Pärt: St. John Passion

Arvo Pärt’s St. John Passion stands foremost among the large number of works which can be assigned to the liturgical period of the Passion, for he takes up the narrative tradition of the Christian liturgy yet dramatises the Passion story to reveal historical and even timeless aspects as well. What most clearly distinguishes his works from other liturgical compositions is the silence, the many pauses. The missing notes are in some ways more important than those which have been composed. ‘Silence is always more perfect than music. One must just learn to hear this.’ (Arvo Pärt). With introduction.

Resounding through Durham Cathedral, Arvo Pärt’s St. John Passion is performed by the world-renowned Hilliard Ensemble, the Western Wind Choir and numerous soloists (including John Potter as Pilate and Michael George as Christ) under the overall direction of Paul Hillier.

Pärt, Mozart-Adagio

Born in Riga in 1947, Gidon Kremer is not only one of the leading violinists in the world, but also – thanks to his unquenchable curiosity and search for new impulses – one of the most fascinating musical personalities of our time. His repertoire ranges from Bach to the present, whereby a number of contemporary composers have achieved international recognition through his commitment. Since 1997 Kremer has devoted a large part of his activities to the chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica, which he founded. The ensemble consists of young musicians from the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The average age is 25. The debut of the chamber orchestra in February 1997 corresponded with the 50th birthday of its founder Gidon Kremer. With this orchestral project, Kremer wants to pass on his artistic experiences to young musicians of his native country and to draw international attention to the outstanding musical situation of the Baltic nations. The Kremerata Baltica performs in all of the world’s major musical venues.

Arvo Pärt – Adam’s Passion

Adam’s Passion is the moving first collaboration between two “masters of slow motion who harmonize perfectly with each other” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). In the spectacular setting of a former submarine factory, American director and universal artist Robert Wilson creates a poetic visual world in which the mystical musical language of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt can cast its meditative spell. Three of Pärt’s major works – Adam’s Lament, Tabula rasa, and Miserere, as well as Sequentia, a new work composed especially for this production – are brought together here using light, space, and movement to create a tightly-woven Gesamtkunstwerk in which the artistic visions of these two great artists mirror each other.

Arvo Pärt Festival

To celebrate Arvo Pärt’s 90th birthday, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Concerto Copenhagen present an extraordinary concert at St. Peter and Paul’s Church in Görlitz. Under the direction of Grammy-winning conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, they perform works by the world’s most renowned and widely performed living composer.