Arvo Part

Par PART ARVO. Fratres (original setting for violin and piano) was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival and premiered on August 17th, 1980 at that very place (violin: Gidon Kremer, piano: Elena Kremer). Daniel Hope, internationally acclaimed violin soloist, says about the piece: 'Fratres opened up my ears in a completely new way. Recently when I recorded it, I was extremely pleased about the edition by Universal Edition. A masterpiece needs an illustration that clearly depicts the composer's wishes, as it was done with this piece. ' Composed in Pärt's very own 'Tintinnabuli'-style, this piece allows many different settings because it is not bound to aspecific klangfarbe (tone color)./ Répertoire / Violon et Piano

Par PART ARVO. This piece is Pärt's tribute to Benjamin Britten who died in 1976. Arvo Pärt: In the past years we have had many losses in the world of music to mourn. Why did the date of Benjamin Britten's death - 4 December 1976 - touch such a chord in me? During this time I was obviously at the point where I could recognize the magnitude of such a loss. Inexplicable feelings of guilt, more than that even, arose in me. I had just discovered Britten for myself. Just before his death I began to appreciate the unusual purity of his music - I had had the impression of the same kind of purity in the ballads of Guillaume de Machaut. And besides, for a long time I had wanted to meet Britten personally - and now it would not come to that. 'The last chord of Cantus is seemingly never-ending. It just stands there, neither growing nor decaying. Something has been achieved and it shouldn't be given up. The content of the whole work leads up to this point.' Nora Pärt/ Répertoire / Orchestre à Cordes et Cloche

Par PART ARVO. Composed in 1990, and revised in 1991, for SATB Choir or soloists with organ accompaniment, Pärt's setting of The Beatitudes is one of only a handful of works (Litany and And One of the Pharisees also falling into that category) composed in English. Taken from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, as found in Matthew 5:1-12, The Beatitudes provide a fitting structure for Pärt's setting. Each verse states a godly quality and the blessing attached to it; all except the last verse begin with the word 'blessed'. The Beatitudes was premiered on 25 May 1990 at the Nathanaelkirche, Berlin, by the Theatre of Voices choir, conducted by Paul Hillier. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which before you. The gospel according to St. Matthew, 5, 3 - 12 / Musique contemporaine / Répertoire / Choeur Mixte SATB et Orgue

Par PART ARVO. It takes 75 minutes to relate the story of the Passion according to the Latin of St John's Gospel; Pärt uses solo singers for the roles of Pilate and Christ, and a group of four soloists (soprano, counter tenor, tenor and bass) for the Evangelist, together with a small chorus. Understatement is all: the instrumental accompaniment is confined to a quartet of woodwind and strings that underpins the Evangelist quartet, and an organ to support the remaining singers. Each distinct group has its own scraps of melodic material, which are constantly varied and repeated. Everything proceeds in rhythmic unison, so that the effect js ritualistic and highly austere. (Andrew Clements, Financial Times, 12. 6. 1986) Arvo Pärts 'Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem' relates the story of the Passion according to the Latin of St John's Gospel./ Répertoire / Solistes, SATB Choeur et 4 Instruments

Par PART ARVO. Arvo Pärt's De profundis for male choir TTBB, Percussion ad lib. and Organ. Pärt sets to music one of the most famous and most frequently composed psalms ( psalm 130 ) in his very own tintinnabuli-style./ Répertoire / Choeurs TTBB, Percussions Ad Libitum et Orgue