Eduard Tubin, best known as the composer of Kratt, the first Estonian ballet, was a first-rate second-rank provincial modernist. Imagine the rhythmic energy of Martinu but with less lyricism, the emotional strength of Prokofiev but with less fire, the structural cogency of Walton but less weight and you have some idea what to expect. Compared with Sweden's modernist Hilding Rosenberg or Norway's modernist Fartein Valin, Tubin's music is thoroughly enjoyable. Compared with transcontinental modernist Igor Stravinsky or pan-galactic modernist Anton Webern, however, Tubin's a bit on the light side. This 1988 disc by Neemi Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony with the "Sinfonietta on Estonian Motifs," the "Concertino for Piano and Orchestra" and Symphony No. 7 represents a fair sampling of Tubin's work. All three works are engaging, although none especially stand out. A dedicated if not always altogether persuasive advocate, Järvi makes the most of the Sinfonetta's ethnic accents, the Concertino's virtuostic contrasts and the Symphony's powerful rhetoric, and, consummate professionals, the Gothenburg players make the most of the music's bright colors, driving rhythms and well-argued forms. For fans of 20th century orchestral music, this disc will provide an answer the question ‘what does Estonian modernism sound like?' If the answer to that question is of little interest to you, however, this disc may be of little interest to you.
Bis' early digital sound is wide and clean but lacks depth and resolution.