Copyright:: (C) 1999 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg
Label:: DG
Catalogue Number:: 4576472
Parent Label:: Universal Classics & Jazz
Barcode:: 00028945764726
Release Date:: 09-08-1999
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Pärt, Arvo Composer
Adele Anthony Artist
Erik Risberg Prepared Piano
Roger Carlsson Percussion

PÃ¤rt: Tabula Rasa; Fratres; Symphony No. 3

Neeme Järvi, Gil Shaham, Göteborgs Symfoniker

Arvo Part's musical language is simple, austere, minimalist, filled with mysticism, occasionally even incantatory in tone and radiant in the clarity of its colours. His music seems to have struck a chord in an age when people need contrasts and moments of calm, so hectic is the pace of our everyday lives. Indeed, his compositions have turned him into something of a cult figure in the world of music today. Developed throughout long years of reflection and study during which the composer researched the secrets of Gregorian chant and other early music traditions, Part's musical language achieves profound effects with the most economical means. The three pieces included in the present album all date from the 1970s. Symphony No 3 owes its existence to Part's intense interest in medieval music. Its musical language is characterized by melodies that seem to belong to the 14th and 15th centuries. The New Age masterpiece, Tabula rasa, is the concerto for two solo violins, prepared piano and string orchestra that brought Part international fame when it first appeared . According to Gil Shaham "I was driving through the desert in Utah. Tabula rasa was being played on the radio. Suddenly I sensed a connection between the music and the loneliness of the landscape. The music is somehow very religious and basic." Shaham was fascinated by its reminiscences of early psalmody, but also by its sheer inner intensity.

"I would strongly suggest that you give this disc a try, even if you already own alternative versions of this repertoire. If you havenÂ’t, then it should prove an excellent starting point." (Gramophone)

"Strongly recommended, even if you already own alternative versions." (Gramophone Classical Good CD, DVD & Download Guide)