British composer Roxanna Panufnik’s album Dance of Life (often translated into Estonian as “Elutants”) was released in 2014 by Warner Classics. The album’s main work is the oratorio Dance of Life – Tallinn Mass (also known as “Tallinn Missa” or “Elutants: Tallinn Mass”), which was commissioned in 2011 to celebrate Tallinn as the European Capital of Culture.
The work combines traditional Latin parts of the mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei) with contemporary Estonian poems by Doris Kareva and Jürgen Rooste. The poems are inspired by Bernt Notke’s 15th-century painting series “Danse Macabre” (Dance of Death) in St. Nicholas’ Church in Tallinn, but bring the characters into the 21st century, creating a dramatic framework for the mass texts. The Latin parts of the mass can also be performed separately as a shorter piece called Tallinn Mass (approx. 20 minutes).
The music includes elements of Estonian folk music (e.g. old folk songs from the 1930s), motifs of the Tallinn church bell and the folk instrument kannel (performed by Laura Lindpere on the album). The performers are Patricia Rozario (soprano, Elu roll), Jaak Johanson (narrator), Madis Metsamart (percussion), the Estonian TV Girls’ Choir, the Collegium Musicale Chamber Choir, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Mihhail Gerts.
The album includes poems in English (the original premiere was in Estonian). Critics have praised the work as colorful and dramatic. The album offers an interesting mix of spiritual tradition and reflections of modern Estonian culture.
Official website of the album:
www.tallinnmass.com / https://roxannapanufnik.com/tallinn-mass/