Palestrina 500 – Pärt 90

Programme:
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli
Arvo Pärt: »Solfeggio«, »Nunc dimitis«, Magnificat, »Dopo la vittoria« and »The Woman with the Alabaster Box«

Big birthdays ask for celebrations, don’t they? The 500th birthday of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and the 90th birthday of Arvo Pärt this year provide the perfect occasion. The Roman maestro di cappella and grand master of the Renaissance influenced Bach, Handel and Beethoven with his refined polyphonic sacred music, whereas the Estonian composer also found inspiration in the choral tradition of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and is one of the most eminent composers of our time. Two masters of sacred music separated by more than four centuries, but whose works have an equally overwhelming effect thanks to their similar emotional depth and spiritual power. And so the five movements of Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli, published in 1567, are interwoven with works by Arvo Pärt. The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, which celebrated its own 75th anniversary in 2023, is one of the world’s leading professional choirs. Under the baton of Latvian conductor Kaspars Putniņš, it pays tribute to the two composers by creating a magical universe of profoundly beautiful sounds with transparency, virtuosity and vocal perfection!

RIAS Kammerchor Berlin
Kaspars Putniņš conductor

in cooperation with Landkreis Ammerland