Album: Arvo Pärt, Adam's Lament (ECM New Series)

 

Andy Gill
Thursday 11 October 2012 16:51 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Arvo Pärt has worked almost exclusively with sacred texts for the past three decades, building up a deserved reputation as the foremost religious composer of his era.

For “Adam's Lament”, he's drawn upon a text by the 20th-century St Silouan, which reflects the importance with which Pärt regards the figure of Adam, whom he sees as representing mankind individually and collectively. His lament is for the loss of God's favour, a slow torture tenderly evoked over 24 minutes, climaxing when Adam contemplates the tragedy of his own sons. Accompanied here by shorter pieces including “Salve Regina” and “L'Abbé Agathon”, it's an absorbing, meditative piece, if less beholden than usual to the composer's technique of tintinnabullation.

Download: Adam's Lament; Salve Regina; L'Abbé Agathon

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in