Customer Reviews

Part: Symphony No. 4

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

 

 

This is a review of Part's Fourth Symphony, played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen. Pictures in the liner notes suggest Part was at the performance and one may guess he aided Salonen in achieving his vision.

The opening minutes establish a clear theme in an ambient, peaceful setting. There is no harshness in the strings, as is sometimes found in the Third Symphony. The long tones from the strings indeed remind one of ambient, New Age music, but only in atmosphere. This music is not wandering or pointless. Somewhere in the 5:00 area the tone very subtly becomes sadder and then a bit ominous. After a brief silence, timpani, some bells, and a fuller throated orchestra emerge, with the strings having some edge to them. The bells become accents to the ends of the mezzo forte phrases, and then silence again. At about 8:25 the mood is definitely sad, but in a romantic way; this is almost Part as a late 19th century romantic. At 10:40, the romantic flow is interrupted by trills from the violins that have an eerieness to them.

Plucked basses open the second, Affanoso movement, but the somber romantic mood remains. Ominous but subdued timpani emerge (this is the time for the subwoofer). This is autumnal, lost love music, with wistful silences interspersed. One is reminded of Bjork's observation during her interview with Part that this is music to live inside of. It gives one time to think, which to me is one of the cherished essences of Part's music. There are echoes of Schoenberg's Transfigured Night in some of this music, but in a more contemplative way. But then at about 10:40 brief loud timpani usher in a more tragic tone.

The third Deciso movement by the 3:00 mark has segued back into the romantic, bittersweet mood from earlier in the symphony. There is a bit of imprecision in the slow pizzicati, but that is typical of a live recording. At about 6:00 we seem to be led on a slow march - to where? The movement ends with that question unanswered.

Having offered a more romantic interpretation of the music (without reading the liner notes before hand) I see the music is a dedication to an imprisoned Russian and is meant as "an expression of great respect for a man who has found moral triumph amid personal tragedy." It is also based on a text related to guardian angels - but the text is not revealed.

This is a 2009 concert recording, so with earphones I heard an occasional shuffle noise, perhaps from the audience, but it was barely noticeable. The recording is crystal clear with beautiful resonance. Part makes good use of various pieces of percussion (triangles, blocks perhaps, and other pieces); this is imaginative (though non-complex and very transparent) scoring. Mercifully, the applause from the end of the concert has been eradicated so there is no break in the mood.

Filling out the 49 minute (lamentably short) CD is 14:50 worth of choral fragments from Kanon pokajanen by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; this music is familiar to most Part fans. Part believes the two pieces are related as a "stylistic unity." After having heard the Fourth Symphony, I can hear how an orchestration of the Kanon would be similar. The recording is very atmospheric, in a spacious, church-like way.

The symphony is extremely accessible, and beautiful. To me it ranks near the top of Part's works.

Arvo Pärt has been a favorite contemporary composer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and audience for several years. Esa-Pekka Salonen urged him to write a commissioned work for the orchestra. The following was from the Program Note by John Henken at the time of the premiere in 2009: "Pärt was working at the time with an ancient canon in Church Slavonic containing a prayer to a guardian angel - the connection to `Los Angeles' was irresistible," as a note for the score indicates. "Pärt was further inspired to take the commission by the idea of seeing this work performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the best orchestras in the world, under its music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, and in Walt Disney Concert Hall, one of the most exciting concert buildings of our time."

Pärt's first three symphonies were scored for relatively full orchestras, but the "Los Angeles" Symphony is for strings, harp and percussion. The first movement opens in what sounds like a better world, 'perhaps that realm to which Wagner's Tristan and Isolde ascend'. The violins begin with a sustained soft chord in the stratosphere, accompanied by isolated plucks from harp and cellos. The score remains sparse through its three movements. The percussion is either the tolling of deep timpani or the ring of high bells. There are deliberate march-like passages with simple harmonies. Chords, though, tend to smudge into each other rather than resolve. String textures are thin; nothing in this symphony is hidden. Single sounds become windows looking out to the world. New one adopts his preferred instrumental forces for the tintinnabulation style - strings with percussion.

Arvo Pärt seems to have a direct connection with the spiritual world, so mystic is his output, and nowhere as mystic as this KANON POKAJANEN, Apparently the texts for this work are taken from the Russian Orthodox 'canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ', a work which Pärt describes as follows: 'Many years ago, when I first became involved in the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, I came across a text that made a profound impression on me although I cannot have understood it at the time. It was the Canon of Repentance. Since then I have often returned these verses, slowly and arduously seeking to unfold their meaning. Two choral compositions (Nun eile ich...., 1990 and Memento, 1994) were the first attempts to approach the canon. I then decided to set it to music in its entirety-from beginning to end. This allowed me to stay with it, to devote myself to it; and, at the very least, its hold on me did not abate until I had finished the score. I had a similar experience while working on Passio. It took over two years to compose the Kanon pokajanen, and the time "we spent together" was extremely enriching. That may explain why this music means so much to me.' Somehow the purity with which Pärt realizes, develops, and resolves lines of melody finds resonance with everyone no matter their religious background. This music is universal, pure beauty, and emotionally involving.

This is a landmark recording, performed to perfection by the orchestra that commissioned it. Hopefully it will remain in the regular repertoire so that we can grow into the mystery more deeply. Grady Harp, October 10

What depth, what a breath, what profoundness in this new hugely moving and yet so structurelessly appearing new symphony by Arvo Paert. Esa-Pekka Salonen and his Los Angelinos give this new masterpiece an interpretation of their devotest and most dedicatest' kind - this is a stunning display of cohesiveness and orchestral color - especially the strings and bass and cellis - comparable in it's fire and intensity only to be found in the fourth movement of a Mahler's 'Ninth', or an Alan Hovhaness' 'Mysterious Mountain', or an Arnold Schoenberg's 'Verklaerte Nacht'...
Nothing more to be said - Paert's crowning achievement - masterfully interpreted and set into scene by these formidable interpreters and longtime champions of contemporary and modern music - a feast for the fan, a must for classical music collector. Buy this, for here for once, you can't go wrong!

This is a drearily austere work, relieved by a few moments of color and evanescent beauty.
The magic that pervades Pärt's best work is generally absent, and the symphony as a whole moves at a penitentially plodding pace. For those of us who have been following Pärt's ECM
recordings faithfully, it's also a bit of a cheat, in that the filler is taken from the previously released Kanon Pokajnen, a magnificent work; but I fail to see why I should have to buy parts of it twice. The connection between the symphony and the Kanon merely confirms that this sort of material works better when treated chorally. The work has a monolithic quality, already in evidence in 'Lamentate', but pervasive here. Lamentate contains enough inspired moments for worthwhile listening, but I'm afraid this symphony induces what Beecham called 'a certain weariness of the flesh.' This is a far cry from such masterpieces as 'Tabula rasa', 'Como ciervo sedienta' the Berlin Mass, and, indeed, Kanon Pokajnen. Not recommended.

In the 1980s and 1990s Arvo Part presented glorious works of spare harmonies and gentle tempos in a style he called tintinnabuli. But over the last decade, the composer has been stylistically adrift, uncertain how to create something new without losing the transparency of his classic work. A sense of conflict has entered in earlier pieces of the new millennium, but it remained unclear where he was going. When I heard that Part was going to premiere a new symphony, his first since the Third in the mid-1970s, I was eager to hear what he had developed now.

But the Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles" (2008) is one of Part's weakest works. Although the work is purely instrumental, some of the momentum clearly derives from his trademark method of transforming texts to music. Bells and timpani are sparingly used as in his most powerful tintinnabuli works. But instead of leading to a rigorous dramatic arc, so much of the work wanders like the most generic of film scores. All in all, I find this symphony exhausting, not at all something expected from the composer whose pieces, simple as they are, generally hold interest throughout. Furthermore, ECM appallingly gives us but a single new piece. The disc is filled out only with extracts from his a capella choral work "Kanon Pokajanen" (already recorded in full years ago). All in all, it's only 50 minutes, and the Symphony is only 35 minutes.

I'd recommend Part's earlier music, both his tintinabulli pieces and his early works of high modernism (which are surprisingly good). But he just doesn't strike gold every time any more, and I can only recommend this disc to Part completists.

Arvo Part wrote his fourth symphony on a commission from the LA Philharmonic. It is a powerful, moving work that rewards on repeat listening. It does not have the immediate appeal of "Fratres" which has been much recorded but is contemplative and among the best of his work to date. His music is frequently described as timeless or liturgical, but is deeply moving and profound without reference to the religious aspect. Highly recommended and well recorded, as are almost everything ECM does.

Part is a force of nature in the world of contemporary classical music. His music is accessible and lovely. Anyone with an ear for classical music owes it to him/herself to adventure into his music.

i am used to hear few notes and armonies but full and heartfelt emotions in Arvo's Part music , in this record i hear the notes the armonies ,but in the case of the symphony i cant hear the emotions or feelings, even if the orchestra and conductor are first rank,what happen? i just hear in the recording a regular concert, played by a small town orchestra with a amateur conductor, no thrills or emotions at all.

I've received the disc only today (October the 27th)altought it was sent on September the 20th.
The disc arrived without damages. I've heard it and sounds perfect. I'm satisfied.
Thanks to Robert.