ARVO PÄRT
THE WEEK, UK Album of the Week
27 Septemberpdf attached"The great Estonian composer Arvo Pärt celebrated his 90th birthday this month, said Andrew Mellor in Gramophone. But then “every year is a big year for Pärt” … his birthday has been marked with a disc of equally “sublime” works that are largely for orchestra alone, performed by the Estonian Festival Orchestra under Paavo Järvi. Among the highlights are the dark string threnody of Für Lennart in memoriam, one of Pärt’s most deeply felt works, and the sweet Estonian Lullaby, a soothing encore. “Here is the essence of Pärt, simple, sublime, profound.”DIAPASON, FRANCE YYYYYYBenoit Fauchet, October issuepdf attached"Last July, Paavo Järvi celebrated his compatriot Arvo Pärt's ninetieth birthday a little early by interspersing the 2025 Pärnu Festival concerts with pieces by the master, a great friend of the family … The highlight of this recording, the 1968 Credo crowns the ‘collages’ that preceded Pärt's long silence before the awakening to the sound of small bells. It is an astonishing structure in which the C major Prelude from Bach's first Book of the Well-Tempered Clavier traverses a chaotic landscape, haunted by a sonorist orchestra and a choir singing, murmuring and shouting – the mix of young girls and men proves convincing … Paavo rises to the level of his father Neeme, the creator of the score, who left a powerful testimony (Chandos)."L’HUMANITÉ, FRANCEClément Garcia, 26 Septemerpdf attached"Estonian composer Arvo Pärt celebrated his 90th birthday this month with a plethora of recordings celebrating his legacy. We will focus on the one offered by the Estonian Festival Orchestra and conductor Paavo Järvi, also Estonian, whose father Neeme was a close friend of the composer. Is Pärt's music reactionary? In some respects, yes, barely post-Mahlerian, rooted in a tonal language and building on a distant, medieval past for its ecstatic feeling. And although it was long associated with the minimalist movement, it moves away from repeated motifs in favour of linearity over white harmonies. In any case, it exerts an immediate seduction by calling on diaphanous strings, perfectly highlighted by Järvi. He developed this approach further in his so-called ‘tintinnabulum’ period, in reference to bells that ring regularly, as in Cantus in Memoriam ofBenjamin Britten, one of his most famous works. From his (almost) debut with Credo, composed in 1968 – censored by the Soviet authorities – to the cinematic Swansong, created in 2014, the panorama is complete, allowing us to grasp what continues to make him so successful."TÉLÉRAMA, FRANCESophie Bourdais, 23 Septemberpdf attached"Recorded in July 2025 during the Parnu Music Festival, this album captures both the moment of rupture and the creative flowering that (the first performance of) Credo engendered. In anticipation of Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday, now considered a national treasure by Estonians, Paavo Järvi, son of Neeme, conducts Credo for the first time, as well as a wide selection of symphonic works composed between 1977 and 2013. Offering both devotees and neophytes a welcome insight into the Martian orchestral landscape, imbued with spirituality and a simplicity that paradoxically complicates its interpretation. Led by Paavo Järvi, the excellent Estonian Festival Orchestra, the Estonian National Male Choir, the Ellerhein Girls' Choir and pianist Kalle Randalu strike just the right balance of tension and emotion to ensure that Credo retains all its evocative power."FALTER, AUSTRIAMiriam Damev"Paavo Järvi strikes a chord of personal intimacy with Credo … The collection with the Estonian Festival Orchestra ranges from ‘Credo’ to classics such as ‘Fratres’ and ‘Cantus’ to more recent works such as “Silhouette” (2009) and ‘La Sindone’ (2010). Music that oscillates between beauty, sublimity and silence..."ANTENNA 2, RTP RADIOPORTUGALNuno Galopim, 25 SeptemberAlso features the interview recorded with Paavo on 11 September."In honour of composer Arvo Pärt's 90th birthday, conductor Paavo Järvi, who has known him since childhood, dedicates a new album to him. It seems like a family saga. And in a way, we can see this narrative as such... And this is a story, set in Estonia, of a world-renowned conductor who, in his youth, met a challenging composer with whom he formed a friendship and working relationship that, over time, extended to the conductor's children, who, one after another, also ended up surrendering to the spirit and work of the old master. The conductor is none other than Neeme Järvi (born 1937), a contemporary of Arvo Pärt, whom he met at an early age and who became not only a friend, but also an important working partner and promoter. After all, it was Neeme Järvi who premiered the legendary Credo in 1968. Neeme has three children … the eldest, Paavo Järvi, actually already has several encounters with Pärt in his discography, the most recent of which was during the 15th edition of the Pärnu Music Festival, with the Estonian Festival Orchestra, in which he presented a very personal programme that now appears in the form of a disc in Credo, released by Alpha Classics. The album was presented on 11 September, the date that marked the composer's 90th birthday. And on that same day, we were given the opportunity to talk to conductor Paavo Järvi himself."CULTURPAKT, BELGIUMKnopskaya, 23 September"The recording of Credo with Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra feels like a thoughtful retrospective of the versatility of Arvo Pärt, with the programme being more than just a collection of well-known works. What immediately stands out is the way in which Järvi highlights the different stylistic layers in Pärt's oeuvre: from the intense, contrasting energy of the title piece Credo to the tranquil tintinnabuli sounds of later works such as Fratres and Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten. This recording clearly shows how Pärt's early experiments and his later minimalist style complement each other rather than contradicting each other. The orchestra plays with a refined transparency that reveals the layered nature of Pärt's scores. The strings manage to maintain the long, tranquil lines without sounding empty, and in passages with intense dynamic contrasts, the sound remains clear and controlled. What is particularly convincing is that Järvi never lapses into sentimental exaggeration: the music exudes seriousness and concentration, even in the most lyrical moments. The choir, when present, sounds natural and integrated, without any excessive emphasis on pathos. Compared to earlier, iconic performances of Credo and Fratres, this one strikes a balance between intensity and detachment. Some versions place greater emphasis on spiritual ecstasy, but Järvi opts instead for an objective clarity, as if he wants to give the listener space to experience the spiritual dimension for themselves. It also prevents the music from being overexposed by interpretative choices. The result is a recording that does not seek to be a definitive interpretation, but rather a panoramic portrait: a glimpse of the diversity in Pärt's musical voice, performed by musicians who seem to understand his music to its very core. As a result, this Credo comes across as a balanced and sincere homage, distinguished by its equilibrium, its eye for detail and its respectful yet lively approach."
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