Collegium Vocale Gent & Accademia Chigiana Siena . Kaspars Putnins

Who else is more suited to giving a fine account of this 'a capella' programme with Collegium Vocale Gent than the Latvian chorus conductor Kaspars Putnins (b. 1966)? He is the leader of the world-renowned Latvian Radio Chorus and his hobby horse is new, contemporary choral music, with a special preference for the Baltic repertoire. A guarantee, thus, that the best care will be taken with Arvo Pärt and Alfred Schnittke. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) is a living legend whose contemplative music touches many people to the spiritual core. The basis of his style is the triad (chord of three notes, consisting of two superimposed thirds), while all that is inessential is scrapped. Melody and accompaniment are equal and silence is as significant as a note. Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) wrote his masterly 'Twelve Psalms of Repentance' for the celebration of the thousandth anniversary of the conversion of Russia in 1988, doing so at a time when he had already suffered his first stroke. Listeners often find it difficult to grasp that this sober music was written by the same composer who had previously involved himself in crazy Baroque, mathematical serialism and caricatural avant-garde.