a r t i s t : Arvo Part (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir-Tonu Ka
t i t l e : In Principio
d a t e : 2009
l a b e l : Ecm New Series
g e n r e : Classical
r l s. d a t e : Feb/2009
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 93,5 MB
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From the Artist
25 years ago, in 1984, Arvo Pa"rt's Tabula rasa launched ECM's
New Series. The recording indeed marked a new beginning and
not only for Pa"rt's work, providing impulses for contemporary
composition at many levels. The power of Pa"rt's music,
moreover, underlined by the conviction of his religious
feeling, struck a chord amongst listeners which continues to
resonate. As fellow composer Steve Reich has observed, Pa"rt's
music of spiritual yearning seems to fulfill a human need.
In Principio, Pa"rt's new album, his eleventh for ECM, is both
a continuation and a recording which posits fresh directions
in his music, offers fresh colors. Four pieces, "In
principio", "La Sindone", "Cecilia, vergine romana" and "Fu"r
Lennart in memoriam" are heard in premie`re recordings. The
album also revisits and revises important pieces. We hear a
transformed "Da Pacem Domine", and a radically new version of
"Mein Weg".
Performers are the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the Tallinn Chamber
Orchestra, under the inspired direction of To~nu Kaljuste,
long a staunch ally and committed advocate for the composer's
work.
"In principio erat Verbum..." In the beginning was the word.
The composition "In Principio" (2003) for mixed choir and
orchestra begins with the famous line that opens the Gospel of
St John, and sets its first fourteen verses. It is a work that
seems chiseled out of sound itself, the hallmarks of Pa"rt's
powerful - and timeless - musical signature immediately
apparent. The work is dedicated to Kaljuste (as was "Kanon
Pokajanen", a decade ago).
"La Sindone" (2005) for orchestra, addresses the enigma of the
Holy Shroud said to bear the imprint of Christ's face. Its
history can be traced back with certainty as far as the 14th
century, but beyond that history blurs into myth. Legend has
it that from Jerusalem the cloth was conveyed to Aleppo,
Constantinople, Cyprus, Paris, Lirey and Chambery and finally
Turin, where it has been preserved since 1578. Pa"rt's
strongly evocative composition, imaginatively inspired both by
the shroud's journey and its essential mystery, was premiered
in Turin in 2006 (when it was played alongside "Cecilia,
vergine romana" and "Da Pacem Domine").
"Cecilia, vergine romana" (2000, revised 2002) for mixed choir
and orchestra, takes its text from the Roman Breviary, and
tells the tale of the Roman maiden Cecilia (2nd century AD),
who is said to have continued singing the praises of God even
as she died a martyr's death. She is revered as the patron
saint of musicians.
"Da pacem Domine" (2004) was first heard on ECM in the version
for five singers a cappella (the Hilliard Ensemble plus Sarah
Leonard) on Lamentate. Here we hear the version for mixed
choir and orchestra. The musical point of departure for the
piece, commissioned by Jordi Savall, was the ninth-century
Gregorian antiphon, an intercession in the liturgy and in
polyphony which many composers over the centuries have been
inspired to set to music. Pa"rt began writing the piece two
days after the Madrid train bombings of March 11, 2004, and
the piece is dedicated to the victims of that terrorist
action.
"Mein Weg" was written as a composition for organ in 1989, and
recorded as such by Christopher Bowers-Broadbent for ECM on
the album Trivium the following year. In 1994 Pa"rt prepared a
version for strings and percussion. The piece is given a
compelling, sinuously undulating and hypnotically-insistent
performance here by the Tallinn players.
The program is completed by "Fu"r Lennart in memoriam" a very
still piece for the late Estonian president (and writer and
film director) Lennart Georg Meri, a work premiered by the
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra at Meri's funeral in 2006.
(For more information on the individual pieces and Pa"rt's
oeuvre, please consult the CD booklet notes by Wolfgang
Sandner.)
The album was recorded in Pa"rt's homeland in 2007 and 2008.
Product Description
This is an eagerly-awaited record featuring exciting new music
from one of the world's most famous living composers. The
music provides an impressive overview of Pa"rt's recent
stylistic development covering six touching compositions of
different scale and instrumentation written between 1989 and
2005. These are "authentic" premiere recordings made with the
composer's assistance: In principio (for mixed choir and
orchestra) La Sindone (for orchestra) Cecilia, vergine romana
(for mixed choir and orchestra) Da Pacem Domine (for mixed
choir and orchestra) Mein Weg (for 14 strings and percussion)
Fu"r Lennart in memoriam (for string orchestra) "In Principio"
is being released to coincide with the 25-year anniversary of
ECM's New Series that was launched with Pa"rt's "Tabula Rasa"
in 1984- the disc which put the composer on the map
internationally.
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01-I. In principio erat Verbum [03:10]
02-II. Fuit homo missus a Deo [01:43]
03-III. Erat lux vera [07:15]
04-IV. Quotquot autem acceperunt sum [03:37]
05-V. Et Verbum caro factum est [03:57]
06-La Sindone [15:54]
07-Cecilia, vergine romana [16:39]
08-Da Pacem Domine [05:01]
09-Mein Weg [06:24]
10-Fu"r Lennart in memoriam [07:22]
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71:02 min