Arvo Part, Elora Festival Singers And Orchestra, Noel Edison - Berliner Messe

Published Monday 11th October 2004
Arvo Part, Elora Festival Singers And Orchestra, Noel Edison - Berliner Messe

STYLE: Choral
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 11830-
LABEL: Naxos 8557299
FORMAT: CD Album
RRP: £4.99

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Over the last 20 years Arvo Pärt has built up a considerable body of work with a series of magnificent sacred choral pieces. This budget-price CD offers an excellent introduction for those new to Pärt and has several revised versions of his classic works that should interest the more serious collector. We open with a setting of Psalm 95: "Cantate Domino Canticum Novum" that was written in 1977 although here we have the 1996 revision. This is followed by the main piece in the collection, "Berliner Messe (for choir and string orchestra)" in its 1992 revision and we finish with "De Profundis" from 1980, "Summa" (1977), "The Beatitudes" (1990, revised 1991) and "Magnificat" (1989). This collection allows us to appreciate all the key stages in Pärt's growth as a composer: his interest in chant, in Bach, his development of tintinnabuli (think Bach arranged for bells and then sung by a choir) and, throughout, his clear commitment to expressing the Christian faith through choral music. The Elora Festival Singers from Canada do full justice to the music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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