Recovering the Sacred in Music

By |2023-09-30T12:27:58-05:00September 25th, 2023|Categories: Arvo Pärt, Christianity, Henryk Górecki, John Tavener, Music, Poland, St. John Paul II, Timeless Essays|

The music of Henryk Górecki, Arvo Pärt, and John Tavener is the music of a new civilization. These composers have gone against the prevailing grain of the twentieth century for the sake of a greater love. The attempted suicide of Western classical music has failed. The patient is recovering, no thanks to the efforts of music’s [...]

Spiritual Renewal and Modern Choral Music

By |2023-09-13T18:52:01-05:00September 13th, 2023|Categories: Arvo Pärt, Audio/Video, Michael De Sapio, Music, Senior Contributors|

Since the deaths of the modern musical giants, a great many composers have exerted themselves writing ephemera that is forgotten as soon as it’s heard and means nothing to the vast majority of people. But there are modern choral composers that have produced music that means a good deal to a great many people. One [...]

Arvo Pärt’s Mystical, Mesmerizing “Fratres for Strings & Percussion”

By |2019-11-19T13:05:49-06:00July 26th, 2019|Categories: Arvo Pärt, Audio/Video, Culture, Music|

In Arvo Pärt’s “Fratres” there seem to be all sorts of emotions simmering just below the surface. Dense, big, life-and-death emotions. Ancient spirituality. All of it affects you at such a gut level. It’s majestic. It’s minimalist. Mr. Pärt’s spirituality, his philosophy, is there, tucked invisibly into the music. There is something about going to [...]

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