Arvo Pärt's early works, like the Zwei Sonatinen and Partita, were written during his studies at the Tallinn Conservatory in Soviet Estonia, showing influences from Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Arvo Pärt's 'tintinnabuli' style, characterized by bell-like notes following specific tonal principles, became a trademark of his music, reminiscent of Russian Orthodox Church rituals.
Compositional Technique
In Lamentate, Arvo Pärt uses old Slavic text parameters for musical phrasing, logic, and accentuation, deriving them from the number of syllables and punctuation of original texts.
Performer Biography
JoAnn Falletta, the conductor, serves as music director for both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony and has guest conducted over a hundred orchestras worldwide.
Composition History
Arvo Pärt's Lamentate for piano and orchestra was commissioned by Tate Modern in London and conceived as an homage to British sculptor Anish Kapoor and his sculpture 'Marsyas'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Arvo Pärt's Lamentate is a lament for those suffering from pain and hopelessness, inspired by the sculpture 'Marsyas' which struck Pärt as a confrontation with mortality.
Performer Biography
Ralph van Raat, the pianist on this album, is a Steinway Artist since 2003 and has won numerous awards, including the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in 1999.
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