Traditional music
It's no coincidence. If Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania won their independence by singing - the famous episode of the "singing revolution" led by the Baltic states between 1986 and 1991 - it's because singing plays a key role in the culture and folklore of all three countries. In Estonia, for example, this is evident in the age-old tradition of regilaul, a repetitive, bewitching song in octosyllables. In this way, Estonia - like its Baltic neighbors - freed itself from Soviet occupation by singing, finding a foundation for its national identity in traditional songs. Ironically, in the 1960s, the Soviet government encouraged the practice of folklore in all its republics. At the time, Estonian ethnographic groups were formed, such as the Leiko choir in Värska in 1964, and the first anthology of traditional music, Eesti rahvalaule ja pillilugusid, was released on CD a few years later. Today, folk song and traditional culture have lost none of their vogue, and traditional music festivals are organized all over the country, such as Laulupidu, Estonia's leading song festival, and the Viljandi Folk Music Festival.
In Latvia, a country with a thousand years of folklore, one of the most remarkable musical traditions is the daina, short rhymeless songs of one or two stanzas, one or two lines in length. Considered the vehicle of Latvian culture through the centuries, dainas feature a variety of themes ranging from Latvian mythology to agriculture. While dainas are traditionally sung at popular festivals such as the summer solstice celebration, a major event such as the Latvian National Song and Dance Festival (Vispārējie latviešu Dziesmu un Deju svētki) remains an unrivalled opportunity to hear them. Each Baltic country has its own version of this festival, held every five years in Estonia and Latvia, and every four years in Lithuania. These are not-to-be-missed events, lasting several days and attracting up to 40,000 singers and dancers. The sheer scale of these events testifies to the importance of folklore in Baltic cultures.
Although specific to Latvia, the daina is also a Lithuanian tradition. Vocal music is also particularly widespread in the country, with styles varying from region to region. Monophony is found mainly in the south and east of the country, while multi-voice homophony is practiced throughout Lithuania, with a more archaic counterpart in the western part. And let's not forget to mention the multi-voiced songs known as sutartinės - included on Unesco's Representative List of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity - an ancient form of polyphony in two or three voices, performed in parallel or in canon. As in the other Baltic states, major folk groups were formed in Lithuania during the 20th century. The best known is undoubtedly Lietuva, a national song and dance ensemble founded in 1940 in Vilnius, which is particularly representative of local folklore in terms of both dance and the use of traditional instruments.
The strong folk movement that developed in the 1960s led to the birth of folk competitions and festivals, including Skamba Skamba Kankliai, held in the courtyards of the old town. Later born (in 1987), the Baltica festival has become one of the most renowned song and folklore events. Taking place in each of the three Baltic states in turn, it brings together over 3,000 guest artists (troupes, choirs and folk ensembles) and features concerts, parades, meetings and workshops.
If you listen to traditional Baltic music, chances are you'll hear the region's most distinctive instrument: the "singing tree"(kannel in Estonian, kokles in Latvian, kankles in Lithuanian), a kind of zither with twenty-five or thirty-three strings. Leading Estonian kannel players include Tuule Kann and ethnomusicologist Igor Tõnurist, kokles player Valdis Muktupāvels and kankles player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė.
Classical music
Although a modest region in terms of size, the Baltic States occupy a remarkable place on the classical music map. Starting with Estonia, world-renowned for its high standards of musical education and choral music. Here, it all began during the Estonian national awakening of the 19th century, when the first important Estonian musicians appeared: Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918), "founding father" of Estonian classical music, Artur Kapp (1878-1952) then Mart Saar (1882-1963), Artur Lemba (1885-1963) - the first Estonian composer of opera and symphony -, Heino Eller (1887-1970) and Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962). After them, many names brought Estonian music to the fore: Ester Mägi (1922), considered the first lady of Estonian music; Jaan Rääts (1932-2020), a pianist close to the approach of Arvo Pärt; Veljo Tormis, established among the most important Estonian composers of his time thanks to his vast repertoire of choral music (over 500 songs) steeped in traditional music(regilaulud), Erkki-Sven Tüür, a much-followed name in contemporary composition, with some fine releases on the superb ECM label; Lepo Sumera (1950-2000), a renowned symphonist and pioneer of electro-acoustic music whose work is marked by his sense of humor; and above all, the giant of contemporary and minimalist music, Arvo Pärt (1935). Remarkable for having placed national folklore at the heart of a complex and refined body of work, Pärt is the proponent of a singular style somewhere between serialism, religious songs and Estonian music. In the mid-1970s, the composer's aesthetic evolved towards the tintinnabulist music that established his reputation. Fascinatingly written, refined and ethereal, tintinnabulist music revolves around a perfect three-note chord that whirls and lifts a melodic motif in its movement. Almost all of Arvo Pärt's best-known works - Für Alina (1976), Fratres (1977), Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten (1977), Tabula rasa (1977) and Spiegel im Spiegel (1978) - are tintinnabulist compositions.
The country has also produced some of its most illustrious conductors, such as the Järvi fathers and sons: Neeme, indissociable from the ERSO, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and the works of Sibelius, then Paavo, installed in the top 10 of best conductors, who made his mark conducting the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He now conducts Tokyo's NHK Symphony Orchestra. Less well known are Eri Klas (1939-2016), principal conductor of the Moscow New Opera, Olari Elts, current director of the ERSO, and Anu Tali, who co-founded the Nordic Symphony Orchestra with his twin.
Backed by such a history, classical music has no shortage of stages or venues in the country. The capital boasts a prestigious venue, theEstonian National Opera, programming numerous classical ballets and operas performed by renowned troupes. Classical music is celebrated all year round at the Tallin Winter Festival, held in the enchanting setting of Kuressaare Castle.
In Latvia, Jāzeps Vītols (1863-1948) is considered the father of Latvian classical music. His repertoire combines late Romanticism and folk inspiration. Equally eminent, Lūcija Garūta (1902-1977) wrote the 1943 cantata Dievs, Tava zeme deg!(My God! Your country is burning!), a canon of Latvian musical culture, and more recently Imants Kalniņš (1941) has established himself as a local figure of learned music. Among Latvian contemporaries, it's avant-garde composer Pēteris Vasks (1946) who has enjoyed great international popularity since the 1990s. The country also boasts some great names in conducting: cador Andris Nelsons, at the helm of huge machines such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Arvid Jansons (1914-1984), a much-loved baton-wielder; and above all his son Mariss Jansons (1943-2019), a great Shostakovich specialist, who remains intimately involved with the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. The country has also seen the birth of renowned performers such as the immense violinist Gidon Kremer (1947), among the most brilliant of his time, cellist Mischa Maisky (1948), famous for his duet with Martha Argerich, and the "spinto" soprano Kristīne Opolais, with a voice of great light and suppleness. In addition to the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the country also boasts the oldest orchestra in the Baltic States, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra (LSO), founded in 1881.
Music lovers will love visiting Latvia during the Rīga Jurmala music festival, a new event inviting world-renowned orchestras and conductors to perform over four weekends in the summer. The festival takes place at the Latvian National Opera, the historic venue where Barychnikov made his debut.
In Lithuania, the most famous classical musician is undoubtedly Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911). An illustrious painter, musician and composer at the end of the 19th century, he created around two hundred pieces of music in his short life and left a profound mark on modern Lithuanian culture. After him, a number of modern composers emerged in the 1970s, such as Bronius Kutavičius, whose minimalism is steeped in Lithuanian musical traditions, or Feliksas Bajoras, whose music is also steeped in Lithuanian folklore and permeated by the experiments of the previous century (dodecaphonism, aleatoric music, etc.).
The development of Lithuanian opera came early, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the first national opera was composed with Birutė in 1906, a work by composer Mikas Petrauskas (1873-1937). Today, the country boasts two famous voices, tenor Virgilijus Noreika (1935-2018) and soprano Asmik Grigorian (1981). Another national pride is Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, one of Estonia's top 5 female conductors, who brings her energy and passion to the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra she leads. To see a fine concert in Estonia, head for the National Philharmonic, Lithuania's largest institution dedicated to music, the Opera and Ballet Theatre or the Kaunas Philharmonic. Two events of note: the Christopher Festival, an international classical music festival featuring the greatest international musicians in Vilnius, and the Pazaislis Music Festival, one of Lithuania's leading musical events, held in Kaunas from early June to late August.
Current music
Each of the Baltic states boasts a dynamic and eclectic contemporary music scene, but Estonia is home to the most internationally acclaimed artists: metal-folk stars Metsatöll, indie-rock heavyweights Ewert and The Two Dragons or Holy Motors, electro-folk violinist Maria Njuut, the electro sounds of Kerli (and his hit Walking on Air) and Tommy Cash and his arty, wacky hip-hop. The rise of these local talents has been partly fueled by festivals such as Tallinn Music Week, which has been running for ten years, showcasing young local musical talent.
In Latvia, Liepāja holds the title of musical capital, with the finest classical music concert hall in the Baltic States: The Great Amber. A city of musicians, it can be visited with musical notes embedded in the sidewalks. It's an opportunity to discover local bands such as Credo, Eolika, Pērkons, Zodiaks and hard rock and heavy metal band Līvi. A metal tree is dedicated to them in Liepāja beach park, and you can even listen to some of the tracks.