Silentium

Description

Four pieces by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, a pioneer of sacred minimalism. The album centers around a never-before-heard performance of "Silentium", the second movement of Arvo Pärt's most famous concerto, Tabula Rasa, performed by the Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry. The group plays “Silentium” at nearly half the speed of the most well-known version, released on ECM in 1984. The piece, known for its healing qualities for the dying and often used in palliative care centers (a patient famously called it "angel music"), is breathtaking at a reduced speed, seeming to stop time itself. The album brings together some of the most stunning interpretations of Arvo Pärt's music ever recorded. "Fratres for Strings and Percussion" is one of Arvo Pärt's most famous works. The version by the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra is iconic, filled with emotion, bordering on romanticism, but never tipping over. Silentium continues Mississippi Records' fascination with this great contemporary composer. The album is presented in a deluxe sleeve with artwork by Eduard Steinberg, Arvo Pärt's contemporary in sacred minimalist style.