Dawn, Almost Dawn
Navona, 2025
8/10
The Estonian composer Toivo Tulev surrounds themes of imagination and transcendence here, where each of the 4 different selections radiates a very distinct personality.
“And I Loved You Like A Branch Breaking Under the Snow” opens with Mari Targo’s solo violin making for 15+ minutes of intimate and unpredictable gestures via the precise progressions and strong attention to mood, and the title track follows with Ayça Arın’s mansur ney emitting much richness thanks to the wind’s lower octaves and breath control that mesmerizes us.
On the back half, “Black Mirror” welcomes the Hoca Nasreddin Trio, where Nikolai Galen’s expressive voice, Serkan Sener’s distinct kaval and Robert Reigle’s well timed baritone saxophone mingle with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra for a mysterious and theatric album highlight.
“Fana” exits the listen and is populated by Iris Oja’s mezzo-soprano and Kristjan Kannuke’s viola, which has the pair interacting with beauty and emotion in minimal but impactful ways.
An exciting and atypical effort that is focused on tonality and ethereal dissonance, the chamber and orchestral ideas are manipulated superbly via Tulev’s idiosyncratic approach.
Travels well with: Marcus Eley- That’s A Different Groove; Scott Brickman- Baltic Sketches