Classical music lovers discussion
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Arvo Pärt
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Yeah, I think is my favorite living composer.
I'm fond of Für Alina and Spiegel im Spiegel, Te Deum, De Profundis, et al
I'm fond of Für Alina and Spiegel im Spiegel, Te Deum, De Profundis, et al
I don't own all of his stuff, but I love Te Deum and De Profundis and Tabula Rasa (which has the first three songs on Rita's list in Post 1).Wasn't as wild about a collection starting with the letter P (now THAT'S helpful, I'm sure). Or was it K? Maybe the title has P's and K's in it, but it's one long word and left me saying, "Eh...." Also the St. John's album was so-so.
His career has a long arc, though, so it may be I like stuff from the middle and latter stages of his life. Also, all recordings of his work are not equal. I'd have to dig out my stuff to explain which choirs I prefer...
Mod
Hope you'll get digging when you have time and tell us which recordings you recommend.
Yes. Pokajanen's (as opposed to Pachelbel's) Kanon. Thanks.As for digging -- how's about this weekend. Right now I should be cooking supper...
Spiegel im Spiegel. Ahhhh. I write to this all the time.
Mod
His work conjures up wonderful mental images.
Welcome to the classical lovers' group!
I got woken up at half seven this morning, but my ire was mollified by listening to Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, which happened to be on Radio 3. =)
I'll add Spiegel im Spiegel (sounds like a German department store) to my list of must buys. I love to do my Part and write to his music.
Mod
Fratres always conjures up for me a desolate but beautiful shoreline (shingle, mudflats) with celestial blue light and flocks of birds. He really does seem to enhance people's creativity.
I adore Part. I was lucky enough to live in Estonia for a few years on and off, and saw a premiere of one of his newer works eight or ten New Years' Eves ago, though I regrettably forget which one it was. His music is very much in keeping with the landscape in Tallinn, where pealing bells usually provide the soundtrack around the old town - I imagine that he wrote his music as a way of remembering his roots when he was in exile. Listening to the Tabula Rasa makes me wish I was back there, trudging through the absolutely miserable weather, and that's no small feat.
Mod
I think the first thing I heard was Fratres.
Here is a gorgeous video of a rabbit in the snow just mooching about with Spiegel im Spiegel as the soundtrack.
The clarinet is played by a Canadian musician and brightcecilia member called Sean Perrin, who also shot the wildlife footage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1pVFI...
And if any of you are anywhere near Calgary, he has a concert coming up soon!
Mod
Arvo Part was mentioned in a book I was reading--A Right Attitude to Rain; an Isabel Dalhousie mystery, and then I saw this thread, what a great find. I downloaded one album and then found another at the library yesterday: SILENCIO. It includes Tabula Rasa; also Philip Glass and Vladimir Martynov. And an interesting quote from the album: "There is no such thing as empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear. In fact, try as we may to make a silence, we cannot."---John Cage, from Silence
Mod
Here is Sean Perrin playing with the University of Calgary New Music Ensemble in their recent concert, as promised above.
http://www.brightcecilia.com/forum/sh...
I am fairly new to this group and still learning how to use the goodreads site. When I searched Tabula Rasa and found all of this, I was absolutely amazed!! Arvo Part's Tabula Rasa is without a doubt the most incredible music composition in my collection. In spite of years and decades of all of the unbelievably talented composers, there is something about this work that "really" transcends. Nice to know he is appreciated by so many.I first heard this, as it was being played in a music store (I can't even remember which one) and it creeped up on me. I went and inquired an immediately purchased it. I haven't been the same since. When music can do this to you, it is nothing short of a miraculous engaging of the human soul.
I had the good fortune to see the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra perform his
Te Deum
a few years ago. It was easily the greatest performance of classical music I've ever seen. Nothing else has come even close.
Mod
The EPCC is incredible. The night I saw them they also did Vivaldi's
Beatus Vir
, which was an interesting pairing with a late 20th Century work. Glad to hear you were able to see them and that they were amazing as usual!
The Skampa Quartet ( Czech quartet) will be playing, among other things, Pärt's Fratres, on the 21st March at the Concert Hall (in the Town Hall) in Reading.By the way a group called Stile Antico is singing, on the 21st of February, to quote from the brochure I've been sent -
'“SONG OF SONGS”
A selection of sumptious settings of the beautiful biblical texts found in the “Song of Songs” including works by Palestrina, Lassus and Victoria and other sixteenth century masters. '
Sounds interesting, though I've not heard them.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_P%C...