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In the history of Estonian music, Eduard Oja has not been a very well-known composer. Most of his works have been unpublished and preserved as manuscripts, staying away from availability for interpreters and listeners for many decades after his death. As Eduard Oja already died at the age of 45, his oeuvre is not very numerous and an important part of his creation have been lost, destroyed in the World War II or even by his own. Some of his best works were destroyed by fire, which broke out in theatre Estonia in bombing of Tallinn on March 9 in 1944. Many of his manuscripts were destroyed in the same year, when a bomb of Soviet aircraft hit Oja’s home in Tartu. During his lifetime, only a few of his works were published. Oja lived in hard and difficult times, besides of the World War II, he went through many severe experiences in his personal life.
Despite his creation may show in spots some uneven quality, Eduard Oja was a composer of most personal style of music among Estonian composers at his time. The list of his works includes compositions which may be regarded as real masterpieces of Estonian chamber music and which even in context of today’s music sound still fresh.
Besides of being a composer, Eduard Oja was also active as a conductor, music critic and teacher. He was one of the most innovative and most vivid personalities in Estonian musical life at his time.
Over the last few decades, Oja’s music has made through a revival: his solo and choir songs have been appearing more frequently in the repertoire of Estonian singers, some of his symphonic works have been once again performed. Initiated by Vardo Rumessen, many piano and chamber music works have been premiered or once again played in public. In occasion of the 100th anniversary of Eduard Oja, a concert with his music was held in Tallinn Town Hall on January 22 in 2005. Some of his works (Aelita’s Suite for violin and piano and Trilogy of Time for cello and piano) are once again published. Also a book of his life and works – „Varjus ja valguses” [In Shade and Light], written by Vardo Rumessen, was published in 2007. The book contains among other things also memoirs of composer's daughter Vaike Oja and his friend and colleague, composer Eduard Tubin.
In 2008, a CD with selected chamber music works by Eduard Oja was released. |