Arvo Pärt - Silentium (Various Artists)

Information

Composer: Arvo Pärt

• Vater Unser (arr. for trombone & string ensemble)
• Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka
• Fratres for Strings and Percussion
• Silentium

Jörgen van Rijen, trombone / Camerata RCO

Marcel Worms, piano

Tamás Benedek, percussion / Hungarian State Opera Orchestra

Alexi Kenney & Stefan Jackiw, violins / A Far Cry

Compilation: 2025

Label: Mississippi Records

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This album highlights a unique, unreleased performance of Arvo Pärt’s Silentium from Tabula Rasa, played by Boston’s A Far Cry at nearly half the speed of the well-known 1984 ECM recording. The slowed pace intensifies its meditative power, often described as healing and used in palliative care. Alongside this centerpiece are luminous renditions of Pärt’s works: a moving arrangement of Vater Unser for trombone and strings, Marcel Worm’s tender piano Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka, and the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra’s emotive Fratres. Reflecting Pärt’s minimalist philosophy, the collection deepens Mississippi Records’ tribute to his timeless spiritual music.

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935, Estonia) is a renowned composer celebrated for his “tintinnabuli” style, inspired by bell-like tones, Gregorian chant, and Orthodox liturgy. Early in his career, he experimented with 12-tone techniques, producing Estonia’s first work in that style, Nekrolog (1960). His banned religious piece Credo (1968) marked a turning point, after which he entered a “silent” period of study before emerging with his distinctive sound in works like Für Alina (1976), Fratres (1977), and Tabula Rasa (1977). Emigrating in 1980, Pärt gained global acclaim for his austere, spiritual minimalism. His honors include the Praemium Imperiale (2014), and his legacy is preserved at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia.