Customer Reviews

Arvo Pärt: Triodion

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How has no one reviewed this album yet? Is it that overlooked? If it is, it's a sad fact, because this disc, while perhaps not the greatest collection of Pärt pieces, is wonderful, to say the least.

First, let's get something out of the way: The packaging was nice, and the recording is top-notch. There.

As for the music itself, it, as is almost always the case with Pärt, I find, never ceases to stir and inspire. "Dopo la vittoria" is a diverse piece, with a surprisingly light and bouncy beginning. "Nunc dimittis", while a little on the forgettable side, is nice. "...which was the son of..." can seem a little repetitive at first, but one notices more and more layers upon each listening. "I am the True Vine" is very even and restrained, but is moving all the same. "Littlemore Tractus" is the shortest selection, but is nice. "Triodion", on the other hand, is the longest, and, to me, the most interesting; parts of it reminded me of another Pärt piece, "Te Deum", my all-time favourite of Arvo's. "My Heart's in the Highlands" is a gloomy but deep piece, and the counter-tenor's voice is downright haunting. The last selection, "Salve Regina", has some good music, but is also a little forgettable.

Overall, a great album...and, once again, it shocks me that no one has reviewed this one yet. If you're new to Pärt, or looking for a place to begin, I might suggest something else, but this is definitely essential to the collection of any fan of this brilliant composer.

Arvo Pärt is one of those composers that you either fanatically adore, or you don't like at all. But in order to get to adoring his music, it needs to be performed with the right subtelty, expressing the musicality to exceed the "notes". Stephen Layton's version of Doppo la Vittoria does exactly that. I admit it's rather personal, but for me the CD would have been worth buying for just that track (although I do think the lyrics are a bit artificial).
Should you buy this CD, too ? I think you do if you love Polyphony, you adore modern dissonants or you "just" like Pärt