Pärt, Arvo: Silentium (CD)

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.

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