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Arvo Part

In 2023, pianist Awadagin Pratt released a terrific comeback album, his first in 12 years.

In 2023, pianist Awadagin Pratt released a terrific comeback album, his first in 12 years. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Best Music Of 2023

The 10 Best Classical Albums of 2023

Discover a broad spectrum of this year's most compelling classical music, from symphonic hell rides and soaring voices to searing string quartets, cathartic choirs and one amazing comeback.

The 10 Best Classical Albums of 2023

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The new album of music by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is a warm blanket of comfort in troubled times.

The new album of music by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is a warm blanket of comfort in troubled times. Luciano Rossetti/ECM Records hide caption

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Luciano Rossetti/ECM Records

Review

Deceptive Cadence

A disciplined plea for peace – and quiet – from composer Arvo Pärt

A new album of music by the 88-year-old Estonian mystic seems to put an arm around you and whisper, "In troubled times, music can help."

A disciplined plea for peace – and quiet – from composer Arvo Pärt

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Connecting The Dots On Arvo Pärt's Symphonic Journey

Arvo Pärt's four symphonies — newly recorded for ECM — trace a 45-year journey the composer took in finding his true style. Birgit Püve/ECM Records hide caption

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Birgit Püve/ECM Records

Review

Deceptive Cadence

Connecting The Dots On Arvo Pärt's Symphonic Journey

A new album of the Estonian composer's four symphonies trace the path of a brave artist who risked throwing it all away to reinvent himself.

Connecting The Dots On Arvo Pärt's Symphonic Journey

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The Silence And Awe Of Arvo Pärt

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, creator of contemplative music, photographed in 1990 by influential patron Betty Freeman. Betty Freeman/ECM Records hide caption

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Betty Freeman/ECM Records

Deceptive Cadence

The Silence And Awe Of Arvo Pärt

The Estonian composer's contemplative yet powerful music has found popularity beyond the borders of classical music. He's making a rare appearance in the U.S. to attend a festival of his music.

The Silence And Awe Of Arvo Pärt

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Music By Arvo Pärt, From The Met Museum

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's music is celebrated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a performance of his choral work Kanon Pokajanen at the Temple of Dendur. Kristian Juul Pedersen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Kristian Juul Pedersen/AFP/Getty Images

Classics in Concert

Music By Arvo Pärt, From The Met Museum

Q2

Watch the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir perform an extended piece derived from an ancient canon of repentance. Unfolding as a long prayer, the music is rich, multilayered and mesmerizing.

Music By Arvo Pärt, From The Met Museum

Headbanging Bruckner And Debussy In Black And White

The young pianist Inon Barnatan plays Debussy and Ravel with striking assurance. Avie Records hide caption

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Avie Records

Deceptive Cadence

Headbanging Bruckner And Debussy In Black And White

NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

Headbanging Bruckner And Debussy In Black And White

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Where Are The World's Best Choirs? Not In America

Conductor John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir has been named the best choir in the world by Gramophone magazine. Courtesy of the Monteverdi Choir hide caption

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Courtesy of the Monteverdi Choir

Deceptive Cadence

Where Are The World's Best Choirs? Not In America

The venerable British classical music magazine Gramophone has just revealed its ranking of the greatest choirs in the world. Is it a crime that not a single American group made the list? Read an interview with the magazine's editor, James Inverne.

Review

Music Reviews

Arvo Part's Timeless Twist On Tradition

Critic Tom Manoff reviews In Principio, a new collection of pieces for chorus and orchestra by Estonian composer Arvo Part, finding both stark, majestic drama and tender portrayals of humanity.

Arvo Part's Timeless Twist On Tradition

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Music

Arvo Part's "Magnificat": Songs for Politkovskaya

Estonian-born composer Arvo Part is in the news. Last week, he announced that all of this season's performances of his music would be dedicated to slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. From a concert earlier this year at Spivey Hall, just outside Atlanta, Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in a performance of Part's "Magnificat."

Arvo Part's "Magnificat": Songs for Politkovskaya

Audio will be available later today.
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