Passio

by Mark W.B. AllenderPärt's long-form The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John dramatizes the apostle John's account of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. The form he adopts sounds as though it were centuries old, with its choral orchestration. But his choice of instruments, his choice of chords, his phrasing, and the basic construction of the piece itself are all based on 20th century ideas, most notably his own innovation, the "tintinnabuli" method. The overall sound is significantly bigger than the small ensemble performing it; this is an innovative work, despite the classic subject matter. The text is taken verbatim from the Vulgate.