Pärt, Schnittke and the Russian choral tradition

How do you keep the tradition of Russian Orthodox music alive? Fascinating: Arvo Pärt and Alfred Schnittke chose a completely separate path.

Schnittke's uprootedness
As a Volga-German of Jewish origin, Alfred Schnittke felt uprooted in Soviet Russia. This is reflected in his music. He turned his 'unboundedness' into his strength: with his polystylism, he managed to conquer the world. Early music, Romanticism, Neo-Classicism and post-war Modernism: Schnittke sought and found the greatest common denominator. In his choral works, he even brought together the Catholic and Russian Orthodox traditions. The Boetepsalmen, written in 1988 to celebrate 1000 years of Christianity in Russia, are among his masterpieces. It is intense music.

The subdued Arvo Pärt
Like Schnittke, the Estonian Arvo Pärt drew for his Kanon Pokajanen on spiritual texts. With his "tintinnabulli" style, partly inspired by the sound of Russian bells, he chose a more subdued sound. His The Beatitudes, written in 1990 for mixed choir and organ, challenges the Groot Omroepkoor to let itself be heard from its most tranquil side.