Revbecca Howard

On the occasion of the 85th birthday of Arvo Pärt (September 2020) and the 75th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Chorus (May 2021). The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, born in 1935, has succeeded in bringing sacred music back to a broader audience, and away from the confines of the church service, more than almost any other contemporary composer. The meditative character of his works, and his return to the simplest and most basic musical forms, convey moments of intense spirituality. Before his emigration from the Soviet Union, Pärt had already invented what he termed the tintinnabuli style of composition (from the Latin word for a bell). He produced an early and important example of this expressive style in 1977 with his “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten”, scored for string orchestra and bell. It is also a key feature of the choral and instrumental works presented by BR-KLASSIK on this new CD: five works for choir as well as two for instrumental ensemble, covering all of the composer’s creative epochs between 1986 and 2019.

James Newton Howard has respectfully paid homage to the great John William's theme from the original Harry Potter and you have to get a little bit excited when the score begins with that iconic music. After that wink to Williams, Howard slowly develops an astounding orchestral score that demonstrates a expansive variety of musical tones: whimsical, nostalgic, energetic and sometimes even very creepy. His range as a composer is commendable and this score clearly shows his talent to accompany emotions portrayed in the film, whatever these may be. I hear shades of Malificent (outstanding score) and King Kong here, which is thrilling. Some of the Harry Potter scores are amazing and a few are not. I'm hopeful that Howard will sign on for all the remaining scores for this new film franchise because if this first score is any indication of what's coming, we can all anticipate the upcoming scores with eagerness.