Arvo Pärt’s work will be in dialogue with many composers at the Pärt Days concerts taking place from September 2 to 11, 2023. Pärt – Saint-Saëns; Pärt – Tormis; Pärt – Kõrvits; Pärt – Tüür; Pärt – Lang. However, Arvo Pärt’s birthday concert on September 11 will feature only his own work. You can take part in the Arvo Pärt Days by visiting churches and performance venues all over Estonia: Pärnu, Narva, Viljandi, Paide, Rapla, Tartu, Viimsi, Tallinn and Laulasmaa.
At the opening concert of the Pärt Days in St. John's Church in Tallinn, Tõnu Kaljuste together with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will perform two symphonies composed almost a century apart – Camille Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony and Arvo Pärt's 3rd Symphony. In Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony, Aleksanteri Wallius, one of the most outstanding organists of the younger generation of Finland, performs as a soloist.
Chamber Choir Collegium Musicale has chosen for its concert program, alongside the works of Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür's works from his recent album "Canticum Canticorum Caritatis", which received an award from the Association of German Record Critics.
VHK (Old Town Educational College) String Orchestra under the direction of Rasmus Puur brings together Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis – composers whose important source of their work has been a word. Hans Christian Aavik, the winner of one of the world's most prestigious and important Carl Nielsen International Competition, will perform at the VHK concerts.
The concert program of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and conductor Risto Joost will bring together Arvo Pärt's Estonian-language choral piece Ja ma kuulsin hääle... (2017) and Tõnu Kõrvits' last year's opus for soloists, choir and string orchestra The Sound of Wings.
On September 9, the ensemble Vox Clamantis will perform some newly written vocal compositions by David Lang, one of America’s best known and most performed composers, alongside Arvo Pärt’s choral music at the Arvo Pärt Centre. The collection Song of Songs compiled in 2022 combines Arvo Pärt’s songs, the lyrics of which were inspired by the biblical "Song of Songs" — longing, intimate images of love, beauty and peace. The song we were was written for the ensemble Vox Clamantis, who will perform it for the first time in Estonia during the Pärt Days. From Arvo Pärt’s oeuvre, Zwei Beter (Two Prayers), O Holy Father Nicolas, And I heard a voice … and Vater unser (Our Father) will be performed. The program will also be presented on September 4 in Pärnu St. Elizabeth’s Church, September 5 in Viljandi St Paul’s Church and September 10 in Tallinn Oleviste Church.
Arvo Pärt’s birthday on September 11 will mark the birth of a new album. Tõnu Kaljuste, together with his ensembles Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, have recorded previously unrecorded works or newer versions of works for the new Arvo Pärt album by the German label ECM. The recording session took place last September in the Methodist Church in Tallinn. The album Tractus is the seventeenth in a series of Pärt’s albums released by ECM. The presentation concert of the album will take place on September 11 in St. John’s Church in Tallinn.
Arvo Pärt Days is organised by Nargenfestival and the artistic director of the festival is Tõnu Kaljuste.
The following concerts can be listened live on Klassikaraadio:
September 2 at 7 p.m. Tallinn St. John's Church – Opening concert
September 4 at 7 p.m. Viimsi St. Jacob’s Church – "Pärt and Tormis"
September 6 at 7 p.m. Tallinn St. John's Church – "Pärt and Kõrvits"
September 10 at 7 p.m. – Vox Clamantis’ concert "And I Heard a Voice"
September 11 at 7 p.m. Tallinn St. John's Church – Birthday concert "Tractus"
More info: Nargenfestival