Silentium (Vinyl LP)

Boston ensemble A Far Cry's never-before-heard performance of Silentium from composer Arvo Pärt is a slowed-down, minimalist masterpiece. Thank goodness these four sacred tracks are being reissued by Mississippi Records, just in time to remind us there's still some beauty left in this mad modern world. - Flying Out

Four pieces by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, a pioneer of “holy minimalism.” The album centers around a never-before-released rendition of Silentium, the second movement of Pärt’s most famous concerto, Tabula Rasa, performed by Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry. The group plays Silentium at nearly half the speed of the best-known version, released on ECM in 1984. The piece, known for its healing properties for the dying and often used in palliative care facilities (one patient famously called it “angel music”), is breathtaking at half speed, seemingly stilling time itself.

The album compiles some of the most stunning renditions of Pärt’s music ever recorded. Vater Unser (Arr. for trombone & string ensemble) is somehow warm and austere at once. A miniature epic. Pianist Marcel Worm’s solo version of Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka is as beautiful as anything we’ve ever heard. Fratres for Strings and Percussion is one of Arvo Pärt’s most celebrated works. The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra’s version is iconic, filled with emotional playing right on the verge of overly romantic, but never tipping over.

Pärt’s approach to both music and life is as sparse as the compositions he creates. He once said, “I have nothing to say… Music says what I need to say. And it is dangerous to say anything, because if I’ve said it already in words there might be nothing left for my music.” Silentium continues Mississippi Records’ fascination with this great contemporary composer.

Tracklist:

1. Vater Unser (Arr. for trombone & string ensemble)
2. Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka
3. Fratres for Strings and Percussion
4. Silentium