK orchestra performed concerto in Brasil in 2021. Jüri Alperten conducted concerto around the world.
On 24. December 2020 Concerto for Chamber Orchestra no.1 op.16 was performed by New St.Petersburg Philarmonic Orchestra, conducted by Yarosav Zaboyarkin.
The concerto and Jaan Rääts' music has been performed by many of the Estonian and world's top orchestras and conductors around the world. See the interpretes, conductors, orchestras on the link
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How did the idea to write a concert come about? Jaan Rääts: "Tallinn Chamber Orchestra was founded beginning of 1960s' from Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra. (1) I wanted to write something for the new orchestra. So i wrote Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No.1 Op.16 (1961). On the day of orchestra rehearsal we were on the way to lunch with Arvo Pärt and we also walked through rehearsal. Neeme Järvi and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra played the concerto for us for th first time. My first impression was very good. If Neeme does something, then he always does it good. Later Neeme Järvi has conducted concerto around the world and very well of course. One day to Tallinn arrived Aram Khatchaturian. He visited Composers Union in Tallinn and wanted to hear new Estonian music. Boris Kõrver, Chairman of the Composers Union, showed him just newly recorded Chamber concerto. Aram Khatchaturian had asked Boris Kõrver only one question: This is so good work, but where is the author, why author is not here? But at the time i had no idea he was in Tallinn.(laughing) Later we became very good friends with Aram Khatchaturian, we met in varius events and we became good colleagues. Iwas in the premiere of Spartacus. Probably as much i admired Khatchaturian's music, Khatchaturian liked my music as well. So he ordered a score from Tallinn and forwarded it to Rudolf Baršai. Rudolf Baršai was an brilliant conductor and he conducted the concerto around the world: America, Paris, London. Sergei Prokofiev wife was often visiting concerts and once she told that everytime Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is in programme, she would like to come to concert. Moscow Concervatory Chamber Orchestra won gold medal in Herbert von Karjan competition with concerto." (1) The 1960/61/.../orchestra season was started by Neeme Järvi, under whose leadership of the Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra was founded in the autumn. (Hargel, Kasema 2011, p. 49).Neeme Järvi book |