Orient & Occident

I like this composer much, and the music performance in the CD is quite impressive.

While this music is stylistically enjoyable, some of the tracks are in a very different vein from the more contemplative "tinitannabuli" compositions Pärt has become known for. The title track, in particular, seems to be far removed from his normal modes; it is dissonant and amelodic. Much closer to some of Pärt's earlier work, I think, than I would've expected from a composition written in 2000.The last four tracks comprise a piece called "Como Cierva Sedienta", a longish choral work very similar to others Pärt has written e.g "Sarah was ninety years old". I found this to be the most enjoyable piece on the CD.Someone looking for "more of the same" after hearing Pärt's "Fratres" or "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten" would be very surprised by these works. I'd suggest that such a person look instead at a disc like "Beatus", "Arbos" or one of the long choral pieces for a better idea of the styles exhibited by this composer.This is challenging music, alternating between ethereal and dramatic, but ultimately it is music to be appreciated. I certainly do.

If you examine the figures on a Greek vase, you will notice an interesting effect. The figures, for instance, runners, will vary slightly from each other, giving an impression of motion. Identical figures would be static and artificial, while too much variation would result in simply a collection of unrelated runners in different poses. "Orient & Occident" is the musical equivalent of this technique, giving the impression of forward movement in what is essentially a static form without conventional development. At the same time, some notes have the uncanny quality of sounding as if they are being played on Asian instruments -- altogether a remarkable and memorable piece.

This is a great disc, with a great choir and orchestra, and the music is really cool...but there's only 45 minutes of it...and Pärt's usual choral writing isnt as up to par. In fact its all in unison...But if you are a Pärt fanatic, its a good addition. If you are new to Pärt, I'd get either the "Te Deum," "I Am the True Vine (an especially good one)," "St Matthew's Passion," or anything with the "Missa Syllibica" in it

While there is a difference between the "Tabula Rasa" type harmonies and the harmonies in these works, there is still a tintinnabuli structure at work. I find these works to be closer stylistically and harmonically to his more recent works than those of his earlier period (certainly there's a lack of twelve tone rows and rubber squeak toys). Arvo Pärt seems to be slightly expanding his harmonic range, but I feel those who enjoyed "Fratres" or any of his larger choral works will enjoy these works well before enjoying his first two symphonies or "Perpetuum Mobile". These are very gorgeous works, you should not hesitate to add this c.d. to your Pärt collection. All three works share the strengths of their predecessors while expanding some of Pärt's current harmonic boundaries. Arvo Pärt continues to produce strong and powerful work for his Lord.

This is a fantastic recording of three works by the great Estonian composer Arvo Part. A previous reviewer was right to say that these works seem to point to Part's earlier, more dissonant, works; but they also are relevant in comparison to his contemporary (and future?) works. The unison choral writing simultaneously points to early "choral" church music, with a contemplative and reverent quality relating those early works with his own spiritually evocative recent work. The dissonance pointed out is not out of place in Part's music, only set aside for a while to be taken back up with a renewed sensitivity for it's place in his compositional technique.Also, I just have to remark on an earlier post: If there were only two composers, neither Beethoven nor Part would make the cut. Limited to "Art" music in the Western tradition, Bach would be one, and I'm unsure of the other... it's neither of them, however.

The music contained in this disc is not *exactly* what one would expect from Arvo Part, in the sense that is diverges only slightly from his familiar style. Yet, it is Arvo Part at its best. I'm not a musicologist, but I feel that Como Sierva Sedienta is one of his most important works ever. It is a piece of awesome beauty and power for female chorus and orchestra based on the 42nd and 43rd psalms. Words cannot begin to describe it.I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Altero, multiforme, sublime. Orient Occident conferma Arvo Part tra le schiere elette dei maggiori compositori del nostro tempo. Grazie al sorprendente "Como cerva sedentia", costruito attorno ad un sofferto salmo di Davide ("My tears have been my meat day and night / Why they continually say unto me / "Where is thy God?") e cantato dallo "straordinario coro di Radio Svezia" (inevitabile citazione del professor Susani). Un viaggio avventuroso tra scoscesi pendii di voci femminili, fulmini d'ottone e strettissimi quanto inattesi passaggi d'arpa.Arthur Cravan

great

Arvo Pärt, geboren 1935, Este mit österreichischem Pass und wohnhaft in Berlin, komponiert seit etwa 30 Jahren im so genannten Tintinnabuli-Stil, einer auf mittelalterlichen Musik beruhenden minimal music. Die Musik ist meist sehr langsam, archaisch, meditativ, aber auch etwas langweilig, und könnte von einem Einsiedler stammen, der nicht weiss, was ausserhalb des Klosters passiert. Als stilistischer Gegenpol sei die Musik seines Landsmanns Erkki-Sven Tüür ("Crystallisatio") empfohlen. Pärts Musik hat sich seit "Litany" stilistisch weiterentwickelt, da der Orchesterpart dynamischer, bewegender und mit vordergründiger Spannung komponiert ist, namentlich auch durch Verwendung eines grossen Sinfonieorchesters samt Bläsern. Für Pärt hat die Musik schon sehr viel Action.Das deutsch gesungene "Wallfahrtslied" (1984) ist ein kleines Requiem für einen verstorbenen Freund, das zwischen einem statischen Männergesang und einem dynamischen Streichorchesterpart pendelt. "Orient & Occident" (2000) für Streichorchester ist sehr bewegt und hat eine sehr spezielle, orientalisch angehauchte Klangfarbe, weit entfernt von Pärts Klostermusik. "Como cierva sedienta" (1998) ist eine spanisch gesungene Psalmenvertonung mit zum Teil sehr effektvollen Sinfonieorchesterparts, insbesondere Schlagzeug und Percussion sowie Bläsersätze mit gewissen dissonanten Elementen. Das Werk wirkt durch den Sopran von Helena Olsson und den Frauenchor sehr sinnlich. Der 5. Satz enthält eine versteckte Referenz an Dmitri Schostakowitsch, denn die mehrfach im Hintergrund auftauchenden Paukenschläge tönen wie ein Zitat aus dessen 11. Sinfonie. Leider ist die CD ist mit 47 Minuten etwas kurz.

hautement spirituelle .ça lave bien le cerveau de toutes les niaiseries ambiantes;De temps en temps, il est bon de s'élever et de méditer