Arvo Part - Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles"

[nattielight]

Was anybody in LA to hear this?

Now that it's been premiered, about how long will it take until a CD is released?

[Mirror Image]

Was anybody in LA to hear this?

Now that it's been premiered, about how long will it take until a CD is released?

It will be released Sept. 7th, 2010. It's first commerical release on ECM New Series. I'm glad ECM is continuing to record Part's music. This label's dedication to this composer is the real deal. From my understanding the ECM recordings are composer approved, is this correct?

Here is the front cover:

[Lethevich]

The composer was an integral part of the recording process at least in the early ECM discs, I don't know about the later ones.

The symphony itself I found to be pleasant but not earth-moving

[Luke]

I'm afraid that though I find early tinatinabuli Part to be astonishingly good - as perfect as music can be, in a precise sense - almost nothing he has composed in the last couple of decades has done anything for me. I've outlined why earlier in this thread, IIRC. I think it's an intruiging situation, actually, but it's sad that I don't get anything like as excited about new ECM realeases of Part as I did in the early 90s when they were releasing those first groundbreaking discs.

[PaulThomas]

The composer was an integral part of the recording process at least in the early ECM discs, I don't know about the later ones.

The symphony itself I found to be pleasant but not earth-moving

Agreed.

I heard this on the radio at the proms, thought it was interesting for about 5 minutes, then quite dull, with no real musical development to speak of.

[Franco]

I'm afraid that though I find early tinatinabuli Part to be astonishingly good - as perfect as music can be, in a precise sense - almost nothing he has composed in the last couple of decades has done anything for me. I've outlined why earlier in this thread, IIRC. I think it's an intruiging situation, actually, but it's sad that I don't get anything like as excited about new ECM realeases of Part as I did in the early 90s when they were releasing those first groundbreaking discs.

This post reflects my experience as well.

[knight66]

I thought I was going to say my piece here and be lambasted; but I join the emerging consensus. I value his earlier work. I was disappointed with the Fourth Symphony. The sounds were pleasant enough, but it seemed to wander about and did not hold my attention.

Mike

[snyprrr]

ZZZZzzzzzzz....zz...zz...ZZZzzz.....zz...zzz.......zzZZZZzzzz.....zz.......zzzz.....zz....

...is that the Four Horsemen?...

...zz....zz.....zzZZZzzzz....zzzz.....zz..zz.......zzZZZZzzzzz....z.zzzz....zzz.......

[CD]

[...] I find early tinatinabuli Part to be astonishingly good - as perfect as music can be

Which pieces do you recommend? So far I've heard Tabula Rasa, Fratres and the 3rd Symphony.

[Luke]

Tabula Rasa and Fratres would be amongst them, the Stabat Mater would be very high up the list. And the Passion is perhaps his masterpiece, a very pure, brave work. And then some smaller works - Pari Intervallo, Es sang vor langen Jahre, Spiegel in Spiegel. The Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten, of course. Basically anything on the first few ECM discs - Tabula Rasa, Arbos, Passio, Miserere. Earlier on this thread (unless there is another Part thread) this discussion was had before, and there was some kind of a consensus between a few of us, I think, as to which of these works are the really pure, essential tintinabuli Part.

EDIT - sorry, not this thread, of course, I'm getting confused.  The one on the composer board, starting with Lethe's post here and continuing with agreements and additions from Edward and myself.

[CD]

Many thanks.

[Mirror Image]

Which pieces do you recommend? So far I've heard Tabula Rasa, Fratres and the 3rd Symphony.

I would definitely look into the ECM recordings. Two of my favorite Part works, which Luke didn't mention, is Te Deum and Litany. I also enjoy many of his purely orchestral works: Summa, Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten, Symphony No. 3, Psalom, Silouans Song, Mein Weg, Darf ich, Fratres, Tabula Rasa,  and Festina Lente.

[tyrangrillo]

It seems I am out on a limb here, but I recently reviewed Pärt's Symphony No. 4 rather favorably. I found it to be quite a transcendent experience:

http://ecmreviews.com/2010/12/28/symphony-no-4/

All of the early works named in this thread are spectacular in their own right, of course

[DavidRoss]

It seems I am out on a limb here, but I recently reviewed Pärt's Symphony No. 4 rather favorably. I found it to be quite a transcendent experience:

http://ecmreviews.com/2010/12/28/symphony-no-4/

All of the early works named in this thread are spectacular in their own right, of course

Interesting, and welcome to GMG, Tyran.  Your brief reviews of Witchi-Tai-To, Conference of the Birds, and Belonging--three favorites from way back--incline me favorably toward hearing more from you, since we apparently share some tastes.  I'll make an effort to hear Los Angeles.

Like others here, I'm enraptured by early Pärt, less so by later.  I do love Kanon Pokajanen, however, which hasn't been mentioned.

Cheers, dude!

[tyrangrillo]

Thanks for the welcome, David, and for sharing your comments on three classic ECM discs.

It was actually Pärt's Te Deum that led me to the label in the first place, and opened my ears to an entirely new world of contemporary composers, European jazz, and other musical "in-betweens."

Kanon Pokajanen is indeed a striking piece of music, to say the least. You may know that the Symphony No. 4 is paired with selections from the Kanon, as both works are firmly rooted in canonic texts (though the Symphony has no vocals), which leads me to believe they are of the same vein.