Arvo Pärt wrote his most monumental work with Pokajanen.
Today we will journey to the municipality of Lessines in Flanders. Each year, the Musica Sacra Festival takes place here, drawing just as many visitors from the Netherlands as from Belgium. In Lessines stands the medieval Our Lady with the Rose Hospital, located near the Saint Peter’s Church, which serves as the venue for the annual Musica Sacra Festival, which is organized by Johan Vriens and his B&B, Rosario. This festival spans a weekend and always sells out.
The date, Sunday 13 August 2023. Conductor Maarten van Ingelgem managed to reunite the members of the chamber choir Aquarius, who went their separate ways a few years back. For days on end they rehearsed for what was to be an electrifying rendition of Arvo Pärt‘s masterpiece: his awe-inspiring – dare I say, monumental – penitential canon, Pokajanen. 32 singers from the four-part harmony choir present the indescribable: delving into the profound darkness of repentance, voicing the heartfelt plea for forgiveness, and experiencing the purifying absolution found in prayer.
Arvo Pärt’s Canon of Repentance typically lasts about an hour and a half, sometimes extending up to two hours. During their performance in Lessines, the singers are arranged in a circle and gradually shift a quarter-circle to the left during musical breaks until they return to their original positions.
In certain passages, the composer relies on a trio of soloists. A hallmark of Arvo Pärt’s repertoire is the tintinnabuli, or bell-like style. This technique features one voice carrying the melody, while the others respond just after the beat with notes from the same chord. As the melody progresses, this interplay creates a dissonance, creating a subtly jarring effect due to the shifting beats between the voices.
The full impact of the Canon Pokajanen’s dramaturgy shines through best in a complete performance. The ritual of this hour-and-a-half-long canon offers us a precious gift in today’s fast-paced world: a sense of slowness.
This concert was recorded by Leo August De Bock.
With a selection of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, we journey back to the spring of inspiration for Pärt’s Canon of Repentance. The fifteen-part Vespers, also called the “All-Night Vigil”, was Rachmaninoff’s deliberate echo of traditional church music. While deeply rooted in Russia’s rich religious musical tradition, Rachmaninoff’s work was also politically charged, serving as a reinforcement of nationalism during wartime. Its premiere, resembling more of a concert than a religious ceremony, was a resounding success.
Please enjoy this performance by Cappella Amsterdam conducted Daniel Reuss during their concert on February 10 2024 in the main hall of the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam.
Sound engineer: Dirk Winkel. Production: Joost Kist.
Playlist:
01 Arvo Pärt
Kanon Pokajanen (Canon of Repentance), 93’55”
02 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Come, Let Us Worship, 01’41”
04 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Beatus Vir, 04’25”
05 Sergei Rachmaninoff
O, Serene Light, 02’50”
06 Sergei Rachmaninoff
Nunc dimitis, 03:12
07 Sergei Rachmaninoff
06 Ave Maria, 02’38”
