Arvo Part

Par PART ARVO. 'I have developed a highly formalised compositional system, which I have been using to write my music for twenty years. Summa is the most strict and enigmatic work in this series', said Arvo Pärt in 1994. The neutral title itself embodies the essence of the content as the work is based on the text of the Latin Credo. The great simplicity of the piece masks its complexity. The underlying rules ensure that on the surface a cycle of continuous change is created while the deep structure possesses an order of stillness. Saale Kareda Originally written for four a cappella voices in 1977, the string quartet version dates from 1991. This edition adds a further version for trombone quartet./ Répertoire / 4 Trombones

Par PART ARVO. Following an initiative by Princess Caroline of Monaco/Hannover to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reign of his Highness, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, composer Arvo Pärt was commissioned to compose a work for choir and orchestra. The finished work, Cantique des degrés, received its premiere on 19 November 1999 during a special service in the Cathedral of Monte-Carlo in the presence of the royal family. It was performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique and the opera choir, both of Monte-Carlo, and conducted by Estonian conductor Tõnu Kaljuste. Cantique des degrés is based on Psalm 121 - Je lève mes yeux vers la montagne - and sung in Latin. Pärt's settingcomprises eight sung verses of the psalm that lead to a final, hymn-like instrumental coda. The tonalities of the composition progress regularly, ascending stepwise from verse to verse (cantique des degrés); but despite this episodic character, the overall mood of the sequences remains consistent. In this way, the two contrasting basic elements of the piece - dynamic motion and balanced repose - are united creating a harmonious whole./ Répertoire / Choeurs SATB et Orchestre

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)/ Répertoire / Divers

Par PART ARVO. Arvo Pärt came across a legend concerning the patriarch Agathon, from the 4th century, in a book containing stories of The Desert Fathers. They take us back to the cradle of Christian monasticism, in the Egyptian desert, the narrative telling of the meeting between the hermit Agathon and the leper. Agathon is tested several times by the leper. Not until after he has passed these tests does the leper reveal himself as an angel sent by God, and blesses Agathon./ Répertoire / Soprano, Alto, Chœur SA

Par PART ARVO. Arvo Pärt has been fascinated by the life and work of St Silouan of Athos (1866-1938) for many years. As early as 1991, the writings of Silouan inspired Pärt to his composition Silouan's Song, 'My soul yearns after the Lord ...' for string orchestra. Pärt's new work Adam's Lament is once again based on a text by Silouan, in which the monk laments Adam's pain over the loss of paradise. Silouan's sketches and writings are of great poetic power, and represent some of the most significant works in Russian poetry. The content and structure of the texts, which are sung in Russian, dictate the course of the music down to the smallest detail. Punctuation, syllable counts and word emphases all play decisive roles in the composition./ Répertoire / Chœur Mixte [SATB] et Orchestre à Cordes

Par PART ARVO. Pour ceux qui sont familiers qu'avec la musique de Pärt des 30 dernières années, le caractère résolument radical de ce score viendra sans doute comme une surprise. ' Obituary ' est le premier morceau de musique dodécaphonique estonienne et aussi de premier travail de la jeune Pärt pour grand orchestre. La performance de la pièce a attiré des critiques acerbes de la presse soviétique./ Répertoire / Orchestre

Par PART ARVO. On 4 July 2011 Arvo Pärt performed his “Vater unser” (“Our Father”) for Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony in the Vatican celebrating the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Pärt also presented the Pope with a copy of the manuscript, which is dedicated to him. To honour the anniversary, over 60 artists from around the world have been invited to contribute to a new exhibition of artworks. Amongst the artists are the composers Arvo Pärt, Ennio Morricone and James MacMillan. To commemorate this historical occasion, Universal Edition has released a new edition of Pärt’s “Vater unser”, see UE35300. It includes a CD recording of the composer performing the work together with the boy soprano Heldur Harry Põlda, who performed with Pärt at the Vatican. This edition is the choral score with piano accompaniment./ Répertoire / Choeur d'Enfants et Piano

eingerichtet von dem Dublin Guitar Quartet und Arvo Pärt. Par PART ARVO. 'I have developed a highly formalised compositional system, which I have been using to write my music for twenty years. Summa is the most strict and enigmatic work in this series', said Arvo Pärt in 1994. The neutral title itself embodies the essence of the content as the work is based on the text of the Latin Credo. The great simplicity of the piece masks its complexity. The underlying rules ensure that on the surface a cycle of continuous change is created while the deep structure possesses an order of stillness. Saale Kareda Originally written for four a cappella voices in 1977, the string quartet version dates from 1991. This edition adds a further version for guitar quartet./ Répertoire / 4 Guitares