Ester Mägi
Encyclopedia
Ester Mägi is an Estonia
n composer
, widely regarded as the First Lady of Estonian Music
.
Much of her work consists of choral and chamber music, but her few symphonic pieces are also highly regarded. She trained initially under Mart Saar
at the Tallinn
Conservatory, then from 1951-54 at the Moscow Conservatory
under Vissarion Shebalin
. Amongst her best known works are her Piano Sonata (1949), Piano Trio in F minor (1950), Piano Concerto (1953), Violin Concerto (1958), Symphony (1968), and since that date numerous vocal and choral works which are widely performed. Much of her work has been inspired by the rich folk music
of Estonia built up over centuries.
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
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, widely regarded as the First Lady of Estonian Music
Music of Estonia
The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing and dancing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum . Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for an epic battle. The Estonian folk music tradition is broadly divided into 2 periods...
.
Much of her work consists of choral and chamber music, but her few symphonic pieces are also highly regarded. She trained initially under Mart Saar
Mart Saar
Mart Saar was an Estonian composer, organist and collector of folk songs.-Childhood:Saar was born at the small borough of Hüpassaare, Estonia, then part of the Livonian Governorate, Russian Empire, to a family of forest keepers. He received his education in the village school at Kaansoo and the...
at the Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
Conservatory, then from 1951-54 at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
under Vissarion Shebalin
Vissarion Shebalin
Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin was a Soviet composer.-Biography:Shebalin was born in Omsk, where his parents were school teachers. He studied in the musical college in Omsk. He was 20 years old when, following the advice of his professor, he went to Moscow to show his first compositions to...
. Amongst her best known works are her Piano Sonata (1949), Piano Trio in F minor (1950), Piano Concerto (1953), Violin Concerto (1958), Symphony (1968), and since that date numerous vocal and choral works which are widely performed. Much of her work has been inspired by the rich folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of Estonia built up over centuries.