Arvo Pärt: Alina cover
Released

The music of Arvo Pärt has been a touchstone for ECM since the label began its classical-leaning New Series label in 1984 with Tabula rasa. And yet, while that and subsequent recordings have often favored large-scale works like the Estonian composer’s Te Deum and Miserere, there is something even grander about the bare essentials represented in Alina, which interlaces two iterations of the title composition for solo piano between three versions of Spiegel im Spiegel for violin (or cello) and piano. The effect is as flowing as it is austere, capturing the essence of Pärt’s uncompromising approach to harmony.

Tyran Grillo

Recommended by

Suggestions
Eon cover

Eon

Richie Beirach, Frank Tusa, Jeff Williams
Ondas cover

Ondas

Mike Nock
Heinz Holliger / J.S. Bach cover

Heinz Holliger / J.S. Bach

Catrin Demenga, Thomas Demenga
Lou Harrison: Piano Concerto; Suite for Violin, Piano and Small Orchestra cover

Lou Harrison: Piano Concerto; Suite for Violin, Piano and Small Orchestra

Lucy Stoltzman, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Naoto Otomo, Keith Jarrett
Book of Ways cover

Book of Ways

Keith Jarrett
Higher cover

Higher

Patricia Barber
Heritage cover

Heritage

Mark de Clive-Lowe