Following international acclaim, including Estonia's first Grammy Award for their Grieg, Sibelius, Tüür and Pärt recordings on Erato, the Estonian-born conductor Paavo Järvi and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra turn to rarely-performed choral works by Dmitri Shostakovich: Song of the Forests Op. 81, The Sun Shines on our Motherland Op. 90, and The Execution of Stepan Razin Op. 119. The new release confirms Järvi's reputation as a conductor with a deep understanding for the music of Shostakovich, as well as a particular affinity for choral music, which has a strong tradition in his homeland. These cantatas have a particular significance in Estonia - a former Soviet Socialist Republic under Stalinist rule - where, according to Järvi, the orchestra's performance of the works was "scandalous."
1 The Execution of Stepan Razin, Op. 119 (Live) 2 The Sun Shines Over Our Motherland, Op. 90 (Live) 3 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: I. the War Ended in Victory (Bass, Chorus) - Live 4 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: II. We Will Clothe Our Homeland with Forests (Boys Chorus) - Live 5 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: III. Memories of the Past (Bass, Chorus) - Live 6 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: IV. the Pioneers Plant the Forests (Boys Chorus) - Live 7 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: V. the People of Stalingrad Go Forth (Chorus) - Live 8 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: VI. a Walk Into the Future (Tenor, Chorus) - Live 9 The Song of the Forests, Op. 81: VII. Glory (Tenor, Bass, Boys Chorus, Chorus) - Live
