SUPREME SILENCE

Peeter Vähi Tibetan Music, World Music, Male Choir, Meditation Music, Sacred Music

"Supreme Silence"

is based on the rituals of the Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu school, which are generally never performed in public. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, head of the Drikung Kagyu sect, appointed two texts of great significance for Peeter Vähi's composition: "Vajrasattva Mantra" (II. Mov.) and "The Aspiration For The Pure Land" (IV. Mov.). The aim of the Sanskrit mantra is to purify the mind, to achieve transcendental wisdom, and ultimately to identify with the Vajra-being.

The Tibetan prayer, written by Lord Jigten Sumgon (1143-1217), is an aspiration to be reborn in the so-called Pure Buddha-Land, ruled by Buddha Amitabha. The essence of the work culminates in the third movement with five minutes of complete silence: One of the principal philosophical doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism is the concept of shunyata or voidness.

Peeter Vähi's music is characterised by crosscultural minded stylistic versatility, simple though not unsophisticated sound, skillful application of exotic instruments and a wide range of styles from philosophical and meditative right through to the baroque.

Estonian National Male Choir (R.A.M.) was founded in 1944 by Gustav Ernesaks (1908-1993), considered to be one of the foremost Estonian choral composers and conductors. Their repertoire includes cantatas, oratorios, opera as well as classical and contemporary choral works.

The idea of ringing a handbell is of the same origin as the ancient tradition of ringing tower bells that dates back to the 13th century. The English Handbell Ensemble ARSIS is presently working with 14 bell ringers with the range of six octaves.

Irén Lovász has an academic background in Anthropology and a prospering carreer in performing arts as a folk singer. Her first solo CD "Rosebuds In A Stoneyard" appeared 1996 on the Erdenklang Label in Germany for which she received the German Record Review Award in genre Folk-Worldmusic.

The New York based Estonian conductor Kristian Järvi is a keen advocate of contemporary music, he has already conducted over 60 premieres by emerging international composers including Erkki-Sven Tüür, Charles Coleman, Ezequiel Viñao. Kristjan Järvi is the Director of the Absolute Ensemble, based in New York.