Customer Reviews

Arvo Pärt: Tabula Rasa; Symphony No. 3; Collage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This time Naxos didn't make too happy. This cd is actually the perfect introduction to Part's music, featuring three of the four steps in the evolution of this composer. In the beginning Part was a stark, albeit very individual, serialist ( mercifully, this aspect is not documented here), then he began to introduce neo-classical elements in his music, with Bach' s severe spirituality as a beacon. This second phase ("collage" style) is documented by the masterful "Bach" collage, a piece that, despite the name, does not sound derivative or patchy at all. It's a little suite that somewhat sounds like Baroque, but at the same time sounds unmistakably modern, especially in the 2nd movement, which starts most gently and then starts to... how could I say? .. growl and snarl like a genetic mutation? (listen and you'll understand what I mean, I promise!) In the following phase Part entirely reverted to Neo-Classical manners, but in a sacred/ancient mood

more than baroque. Although clearly transitional, the 3rd sym. is very good, with a distinct Stravinskian flavour. Finally Part concentrated his styles in the current "tintinnabuli" style, here represented by the magisterial "Tabula Rasa". It's a piece in 2 movements, for string orchestra and "prepared" piano (which sounds like bells, hence the "tintinnabuli" word), where all the Part's better known trademarks are present: alternation of music and (expressive) silences, utterly refined string string textures, a rarefied spirituality and, above all, a sense of timelessness. I know some find it too "minimal" (i.e. boring), I think it's just music that requires a degree of emotional consonance. All the 3 pieces actually receive strong performances here: the Ulster Orchestra does not sound at all like a "regional" ensemble ( beatifully rich and disciplined strings) and their conductor is clearly attuned to the music's idiom. The problem is the recording: while warm and well-detailed, the sound is also excruciatingly hissy, in a way that actually reminded me of analog recordings, even if it's DDD. Weird, and too bad, since this is exactly the kind of music that needs digital silence and, unfortunately, the piece with the loudest hiss is just Tabula Rasa! Altogether a very good&cheap introductory issue if you want to know what Part is about, but if first-class sound is one of your priorities you should switch (like I did ) to the 20/21 Neeme Jarvi (a longtime Part advocate) disc. It has the same items, but it's played even better (one of the soloists is Gil Shaham!) and infinitely better recorded.

This was the first recording of Tabula Rasa I had heard, and was absolutely blown away, until I heard the Gidon Kremer version on ECM. It's almost a different piece of music. The emotional tone on the ECM captures the extreme tension and beauty of the piece in a way the Naxos fails to do. Also, I know there is a prepared piano here, but I can't detect it -- the atmosphere is augmented immeasurably on the ECM where it is clearly audible. I have been on the whole extremely satisfied with Naxos recordings, but wonder now what I might be missing on others. The Collage uber BACH and 3rd Symphony here are stunning and not to be missed (but then, I haven't heard any other versions yet). Altogether a great introduction to Part's music at the price.

my first thought was that i really don't need another version of part's classic tabula rasa. but at the naxos price, why not?

the performance of the title piece is superb, well up there with ECM recordings of the 80's which first introduced me to part's music.

the fun of discovery lies with the other two compositions- both are before part's signature tintinnabuli style, but still very enjoyable on their own terms. "collage uber bach" is alternately serene and angry. "symphony #3" (described in the liner notes as "transitional") is beautiful, but the liner notes mention another work of the same period that the composer had "withdrawn". argh.

as usual naxos has done a great job on packaging, liner notes and all the little details. my only complaint would be the short CD length, a mere 52 minutes.

The theological bent of Arvo Part, like that of John Taverner in England, puts me off, although it's the very thing that attracts his huge following. The air of hushed mysticism, reverence, and neo-medieval sanctity holds a superficial appeal, but I rarely hear substance beneath. It's like ecclesiastical dress-up. But if Part's mature style lays claim to a lasting work, Tabula Rasa must be it. Even in this fairly pedestrian reading on Naxos the listener's attention is held in a way that other advanced minimalists like John Adams also manage to achieve.

I actually bought this CD for Sym. #3, which riveted me in live performance at the Royal Ballet in Lodon. Without dancers, however, tPart's 'sound drama,' as the Amazon reviewer calls it, starts to flag, and the slack reading by the Ulster orchestra under Yuasa doesn't help matters. I don't understand the Amazon reviewer's swooning rave, but Part is a cult composer, and those who love his music are fierce in their devotion (as ditto Taverner). Of one thing there's no doubt: this is easily assimilable music whose sound world makes few demands.

This CD offers a wonderful first introduction to the world of Arvo Part, covering the major styles and genres in which Part likes to work. Covering the span from his tintinnabulatory works to his mystic and spatial compositions.

Takuo Yuasa and the Ulster Orchestra do a phenomal job of covering the range of Part's music, moving from the rhythmic to the meditative with equal ease. Yuasa seems to have an instinctive understanding for the old-yet-new feel of Part, combining elements of minimalism, Orthodox liturgy, and Gregorian mass into a soulful and mystic web.

If you are not familiar with Part, this disc serves as an excellent introduction to his works, leaving room for further exploration into Part's other works, such as 'Te Deum' and 'Fratres'. It also provides a glimpse into the fertile ground of other Baltic-school composers, such as Vasks and Tormis.

The sonics are excellent, with a great sense of space, good imaging, and fine details. An absolute steal at this price.

This Naxos disc contains three works of Arvo Part, with one in his serial phase, another a transitional work, and the last in his best-known "tintinnabuli" style. The performances by the Ulster Orchestra conducted by Takuo Yuasa are generally not competitive and the disc as a whole is disappointing.

"Tabula Rasa" (1977) for two violins, prepared piano, and string orchestra is probably the most instantly likeable piece on this disc. It is divided into two parts, and the first, "Ludus" is an intricate dance marked as to be performed "with movement", and here the two violins repeat the same theme over and over while true development is handled under the surface by a string orchestra. It is followed by "Silentium" ("Silence"), the meditative flip-side to be performed with as little movement as possible. Here the two violins are performed by Lesley Hatfield and Rebecca Hirsh. Unfortunately, this performance does not hold up very well against others. The sound is astringent and the pacing idiosyncratic, with Yuasa driving some portions far too slowly and others at too fast a pace (the end result is about two minutes shorter than it should be). The performance on the TABULA RASA disc on ECM by Gidon Kremer and Tatjana Grindenko (violins) and Alfred Schnittke (prepared piano) can be seen as definitive and it is that performance which should be sought out by anyone curious about "Tabula Rasa".

"College ueber BACH" (1964) is a play on those four notes and a general tribute to Bach, weaving in and out of serialism. Of the three movements, the first ("Toccata") and last ("Ricercare") are scored for only strings. The central movement, "Sarabande" adds solo oboe, harpsichord, and piano and contains eight-bar distortion of Bach's theme of the same name from the "English Suite No. 6 in D Minor". It's an interesting and amusing piece, but it does not rank with the latest portions of Part's oeuvre.

"Symphony No. 3" (1971) is generally seen to be a transitional work falling between serialism and minimalism. The connection to earlier pieces like "Collage Uber B-A-C-H" is, I should think, apparent, but the strikingly novel bell sounds are a clear foreshadowing of his later style. This symphony was dedicated to Neeme Jarvi and the performance available on Deutsche Grammaphon by the Gothenburg Orchestra conducted by the dedicatee is really something nice. The Ulster Orchestra gives a clunky performance and the quality of the recording is far from ideal.

If you are interested in the work of Arvo Part, this pieces on this work may be a good place to start, but you'd want to seek out better performances, such as the TABULA RASA disc on ECM. However, an even better introduction to Part, with music that has a better chance of standing the test of time, might be his KANON POKAJANEN.

I have to correct a mistake I did in my rewiew to this cd. While comparing it with the other recent Part cd ( Goteburg SO/Jarvi) I stated that the featured pieces are the same. It's not entirely true, because that cd does not contain the "Bach Collage" but instead has the other masterpiece of Part's mature style , "Fratres". Jarvi actually recorded the Collage, which is contained in his Part cd released by Chandos with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

This album is a good introduction to anyone new to Part's distinct musical voice, or for those who wish to hear a different interpretation. The three pieces here demonstrate his musical development, with the earliest being his 'Collage uber Bach', which to my ears reminds me of serialist music with its discordant and apparent structural chaos. Happily it only lasts for 7 minutes. The other two pieces are his 3rd Symphony, and his 'Tabula Rasa' (blank page).
The Tabula Rasa is a two movement piece, Ludus and Silentium, and both are exquisite, featuring Part's rising/falling or ebbing/flowing refrain of simple melody, which washes over the listener, inducing a peaceful reverie, and overall sense of calmness. The Silentium, with the wonderfully hpnotic prepared piano, moves the music into an almost ghostly register, and gradually melts away into silence. I have these pieces in other performances, and feel that the Ulster Orchestra's interpretation is especially effective. In Ludus the performance has slightly more vigour than other more ethereal/spiritual interpretations, and manages to possess more 'life'as a result. Meanwhile, the pure clarity of the Silentium elsewhere is replaced by a more ghostly performance/recording, almost as if the sound is eddying from rolling fogbanks, with the prepared piano having a truly ghostly muffled presence. It reminds me of Gavin Bryars concept of the band on the Titanic playing as the ship went down, becoming ever more ghostly as she sinks beneath the waves. Atmospheric and arresting stuff.
The Symphony is both reasonably complex but very accessible and melodic. The bite of the brass section and percussion is very effective in the climaxes, and the whole piece almost glitters with the sharpness of recording/performance.
Overall, my only quibble is that 52 minutes feels on the short side. However, this is a very recommendable sample of Part's work, with even Grammophone commenting that 'quality samplings of Part don't come any cheaper'. Get yourselves an atmospheric Part now!

This CD is a great introduction to the range of Arvo Part's compositions. The Collage Uber BACH is one of the more "listenable" (not dissonant!) works from Part's early period. The prepared piano in this version of "Tabula Rasa" is less forward than on the ECM version -- not inferior, just different. For me at least, the odd sound of the prepared piano on the ECM disk can be distracting. I don't presume to know the composer's intentions, but as Part's works often premiere on ECM, and the piece was written for Gidon Kremer, the ECM version is probably the "correct" one. However, if you want to hear how Tabula Rasa sounds with heavier emphasis on the strings, this is a good opportunity.

The highlight of this disk is the 3rd Symphony. Eschewing the dissonance that characterized his 1st and especially 2nd symphonies, Part achieves a level of power and even violence without resorting to deliberate ugliness. It was composed before the end of his pre-tintinnabuli period, and as far as I know, the only other recording is a BIS disk also containing his first two symphonies. This is a magnificent performance and not to be missed, especially at the price.

On one hand this is good introduction to Part's music. On the other, it is a disc I don't really like to listen to all the way through. This is due mainly to the programmer's apparent intent to educate us by juxtaposing works written while Part was finding his unique minimal voice (Collage on BACH, Sym.#3), with 'Tabula Rasa', written in his mature style. So after serenely anguished 'Tabula' which opens the disc, you get a the 'BACH', a kind of baroque neo-classical affair, followed by #3, a kind of romantic neo-medieval affair, both of which are at odds with the mood of the first work. By the end, I'm not pleased. I suppose I would rather have early and transitional works their own disc, and mature works on a separate disc, working together to create a sustained satisfying listening experience. I'll probably check out some other programming arrangements containing the 'Tabula Rasa' but not the others.