According to youth choir “Balsis” artistic director Ints Teterovskis, the ensemble received an unexpected invitation to join the Baltic and Nordic choral collaboration. “I would have gladly participated in this festival for a long time, but I never thought to ask,” Teterovskis said regarding the invitation.
The Origins and Pacifist Message of “Calling Upon Iron”
The production draws direct inspiration from “Raua needmine” (The Curse of Iron), a 1972 choral work by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis (1930–2017) featuring texts from the ninth rune of the Finnish epic “Kalevala” alongside poems by Paul-Eerik Rummo and Jaan Kaplinski. Estonian composer Marianne Liik and director Margus Kasterpalu developed the new staging, which incorporates additional texts by Doris Kareva, Hasso Krulla, and Uku Masing. According to the production’s conceptual framework, the work serves as a pacifist warning that the unethical use of human discoveries ultimately turns against the creator. In the “Kalevala” narrative, the smith Ilmarinen forges primordial iron from innocent bog ore, but a snake’s venom drops onto the metal during hardening, causing it to break its promise and pierce human flesh.
Performance Scale and International Participation
The open-air performance takes place at the Leigo farmstead in Lutike village, Valga County, starting at 22.15 to allow a coordinated lighting score to accompany the movement and sound. According to festival program details, 150 singers across eight choirs from Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine will participate. Choirs will move and occupy different spatial positions around the venue, with the Latvian youth choir “Balsis” performing the folk song “Pūt, vējiņi” as part of the vocal call-and-response elements. Iris Oja portrays the Knowing Woman who initiates the shamanic ritual, guiding a multi-lingual address to the earth, water, fire, air, and universe.
Festival History and Landscape at Leigo
Located in southern Estonia less than a three-hour drive from Riga, the Leigo lake music festival has operated for over 25 years. Estonian geologist Tenu Tamm founded the event after purchasing an abandoned farmstead in 1981 and subsequently excavating 14 artificial lakes across the landscape. Over subsequent decades, the festival has hosted the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Rīga, Kremerata Baltica, and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. While programming expanded to jazz, folk, and indie between 2006 and 2015, the event returned its primary focus to classical music and contemporary projects in 2015, utilizing both lake stages and a newly established forest stage.
Complete Festival Schedule and Associated Events
Did you know?
Founder Tenu Tamm personally sculpted the landscape of Leigo by hand, digging 14 separate lakes over decades to create natural acoustic amphitheaters for classical and contemporary open-air performances.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where does the Leigo lake music festival take place?
The festival runs from July 30 to August 1 at the Leigo farmstead in Lutike village, Valga County, Estonia.
What is the central theme of “Dzelzs piesaukšana”?
Based on Veljo Tormis’s “The Curse of Iron,” the multidisciplinary production explores humanity’s relationship with technology, weaponry, and environmental responsibility through a pacifist ritual.
How can attendees purchase tickets and view the full schedule?
Complete program details and ticket sales are available through Piletilevi and the official Leigo Järvemuusika website.
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