To change your guide currency and shipping destination go here and 20% Value Added Tax will be removed from prices for Channel Islands and non European Union countries.

About the composer Arvo Part

Arvo Pärt was born in Paide, Estonia on 11th September 1935 and grew up in Tallinn, Estonia and is today one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. From 1958 to 1967 he was employed as a recording director and a composer of music for film and television for the music division of Estonian Radio. During this time he studied composition under Heino Eller at the Tallinn Conservatory, graduating in 1963. His early works, written while he was still a student demonstrate the influence of Russian neoclassic composers such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Pärt's first orchestral work, Necrolog of 1960, was the first work in a new experimental phase and was also the first Estonian work to use Schonberg's dodecaphonic method. This composition, as well as other works of the early and mid-1960's served as unfulfilling experiments with serialism and aleatory techniques. Because his explorations into strict serial writing proved to be dissatisfying, Pärt moved to a transitional phase of experimenting with collage technique. Pärt has stated that his collages "were an attempt to replant a flower in alien surroundings (the problem of the suitability of tissue; if they grow together into one, the transplantation was the right move). Here, however, the idea of transplantation was not in the foreground - I wished rather to cultivate a single flower myself." More specifically, Pärt's collage technique involved the insertion of borrowed musical material, from composers such as Bach and Tchaikovsky, into his serial structure. This material included not only small quotations but also larger sections of basically unaltered music of various 17th through 19th century composers. However, while the collage technique added elements of traditional tonality to his compositions, the basic integral dodecaphonic structure remained the same. After composing the Credo of 1968, Pärt entered a period of creative silence which he used for the study of medieval music. More specifically, he studied Notre Dame organum and the choral music of French and Franco-Flemish composers such as Machaut, Ockeghem, Obrecht and Josquin. After this period of silence, he re-emerged in 1971 with his Symphony No.3, which differs significantly from any previous work. The polyphonic structure can be traced to Dutch polyphony, and contains both elements of the medieval and the classical periods, in the respective areas of melody and rhythm. Unlike any previous work, the musical language is entirely tonal. In this piece, serialism has been abandoned for a more peaceful and introspective approach. However, Pärt was not yet prepared to abandon his search for his true compositional voice. In 1972, he composed a symphonic cantata, Lied an die Geliebte, and then entered again into a period of silence. Pärt re-emerged four years later, having found the voice for which he had been searching. The music that began to emerge after this period was radically different. This period of new compositions included Fratres, Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten, and Tabula Rasa. Pärt describes the music of this period as tintinnabuli - like the ringing of bells. Spiegel im Spiegel is a well-known example which has been used in many films. The music is characterised by simple harmonies, often single unadorned notes, or triads, which form the basis of Western harmony. These are reminiscent of ringing bells. Tintinnabuli works are rhythmically simple and do not change tempo. Another characteristic of Pärt's later works is that they are frequently settings for sacred texts, although he mostly chooses Latin or the Church Slavonic language used in Orthodox liturgy instead of his native Estonian language. Large-scale works inspired by religious texts include St. John Passion, Te Deum, and Litany. Choral works from this period include Magnificat and The Beatitudes. Pärt's music came to public attention in the West, largely thanks to Manfred Eicher who recorded several of Pärt's compositions for ECM Records starting in 1984. As Arvo Pärt's music began to be performed in the west and he continued to struggle against Soviet officialdom, his frustration ultimately forced him, his wife Nora and their two sons, to emigrate in 1980. They never made it to their intended destination of Israel but, with the assistance of his publisher in the West, settled firstly in Vienna, where he took Austrian citizenship. Arvo Pärt was named Composer of the Year, 2011, by the Official Classic BRITs Voting Academy. Pärt was present at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on May 12 to receive the prize. The Classic BRIT Award 2011 is the latest in a long line of major awards for Pärt, recently including the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Republic of Estonia, and the European Church Music Prize. Six of his ECM recordings have received Grammy Nominations, and he previously received a Classical Brit Award in 2003 for ‘Orient & Occident’. The latest award relates to the ECM recording of ‘Symphony No. 4’, the Estonian composer’s first symphonic work in more than 30 years.

CDs and DVDs featuring the composer Arvo Part

CATALOGUE NR: RRC1044  (barcode: 5029365010443)
RECORD LABEL: Regis
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.15

TITLE: A King's College Christmas
TRACKS: Once in Royal David's City. Rejoice and be merry. Ding Dong! Merrily on high. O little town of Bethlehem. A spotless rose. While shepherds watched. In dulci jubilo - 2 versions. The First Nowell. Coventry Carol. King Jesus hath a garden. O come all ye faithful. Personent Hodie (Holst). What sweeter music? Quittez Pasteurs (Rutter). The Lamb (Tavener). Heer Jezus heeft een Hofken (Flor Peeters). Bogoroditze Dyevo. Infant Holy Infant Lowly (Part). Illuminare Jerusalem (Judith Weir).
CONDUCTOR: Stephen Cleobury
ARTISTS: King's College Cambridge Choir      

Normally ships in 7-10 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: CD89111  (barcode: 0089408911125)
RECORD LABEL: Telarc
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 7.69
RELEASE DATE: 09-Feb-1998

COMPOSER: Alan Hovhaness  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: An I Fiamminghi Collection
TRACKS: Prayer of Saint Gregory for trumpet & string orchestra (Hovhaness). Frates for strings & percussion (Part). Elergy for orchestra (Corigliano). Three Pieces in Old Style for string orchestra (Gorecki). Musica Dolorosa (Vasks). Mourned by the Wind - Andante maestoso (Kancheli).
ORCHESTRA: Fiamminghi
CONDUCTOR: Rudolph Werthen

Normally ships in 7-10 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: BISCD1392  (barcode: 7318590013922)
RECORD LABEL: BIS
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.77
RELEASE DATE: 31-May-2004

COMPOSER: Alfred Schnittke  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Time and Again
TRACKS: Suite in the Old Style for Violin and Piano. Fugue for Solo Violin (Schnittke). Fratres for Violin and Piano. Spiegel im Spiegel for Violin and Piano (Part). Little Summer Music for Violin and Piano (Vasks). Time and Again for Violin and Piano (Kancheli).
ARTISTS: Vadim Gluzman   Angela Yoffe    

- Aug-2004 5 star BBC Music Mag.

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: BISCD1157  (barcode: 7318590011577)
RECORD LABEL: BIS
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.77
RELEASE DATE: 30-Aug-2004

COMPOSER: Alfred Schnittke  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Voices of Nature
TRACKS: Concerto For Choir. Voices of nature for ten women's voices and vibraphone. Piccola cantata. Mother of God and Virgin. I Am The True Vine.
CONDUCTOR: Tonu Kaljuste
ARTISTS: Swedish Radio Choir   Jonny Ronnlund    

- Nov-2004 5 star BBC Music Mag.

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: CAP21800  (barcode: 7391782218008)
RECORD LABEL: Caprice
FORMAT: Hybrid SACD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.79
RELEASE DATE: 21-May-2008

COMPOSER: Anders Jormin  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Perceptions of Time
TRACKS: Three Angels (Anders Jormin). Frates (Arvo Part). Serenade (Sofia Gubaidulina). Tiden ar ingenting (Jormin). Green Bridge (Steffan Mossenmark / Jesper Morda). Notes on Fratres (Steffan Mossenmark / Jesper Morda). Lhasa (Jormin).
ARTISTS: Mats Bergstrom   Anders Jormin   Joakim Svenheden  

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 8122799844  (barcode: 0081227998448)
RECORD LABEL: Warner Classics
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.77
RELEASE DATE: 07-May-2007

COMPOSER: Andrea Gabrieli  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: And on Earth Peace
TRACKS: Da pacem Ddomine - plainsong. Ddeus Ddeus meus - respice in me (Andrea Gabrieli). Dda pacem (Carlo Gesualdo). Kyrie (Douglas J Cuomo). Gloria - Eeverywhere (Kamran Ince). Oo vos omnes (Carlo Gesualdo). Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus from Responsoria-Sabbato Sancto (Carlo Gesualdo). Credo (Shulamit Ran). Peccantem me quotidian (Carlo Gesualdo). Rravenna Sanctus (Ivan Moody). Salutaris hostia (Andrea Gabrieli). Agnus Ddei (Michael McGlynn). Pacem - plainsong. Pacem (Giles Binchois). Pacem (Arvo Part).
ARTISTS: Chanticleer      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A Chanticleer Mass

Normally ships in 6-7 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: TROCD01432  (barcode: 4014432014326)
RECORD LABEL: Troubadisc
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 13.49
RELEASE DATE: 17-Mar-2008

COMPOSER: Andres Uibo  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Contemporary Sacred Music from Estonia
TRACKS: Antiphons (Andres Uibo). At the Crossroads (Veljo Tormis). Tower Bell in my Village (Veljo Tormis). Kontakion (Arvo Part). Ode VI (Part). Canon of Repentance : Prayer after the Canon (Part).
CONDUCTOR: Valery Petrov
ARTISTS: Orthodox Singers Choir      

Normally ships in 10-15 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: CD80387  (barcode: 0089408038723)
RECORD LABEL: Telarc
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.65

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Fratres
TRACKS: Fratres variations for strings and percussion for violin strings and percussion. Fratres for wind octet and percussion. Fratres variations for eight cellos. Fratres variations for string quartet for cello and piano. Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten. Summa for strings. Festina Lente.
ORCHESTRA: Orchestra of Flanders
CONDUCTOR: Rudolph Werthen

- Penguin Guide 3 star

Normally ships in 7-10 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 5453382  (barcode: 0724354533822)
RECORD LABEL: Virgin
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 11.29
RELEASE DATE: 07-Sep-1998

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Sanctuary
TRACKS: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten. Summa. The Beatitudes. Frates. Festina lente. Magnificat. De Profundis. Silentium.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: a compilation offering the 'best of Arvo Part' drawn from the EMI and Virgin catalogues.

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 5455012  (barcode: 0724354550126)
RECORD LABEL: Virgin
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 11.29
RELEASE DATE: 11-Nov-2002

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TRACKS: Summa. Symphony No.3. Festina Lenta. Trysagion. Silouans Song. Fratres. Canticles in Memoriam Britten.
ORCHESTRA: Estonian National Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Paavo Jarvi

- Feb-2003 4 star BBC Music Mag. - Feb-2003 Gramophone Editor's Choice 'A meatier Pärt than we usually hear, and a dramatic version of the Third Symphony that should win him many converts'

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: BISCD834  (barcode: 7318590008348)
RECORD LABEL: BIS
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.77

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TRACKS: Festina lente for string orchestra. Summa for string orchestra. Fratres for string orchestra and percussion. Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten for string orchestra and bell. Tabula rasa for string orchestra two violins and prepared piano. Collage sur BACH for string orchestra oboe and harpsichord / piano.
ORCHESTRA: Tapiola Sinfonietta
CONDUCTOR: Jean-Jacques Kantorow

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 8553750  (barcode: 0730099475020)
RECORD LABEL: Naxos
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.75

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TRACKS: Fratres. Festina Lente. Summa. Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten.
ORCHESTRA: Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Tamas Benedek

- Penguin Guide 3 star 'splendidly played and richly recorded'

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: CHAN9134  (barcode: 0095115913420)
RECORD LABEL: Chandos
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.50

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Collage
TRACKS: Collage sur BACH. Summa (1991 version). Wenn Bach Bienen gezuchtet hatte. Fratres (1983 version). Symphony No.2. Festina lente. Credo.
ORCHESTRA: Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus
CONDUCTOR: Neeme Jarvi
ARTISTS: Boris Berman      

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: BBM1071  (barcode: 0680125107121)
RECORD LABEL: Black Box
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 7.99
RELEASE DATE: 15-Sep-2008

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TRACKS: Es Sang Vor Langen Jahren for alto violin and viola. Stabat Mater for soprano alto tenor violin viola and cello. Magnificat for choir a cappella. Nunc Dimittis for choir a cappella. My Heart's in the Highlands for countertenor and organ. Zwei Sonatinen for piano op.1. Spiegel im Spiegel for violin and piano. String Trio. Adagissimo for piano quartet.
CONDUCTOR: Matthew Owens
ARTISTS: Choir of St Mary's Cathedral Edinburgh   Chamber Domaine   Stephen de Pledge  

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 5624342  (barcode: 0724356243422)
RECORD LABEL: Virgin de Virgin
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 8.45
RELEASE DATE: 02-Aug-2004

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Choral Works
TRACKS: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten. Summa. The Beatitudes. Fratres - version VI. Festina lente. Magnificat. Silentium from Tabula rasa. Statuit ei Dominus. Missa syllabica. Beatus Petronius. 7 Magnificat Antiphons. De profundis. Memento. Cantate Domino.
ORCHESTRA: Bournemouth Sinfonietta and London Philharmonic
CONDUCTOR: Richard Studt and Franz Welser-Most
ARTISTS: Choir of Kings College Cambridge   Tasmin Little   Martin Roscoe   Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

- Penguin Guide 4 star

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 5859142  (barcode: 0724358591422)
RECORD LABEL: EMI Classics for Pleasure
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 4.99
RELEASE DATE: 03-May-2004

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Best of Arvo Part
TRACKS: Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten. Festina lente. Fratres. Magnificat. Spiegel im Spiegel. Summa. Seven Magnificat Antiphons. The Beatitudes.
ORCHESTRA: Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Estonian National Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Richard Studt and Paavo Jarvi
ARTISTS: Choir of Kings College Cambridge   Vasari Singers   Tasmin Little   Martin Roscoe

- Penguin Guide 4 star

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: PSC1288  (barcode: 7033662012886)
RECORD LABEL: Simax
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.65
RELEASE DATE: 29-Sep-2008

COMPOSER: Arvo Part  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Bass Trip
TRACKS: Spiegel im Spiegel (Arvo Part). Kadenza (Teppo Hauta-aho). Sahara Rainforest (Paul Ramsier). Gust (Jon Oivind Ness). Dusk (Mario Lavista). Ombra della sera (Henrik Hellstenius). Hymn (Lars Petter Hagen). L'Adieu (Stefan Schafer). Bass Trip (Peteris Vasks).
ARTISTS: Dan Styffe   Gonzalo Moreno   Oystein Birkeland   Catherine Bullock

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Music for Double Bass

Normally ships in 7-10 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 100378  (barcode: 4006680103785)
RECORD LABEL: Arthaus Musik
FORMAT: DVD Video
PRICE: including VAT £ 23.50
RELEASE DATE: 01-Sep-2003

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Bamboo Dream
TRACKS: Frates. Tabula Rasa. Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten.
ARTISTS: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan   Gidon Kremer   12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic   KremerATA Baltica

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Picture Format: PAL 16:9 / Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1 - PCM Stereo / Region Code: 1-5 7 8 / Duration: 63 minutes (performance) 25 minutes (documentary)

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 2376112  (barcode: 5099923761124)
RECORD LABEL: EMI 20th Century Classics
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 8.45
RELEASE DATE: 19-Jan-2009

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TRACKS: Nekrolog op.5. I Sumfoonia. Stabat Mater. Statuit ei Dominus. Missa syllabica. Beatus Petronius. Magnificat Antiphons. De profundis. Memento. Cantate Domino. Solfeggio.
ORCHESTRA: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
CONDUCTOR: Paavo Jarvi and Tonu Kaljuste
ARTISTS: Taverner Consort   Fretwork   Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir   Christopher Bowers-Broadbent

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1996 - Apr-2009 5 star BBC Music Mag.

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

CATALOGUE NR: 857036465  (barcode: 0747313036479)
RECORD LABEL: Naxos
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 10.19
RELEASE DATE: 26-Apr-2010

COMPOSER: Arvo Part
TITLE: Classical Meditation
TRACKS: Pools of Sacred Calm : De Profundis (Part) / The Lamb (Tavener) / Four Songs op.13 : No.1 Heaven-haven (Barber) / The Lord's Prayer (Tavener) / Agnus Dei op.11 (Barber vocal arr. of Adagio for Strings op.11). Song for Athene (Tavener) / Berliner Messe - Veni Sancte Spiritus (Part). Pure Stillness : Missa Salve intemerata : Agnus Dei / Sanctus (Tallis) / Salve intemerata (Tallis). Soaring Spirit : Two Pieces for Small Orchestra : On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (Delius) / The Lark Ascending (Vaughan Williams). On the Wing : Conversations for Flute Oboe Violin Viola and Cello : No.2 In the Wood Adagio (Bliss) / Cantus Arcticus op.61 Concerto for Birds and Orchestra : Suo - The Marsh / Melankolia - Melancholy / Joutsenet muuttavat - Swans Migrating (Rautavaara). Soulscapes : Earth Cry (Sculthorpe) / Symphony No.2 'For the New Millennium' : Third Movement (Pavlova). Sospiri op.7 (Elgar).

Normally ships in 3-4 complete working days after order

Set up a PIN | Check an existing order | How to order | Privacy Policy | Contact Information | Secure Server Details

Copyright (c) Crotchet. All rights reserved