
THE SORROW AND THE BEAUTY:
Pärt, Lang, Burhans, Shaw and Whitacre


Described as a 21st century classic, the Pulitzer Prize winning The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang (2007) combines the Hans Christian Anderson story with form elements from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, to create an emotional and transformational journey. Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel (1978) for viola and piano is a minimalist, meditative piece that gently invites us into its calm presence. Caleb Burhans’ Super Flumina Babylonis (2013) is a sumptuous and expressive choral setting of Psalm 137 by the New York City composer who seamlessly combines classical, ambient and post-rock styles. Limestone & Felt (2012) presents two kinds of surfaces—essentially hard and soft. This piece for viola and cello by Caroline Shaw may represent two opposing ways we experience history and design our own present. The music of Eric Whitacre was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as being “of unearthly beauty and imagination”, while Cloudburst (1995) was described by the composer himself as reverent, meditative and centered, adjectives which also convey the message of this entire program.
PROGRAM
Arvo Pärt, The Beatitudes
__For choir and organ
David Lang, The Little Match Girl Passion
__For choir and percussion
Arvo Pärt, Spiegel im Spiegel
__For viola and piano
Caleb Burhans, Super Flumina Babylonis
__For choir, viola, cello, celesta and percussion
Caroline Shaw, Limestone and Felt
__For viola and cello
Eric Whitacre, Cloudburst
__For choir, piano, and percussion
Musica Viva NY choir
Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, conductor
Organ, piano and celesta – Trent Johnson
Viola – Marta Lambert
Cello – Clara Abel
Percussion – Kathryn Fortunato and Tasha Becker
All Souls Church
1157 Lexington Avenue,
New York, NY 10075