Folk Music"Saar was the first Estonian composer to understand the essence of the older Estonian folk song, to unroll its originality and mix the archaic folk song with contemporary sound. Saar was one of those who systematically collected, analyzed and systematized folk songs (expeditions in 1907 and 1910)." (www.emic.ee)
Heather Garbes says, "Saar's compositions focus on the natural beauty of the area around him and are based on the folklore and songs from that area. He developed the technique of using a folk melody repeatedly in a composition while varying the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and textural elements that accompany it" (Garbes). Saar's predecessors typically treated the folksongs they used in their compositions simply as melodies divorced from meter and harmony and set them in a German Romantic style. Saar, on the other hand, believed the folk song should be treated as a whole with text, melody and style remaining intact. His style departed from the romantic and hymn-like harmonization practices and instead focused on Dorian, Lydian, and Mixolydian modal harmonizations typical of Estonian folk music. Important Choral MusicSaar wrote several cantatas and over 350 small choral pieces.
Children's Choruses (2 volumes, 1921) Mixed Choruses (5 volumes, 1933-35) Men's Choruses (3 volumes, 1935) MultimediaPõhjavaim
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Estonian Music Center www.emic.ee/mart-saar
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"Estonian Composers." Eesti Muusika Infokeskus. Estonian Music Information Center. <http://www.emic.ee/estonian-composers>.
Garbes, Heather M. "To the Bards: The Choral Works of Estonian Composer Ester Mägi" Journal of the College Music Society 49.Oct (2009): http://symposium.music.org
Humal, Mart. "Saar, Mart." Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press.