THE SORROW AND THE BEAUTY

Hear the music of Pärt, Lang, Burhans, Shaw and Whitacre.

The Beatitudes by Arvo Pärt for choir and organ

The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang for choir and percussion

Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt for viola and piano

Super Flumina Babylonis by Caleb Burhans for choir, viola, cello, celesta and percussion

Limestone and Felt by Caroline Shaw for viola and cello

Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre for choir, piano and percussion

Pre-concert talk at 4:00 pm

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.