Superb! This album is a beautiful example of some of Arvo Part's best works. Each piece is thoroughly enjoyable and the entire collection makes a wonderful addition to anyone's music library. Arvo Part is one of the most important composers in contemporary music.
Old World Sound to Calm the Senses Beautiful, pure, and often heavenly are my select words to describe this CD.
NOT OF THIS WORLD Tabula Rasa: Silentium : This music is not of this world. I worship/pray in silence while driving with this music on with a palm facing the windshield. The haunting, surreal background...the two main violins mournfully cries out aloud...yet so beautiful...my heart cries with them.
Spare brilliance Spending a lot of words describing Pärt's music seems like defeating the purpose. It is transcendent, haunting, solemn, quiet, and all the other things the other reviewers say. I view it, stylistically, as somewhere between the minimalism of Glass et al, and the ambient textures of Steve Roach -- if that description makes any sense. I find myself a little more at home with his instrumental pieces than his choral work, but that's just personal preference.
This is a good first Pärt CD -- then you can move on to other works, especially his Te Deum.
Magnificat: Magnificent! I realize the title of this review is pretty silly, but I had to think of something. I have always enjoyed classical music, but not nearly as much as other genres... that is until a friend of mine gave me SANCTUARY. I listen to it all the time now. The genius of Arvo Part's music is that although it is quite somber, it is very beautiful. I think that if you don't like classical music now, you will once you listen to Arvo Part. My favourite piece is Magnificat, hence the title.
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