Arvo Pärts Johannes-Passion

Ensemble la Sportelle vocal and instrumental ensemble
The Gesualdo Six vocal ensemble
Owain Park director

Programme:
Arvo Pärt: De profundis, Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secindum Joannem (St John Passion)

Arvo Pärt, who celebrated his 90th birthday last year, is the world’s most performed living composer. He developed a compositional technique in the mid-1970s which he christened the »Tintinnabuli style«, a term derived from the Latin word for a type of bell (tintinnabulum). The style is characterised by its archaic quality and moving tonic triads, which create a hypnotic, spellbinding effect imbued with meditative energy. The Estonian composer’s Passio from 1982 is a prime example. One of the most radical and moving works of contemporary sacred music, Pärt’s setting of the Latin text of the Gospel of John offers a profound reflection on the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice. The ensemble La Sportelle and The Gesualdo Six have both long established themselves as unique voices in the world of sacred music. Under the direction of Owain Park, their gentle flow and delicately balanced web of outstanding voices will allow Arvo Pärt’s introspective, concentrated and spiritual music to flourish.

supported by the Wolfgang und Ursula Braun Stiftung