MINIMAL: ARVO PÄRT WEEKEND

Posted: Wednesday 3 October 2012

Arvo Part Over the past two years Glasgow’s Concert Halls have rung to the sound of iconic mimimalist masterworks as Glasgow Music has celebrated what is arguably the most important musical development of the past half century. In the 1960s composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass began to turn their backs on the musical mainstream in New York and turned their focus towards a minimalist style of music. Meanwhile, in Soviet Estonia composer Arvo Pärt underwent an immense musical crisis: he emerged on a new path writing music that could be called minimal in the deep and ancient way that chant is minimal. His music is spiritual, pared down, ringing with bell-like clarity. It speaks to the widest audience. Over the next 40 years this music began to reach a global listenership and started to influence innumerable composers of every background from classical hard core to pop, from James MacMillan to Kate Bush.

At the end of October Glasgow Music will kick start the 2012/2013 Minimal season with two memorable concerts celebrating the musical works of Arvo Pärt. Both performances will be under the musical direction of Paul Hillier who has worked with Pärt for decades, giving innumerable memorable performances of his music. He brings the cream of his current performing ensembles together in Glasgow for these concerts of choral, instrumental and organ music by Pärt.

On Saturday 27th October at City Halls, Candleriggs a musical setting of the Stabat Mater sequence will be performed. This musical masterpiece was composed by Arvo Pärt in 1985. The concert will be led by Paul Hillier and the vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices, which was founded by Hillier in 1990, will be performing alongside Danish vocal ensemble Ars Nova Copenhagen, which is also led by Hillier, and organist Christopher Bowers-Broadbent. Stabat Mater tells the same story as Passio, but from the Virgin Mary’s perspective. Where Passio is hewn of granite, Stabat Mater has a warmth and pathos. Paul Hillier will frame Stabat Mater with an array of Pärt’s smaller works for choir, organ and strings, including his setting of My Heart’s in the Highlands.

In the mesmerising setting of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Sunday 28th October Paul Hillier, Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova will be showcasing their enviable talent once again when they will be performing Arvo Pärt’s Passio which utilizes the Latin text from the Gospel of John, chapters 18 and 19. The score is preceded by a short introduction and followed by a brief conclusion. The musical score will build up over the course of an hour, deepening and intensifying dramatically. Musically this piece will leave audiences awed and moved beyond words. Paul Hillier’s history with this piece goes back to its very beginnings: there is no finer interpreter and his fine ensemble brings together musicians from Pärt’s native Estonia, Denmark, Britain and the USA.

BOOKING INFORMATION
Online: www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
By Phone: 0141 353 8000
In Person
Tickets for all performances at Glasgow's Concert Halls can be booked at both locations:
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Box Office, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY
City Halls & Old Fruitmarket Box Office, Candleriggs, Glasgow, G1 1NQ

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