Helena Tulve
Encyclopedia
Helena Tulve is an Estonia
n composer.
Born in Tartu
, she studied composition at the Tallinn Secondary Music School under Alo Põldmäe and from 1989–1992 at the Estonian Academy of Music with Erkki-Sven Tüür
, being the latter’s sole student of composition thus far. In 1994 Tulve graduated with the Premier Prix from Jacques Charpentier’s composition class at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris. Between 1993 and 1996 she furthered her knowledge of Gregorian chant. She has also attended György Ligeti
’s and Marco Stroppa
’s summer courses.
Tulve belongs to the younger generation of Estonian composers who, in contrast to the neo-classicist tradition of rhythm-centeredness, create music which focuses on sound and sonority. Tulve’s works give a fair idea of the richness and variety of her cultural experience: the French school of spectral music, IRCAM’s experimentalism, Kaija Saariaho
and Giacinto Scelsi
, echoes of Gregorian chant and Eastern musics. Deriving from her refined sound processing, Tulve’s approach to form is “fluid” – more process based than architectonic.
[fl.in C (fl. picc./ fl. basso) & fl. in C (fl. picc./ fl. in G]
[ 1-1-1-0/ 0-0-0-0/ pno-arpa-mandolino-guit.-1batt./ 1-1-1-1]
[14 female voices & ensemble: flauto-corno-vla-cb.-arpa-batt.]
[fl.picc./in C/alto/basso-fl.picc./in C/alto-ob.-fag.- tr.ne-batt.-v.la-vc. ]
[fl.-cl.-ob.-fag.-corno-vln.-vla- vc.-cb.]
[fl.-cl.-vln.-vc.-cb.-2 batt.-2 pn.]
[fl.-ob.-cl.-sax.bar./sax.alto-batt.-vln.-cb.]
and piano (2000)
[3-3-3-3/ 4-3-3-0/ 5 batt./ 1 pn./ 1 arpa/ 16-14-12-10-8/ didgeridoo]
[ 1-1-1-1/ 1-1-1-0/ 1 batt./ 1pn./ 1-1-1-1-1]
[ 1-1-1-1/ 1-0-1-0/ 1 batt./ 1-1-1-1-1]
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n composer.
Born in Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, she studied composition at the Tallinn Secondary Music School under Alo Põldmäe and from 1989–1992 at the Estonian Academy of Music with Erkki-Sven Tüür
Erkki-Sven Tüür
Erkki-Sven Tüür is an Estonian composer.Tüür was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition with Jaan Rääts at the Tallinn Academy of Music and privately with Lepo Sumera from 1980 to 1984...
, being the latter’s sole student of composition thus far. In 1994 Tulve graduated with the Premier Prix from Jacques Charpentier’s composition class at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris. Between 1993 and 1996 she furthered her knowledge of Gregorian chant. She has also attended György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
’s and Marco Stroppa
Marco Stroppa
Marco Stroppa is an Italian composer who writes computer music as well as music for instruments with live electronics.-Biography:...
’s summer courses.
Tulve belongs to the younger generation of Estonian composers who, in contrast to the neo-classicist tradition of rhythm-centeredness, create music which focuses on sound and sonority. Tulve’s works give a fair idea of the richness and variety of her cultural experience: the French school of spectral music, IRCAM’s experimentalism, Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho
Kaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer.Kaija Saariaho studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg and Paris, where she has lived since 1982. Her studies and research at IRCAM have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by...
and Giacinto Scelsi
Giacinto Scelsi
Giacinto Scelsi , Count of Ayala Valva was an Italian composer who also wrote surrealist poetry in French....
, echoes of Gregorian chant and Eastern musics. Deriving from her refined sound processing, Tulve’s approach to form is “fluid” – more process based than architectonic.
Selected works
- Reyah hadas ´ala for male voices and ancient music instruments (2005, text by Shalom Shabazi)
- Lendajad for amplified flutes (2005)
[fl.in C (fl. picc./ fl. basso) & fl. in C (fl. picc./ fl. in G]
- ligne d´horizon for ensemble (2005)
[ 1-1-1-0/ 0-0-0-0/ pno-arpa-mandolino-guit.-1batt./ 1-1-1-1]
- lumineux/opaque new version for clarinet, cello, piano and 3 wine glasses (2004)
- chamber-opera It Is Getting So Dark (2003/04, text by Sei Shōnagon)
[14 female voices & ensemble: flauto-corno-vla-cb.-arpa-batt.]
- …il neige for harpsichord and kannel (2004)
- nec ros, nec pluvia… for string quartet (2004)
- effleurements, éclatements… for guitar and percussion (2003)
- abysses for flute and ensemble (2003)
[fl.picc./in C/alto/basso-fl.picc./in C/alto-ob.-fag.- tr.ne-batt.-v.la-vc. ]
- lijnen for soprano and ensemble (2003)
[fl.-cl.-ob.-fag.-corno-vln.-vla- vc.-cb.]
- delta soundscape for tape (2003)
- Vie secrète for chamber choir (2002)
- lumineux / opaque for violin, cello, piano and 3 wine glasses (2002)
- Valvaja for oboe solo (2002)
- Cendres for ensemble (2001
[fl.-cl.-vln.-vc.-cb.-2 batt.-2 pn.]
- Traces for ensemble (2001
[fl.-ob.-cl.-sax.bar./sax.alto-batt.-vln.-cb.]
- Vertige for piano (2000)
- Ithaque for female voice, violin
and piano (2000)
- Sula (Thawing) for orchestra (1999, commissioned by the NYYD Festival)
[3-3-3-3/ 4-3-3-0/ 5 batt./ 1 pn./ 1 arpa/ 16-14-12-10-8/ didgeridoo]
- Passage secret for two clarinets (1999)
- Sans titre for harpsichord (1999, commissioned by the NYYD Festival for Jukka Tiensuu)
- Sinine (Blue) for chamber ensemble (1998, commissioned by the NYYD Ensemble)
[ 1-1-1-1/ 1-1-1-0/ 1 batt./ 1pn./ 1-1-1-1-1]
- à travers for chamber ensemble (1998, commissioned by the NYYD Ensemble)
[ 1-1-1-1/ 1-0-1-0/ 1 batt./ 1-1-1-1-1]
- Öö (Night) for saxophone quartet (1997, for Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, premiere at the NYYD Festival '97)
- Sõnajalad (Ferns) for voice and piano with words by Karl Ristikivi (1994)
- Saar (Island) for violin and clarinet (1993)
- Exodus for chamber choir (1992/93)
- Lethe for chamber ensemble (1991, fl., ob., cl., pn., vc.)
- Phainomenon for piano, percussions and tape (1989/90)