Album

This double-disc survey of Arvo Pärt's distinctive oeuvre covers his most popular choral pieces, but also presents enough of his early work to provide a reasonably accurate portrait of a composer who has passed through several eventful decades and made several adjustments in his style. A few of Pärt's more experimental pieces are presented here, as well as examples of his later, more familiar sacred works employing the tintinnabular method. Yet even when it is most dissonant or atonal (e.g., in the second movement of the Symphony No. 1), Pärt's music always seems to point toward a modal hierarchy of tones based on major or minor triads. The "ringing of changes" on these chords is most evident in the later choral works, represented by excerpts from the Berliner Messe, Passio, and whole presentations of the Magnificat, The Beatitudes, and the Triodion. Also, Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten, Fratres, and Tabula Rasa are representative of Pärt's skillful writing for strings in this layered, shimmering style. An informative, illustrated booklet comes with this comprehensive package, and Naxos has taken exceptional care in balancing the sound of all the selections, including the licensed tracks, taken from albums previously issued by BIS, Nimbus, and Claudio Records.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Arvo Pärt Composer Für Alina Work Alexei Lubimov Piano
1	Für Alina	2:06			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Symphony No.1, Op.9 ('Polyphonic') Work Neeme Järvi Conductor, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Orchestra
2	2.Prelüüd ja Fuuga	6:23			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, for string orchestra and bell Work Hungarian State Opera Orchestra [Strings] Ensemble, Antal Eisrich Percussion, Tamas Benedek Conductor
3	Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, for string orchestra and bell	7:39			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Passio, for tenor, bass, vocal quartet, chorus, oboe, bassoon, violin, cello and organ Work Tonus Peregrinus Ensemble, Antony Pitts Conductor
4	Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem	3:48			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Berliner Messe, for chorus and organ Work Noel Edison Conductor, Elora Festival Singers Chorus/Choir, Elora Festival Orchestra Orchestra
5	1.Kyrie	2:43			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Fratres, for cello and piano Work Tibor Parkanyi Cello, Sandor Falvay Piano
6	Fratres, for cello and piano	11:49			$1.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Magnificat Work Noel Edison Conductor, Elora Festival Singers Chorus/Choir, Elora Festival Orchestra Orchestra
7	Magnificat	7:06			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Summa, for strings Work Hungarian State Opera Orchestra [Strings] Ensemble, Tamas Benedek Conductor
8	Summa, for strings	3:44			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Passio, for tenor, bass, vocal quartet, chorus, oboe, bassoon, violin, cello and organ Work Tonus Peregrinus Ensemble, Antony Pitts Conductor
9	Unde es tu? Jesus autem responsum non dedit ei	12:22			$1.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Berliner Messe, for chorus and organ Work Noel Edison Conductor, Elora Festival Singers Chorus/Choir, Elora Festival Orchestra Orchestra
10	6.Credo	4:14			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer The Beatitudes, for chorus and organ Work Jurgen Petrenko Organ, Noel Edison Conductor, Elora Festival Singers Chorus/Choir, Elora Festival Orchestra Orchestra
11	The Beatitudes, for chorus and organ	7:50			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Annum per annum Work 7:32 Kevin Bowyer Organ
12	1.Einleitung	0:44			$0.99
13	2.K	1:01			$0.99
14	3.G	0:59			$0.99
15	4.C	1:08			$0.99
16	5.S	1:04			$0.99
17	6.A	1:46			$0.99
18	7.Coda	0:50			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Arvo Pärt Composer Fratres, for strings and percussion Work Miklos Kovacs Percussion, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra [Strings] Ensemble, Antal Eisrich Percussion, Tamas Benedek Conductor
1	Fratres, for strings and percussion	8:54			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Collage over B-A-C-H, for strings, oboe, harpsichord, and piano Work 7:34 Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa Conductor
2	1.Toccata: Preciso	2:47			$0.99
3	2.Sarabande: Lento	3:07			$0.99
4	3.Ricercare: Deciso	1:40			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Pro et contra: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra Work 8:46 Neeme Järvi Conductor, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Orchestra, Frans Helmerson Cello
5	1.Maestoso	5:04			$0.99
6	2.Largo	0:30			$0.99
7	3.Allegro	3:12			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Symphony No.3 Work Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa Conductor
8	3.Half note=60	7:42			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Cantate Domino, for chorus and organ Work Jurgen Petrenko Organ, Noel Edison Conductor, Elora Festival Singers Chorus/Choir, Elora Festival Orchestra Orchestra
9	Cantate Domino, for chorus and organ	3:24			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Spiegel im Spiegel, for violin and piano Work Simon Mulligan Piano, Daniel Hope Violin
10	Spiegel im Spiegel, for violin and piano	8:56			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Triodion Work 15:39 Peter Davis [violin] Organ, Choir of Lancing College Chorus/Choir, Neil Cox Conductor
11	1.Introduction: ad libitum; Ode 1: O Jesus the Son of God, Have Mercy upon Us	4:39			$0.99
12	2.Ode 2: O Most Holy Birth-giver of God, Save Us	5:25			$0.99
13	3.Ode 3: O Holy Saint Nicholas, Pray to God for Us; Coda: ad libitum	5:35			$0.99
Arvo Pärt Composer Tabula rasa: Concerto for 2 Violins, Prepared Piano, and Strings Work Ulster Orchestra Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa Conductor, Lesley Hatfield Violin, Rebecca Hirsch Violin
14	1.Ludus: Con moto	9:48			$1.49
Arvo Pärt Composer Passio, for tenor, bass, vocal quartet, chorus, oboe, bassoon, violin, cello and organ Work Tonus Peregrinus Ensemble, Antony Pitts Conductor
15	Et ex illa hora accepit eam discipulus in sua	4:26			$0.99