The Estonian band In Spe is often remembered as one of the pioneers of progressive rock in the Baltics. For a certain period of time, this group was led by Erkki-Sven Tüür, one of the best known contemporary classical composers from this corner of the world. The broad spectrum of his composing abilities is well represented in his rock symphony recorded back in 1983 by the band In Spe, of which comprises seven highly professional players including Tüür himself on keyboards and other instruments (last year, the symphony was finally issued on CD).

Honestly, I hadn't heard anything equally complex in years – one cannot compare Tüür's compositions to those of other prog-rockers solely due to the fact that he has no rivals, though most certainly he wasn't the guy who invented this particular genre. If I had to mention any related artists to this In Spe CD, then probably the only name that would instantly enter my mind has to be Yes around 1972 - 1974.

Tüür's rock symphony has six movements. In the first three, the main emphasis is put on wind instruments and keyboards. Likewise, the skilled fretwork of guitar virtuoso Riho Sibul is really outstanding. The time signatures used in the symphony are shamelessly complex, yet they seem to give no headache to the rhythm section of drummer Arvo Urb and bassist Toivo Kopli. The only movement with vocals, "Antidolorosum," is expertly sung by the author himself. Once this musical journey is over, you will hardly believe it hasn’t been more than 40 minutes, so you may want to listen to it again, because you need at least a couple more listens to fully savour the beauty of Tüür's music.

As such, Tüür's "Symphony For Seven Performers," performed by In Spe and engineered by top-class soundman Priit Kuulberg, is one of the noblest and the most monumental examples of rock music not only in my CD collection, but also in the global context. This true work of art is highly recommended to all fans of classical music and progressive rock – disappointment is very unlikely!

Aigars Červinskis
Riga, Latvia
25 September 2000
English version of the review that appears at the www.apollo.lv portal.

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