CHRYSANTHEMUM GARDEN

Chrysanthemum Garden Chant (19:23)
Music: Peeter Vähi
Text: Matsuo Basho, Language: Japanese
Publisher: ERP

Musicians: Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Chifuru Matsubara
Flute shino-bue: Shigeyasu Fujisaki

Premiered on 5th October 2005 in Tokyo
Recorded live on 15th July 2006 in Estonia
Producer: Peeter Vähi
Engineered by Tanel Klesment

The cantata Chrysanthemum Garden Chant continues Peeter Vähi’s series of “chants” where one instrument is always a flute.

Composing Chrysanthemum Garden Chant was a very complicated task for the composer not only because the Basho haikus, forming the basis of this work, come from a far-away culture in the sense of time and geography but first and foremost because of not knowing the Japanese language. Before starting the work Peeter Vähi had to take some lessons from the teacher of Japanese at the local university in order not to make the most elementary mistakes.

The cantata is not easy for the performers either. Instead of the ordinary four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, basso) the mixed choir in this work is divided into eight and at some places even into 16 different voices. This is possible only in case of highly professional choirs among which Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus undoubtedly belongs. Also the player of shinobue is expected to have masterly technique and instruments of different pitch.

Like in most of the recent works by Peeter Vähi also in Chrysanthemum Garden Chant the Eastern and Western ways of thinking, oriental and occidental means of expression as well as the use of musical instruments from different parts of the world merge. So it is in the score of the present work. All that is exciting and impresses the composer’s home audience as exotic and innovative. At the same time this poses a dilemma for the listener: should Vähi’s work be regarded as Eastern or Western, and in case of some works the question arises whether it should be considered academic composition or ethno-arrangement.

see also “Chant Of the Celestial Lake” with Maarika Järvi and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Kristjan Järvi.

Lyrics Japanese & Latin
Lyrics Japanese
Lyrics of Chrysanthemum Garden Chant

GREEN TARA
Cantata for female voice, girls’ choir, trombones and percussion

Sevara Nazarkhan – vocal
Girls’ choir “Ellerhein”
Musicians of Estonian National Opera
Tiia-Ester Loitme – conductor

Recorded and edited in the Studios of Estonian Radio in 2002
Engineered by Maido Maadik and Priit Kuulberg
Produced by Estonian Radio in co-operation with Estonian Record Productions (ERP)

Green Tara (Dölma) embodies the female wisdom activity of the mind and is basically an emanation of the air-element (Amoghasiddhi Buddha). In some lower tantras of the fire-element (Buddha Amithaba). She is also called 'Mother of All Buddhas' and has many peaceful and wrathful emanation forms. Results of the Green Tara meditation are e.g. quick thinking and according wisdom-reaction, generousity, magical perfection, fearlessness and spontaneity to reach a quick karmic completion. Her attributes are lightblue upala-flowers (paeonias). She is adorned with jewels and precious cloth, sitting on a white moon-disk. Her right leg is outside the lotus flower, which symbolizes her continous activity, alertness and her determination for quick active help. Her hands are in the gesture of granting protection and freeing from fears. Her short mantra is OM TARE TUTARE TURE SVAHA and her seed-syllable is dTAM. She was a main meditation deity of Ven. Kalu RinpocheSevara Nazarkhan was the World Music Artist of the Year by BBC in 2005 Conductor Tiia-Ester Loitme is a Grammy-winner. Infos about performers are available on internet.

Green Tara Info
Green Tara Latin translation
Original Tibetan Lyrics