Stabat Mater / Simeron by Goeyvaerts String Trio

Goeyvaerts String Trio

Stabat Mater / Simeron

Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917261622
Catnr: CC 72616
Release date: 28 March 2014

1 CD

Label
Challenge Classics

UPC
0608917261622

Catalogue number
CC 72616

Release date
28 March 2014

"''The trio chose to play the Stabat Mater from Arvo Pärt in the less current used just intonation version in an attempt to get to an intens version without vibrato.''"

Cobra.be, 24-11-2015

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

Click here for the video of the recordings!

Pure pitches of just intonation penetrate the soul and dissolve deep sadness into consolation... a moving and intimate experience of Sublime beauty.

Arvo Pärt and Ivan Moody have both turned to Orthodox Christianity at some point in their lives and this has permeated the work of both of them in a particular way. Pärt’s relationship with the icon has already been examined by Paul Hillier in his musicological monograph about the composer. Moody himself makes a comparison to the icon in his score.

The icon is a representation of God or a saint, a reference to the transcendent truth. Pärt’s Stabat Mater and Moody’s Simeron each refer in their own way to a truth that unfolds in their music – and specifically in these performances. The listener (Orthodox or not) will be affected by the particular tonal texture which, in Pärt’s case at least, far transcends the text and exposes a truth of human existence.
text by: Philippe Grisar

Ode aan stilte, gebracht door het Goeyvaerts strijktrio met drie zangers

Pure pitches of just intonation penetrate the soul and dissolve deep sadness into consolation… a moving and intimate experience of sublime beauty.

Het Belgische Goeyvaerts String Trio werd in 1997 opgericht en houdt zich vooral bezig met repertoire uit de 20e en 21e eeuw. Stabat Mater is het derde album van het Goeyvaerts Trio en is tot stand gekomen in samenwerking met drie zangers: Barnabás Hegyi (counter-tenor) Zsuzsi Tóth (sopraan) en Olivier Berten (bariton).

In 1985 ontving de Estse componist Arvo Pärt veel bewondering voor het belangrijkste stuk op dit album Stabat Mater — een pure, adembenemende compositie met respect voor stilte. Het Goeyvaerts String Trio nam dit stuk, samen met Simeron van Ivan Moody, in 2014 op. Het trio gebruikt in deze opname van Stabat Mater heel verrassend het klankidioom van de authentieke uitvoeringspraktijk uit de oude muziek (verzamelnaam voor muziek uit de Middeleeuwen, Renaissance en Barok). Pärts harmonieën en dissonanten worden op deze manier zo optimaal mogelijk tot uiting gebracht. Het stuk Simeron is wat vreugdevoller van toon, maar heeft ook raakvlakken met de muziek van Pärt.

Arvo Pärt werd in 1935 geboren in Paide, Estland, en wordt beschouwd als een van de belangrijkste hedendaagse componisten van sacrale muziek. Hij studeerde aan het conservatorium in Tallinn vanaf 1957 en studeerde daar af in 1963. Zijn eerste composities dateren uit zijn studietijd en werden beïnvloed door Béla Bartók, Sergej Prokofjev en Dmitri Sjostakovitsj. Voor zijn eerste orkestrale compositie gebruikte hij de twaalftoontechniek van Arnold Schönberg.
Ivan Moody werd in 1964 geboren in Londen en studeerde compositieleer aan de Universiteit van Londen, de Universiteit van York alsook in privélessen van John Tavener. Ook heeft hij Orthodoxe theologie gestudeerd aan de Universiteit van Joensuu, Finland. Zijn composities laten de invloed van Oosterse liturgische zang en de Orthodoxe Kerk zien.

Zowel Pärt als Moody zijn gedurende hun leven bekeerd tot de Orthodoxe Kerk en dit heeft hun werken op een bijzondere manier beïnvloed. Van Pärt was het altijd al bekend dat hij veel waarde hechtte aan religie, maar Moody’s stuk Simeron verwijst ook naar het bovenzintuiglijke, net als Pärts Stabat Mater.

Voor het eerst is Stabat Mater in 'reine stemming' opgenomen, wat een geheel nieuwe en betoverende muziekervaring geeft.
Philippe Grisar, de schrijver van de tekst in het cd boekje, legt nader uit wat dat inhoudt: "De afwisseling in Stabat Mater tussen harmonieën en wringende akkoorden die eigen zijn aan Pärts muziek, lijken ontembaar. Eerdere uitvoerders vingen deze ‘ruis’ op door te vibreren waardoor de toon van de strijkers breder wordt. Hierdoor ontstaat een zangerig pallet zonder al te knellende klanken. [...] Het Goeyvaerts Strijktrio zocht naar een sobere diepgang zonder vibrato. Het Stabat Mater is geen icoon die met edelstenen is omrand. Het drukt 'lijden' en 'vertroosting' uit. Reine stemming bleek de beste oplossing. Verrassend genoeg is het effect geen strak notenspel maar ontvouwt een klankenrijkdom die de toehoorder meteen meeneemt. Deze uitvoering van het Stabat Mater doet wat niet onder woorden te brengen is, verschijnen. Misschien is daarom de schoonheid van deze uitvoering zo intens."

Het album werd bekroond met een Edison: “Het Goeyvaerts String Trio laat Pärts Stabat Mater bloeien als nooit eerder gehoord: helder en vol boventonen.”

Pure pitches of just intonation penetrate the soul and dissolve deep sadness into consolation... a moving and intimate experience of Sublime beauty.

Sowohl Arvo Pärt als auch Ivan Moody ließen sich irgendwann im Laufe ihres Lebens zum orthodoxen Christentum bekehren und ihre Werke sind, jedes auf seine Weise, davon durchdrungen. Auf Pärts Beziehung zu der Ikone hatte schon Paul Hillier in seiner musikwissenschaftlichen Monografie über den Komponisten hingewiesen. Moody deutet in der Partitur selbst einen Vergleich mit der Ikone an.

Die Ikone repräsentiert Gott oder einen Heiligen, der auf die transzendente Wahrheit hinweist. Sowohl Pärts Stabat Mater als auch Moodys Simeron weisen auf jeweils eigene Weise auf eine Wahrheit hin, die sich in ihrer Musik - und insbesondere in dieser Ausführung - entfaltet. Den (wohl oder nicht orthodoxen) Zuhörer berührt die besondere Toneigenschaft, die auf jeden Fall bei Pärt bei weitem über den Text hinausgeht und eine Wahrheit der menschlichen Existenz entblößt.

Il celebre Stabat Mater di Arvo Pärt per la prima volta con la ‘giusta’ intonazione. Confezione di lusso in libro-CD.

«Il Goeyvaerts String Trio utilizza per lo Stabat Mater la ‘giusta’ intonazione, benché il temperamento equabile sia più comunemente conosciuto e utilizzato. L’ottava suona sempre perfetta, perché la frequenza d’onda è esattamente doppia, ma la suddivisione dell’ottava nei diversi intervalli (corrispondenti a frequenze d’onda) è una scelta, da cui si sono sviluppati diversi temperamenti.
Tutte le altre note devono essere distribuite tra queste due ‘stesse’ note. Lo standard odierno è il temperamento equabile, in cui le altezze sono distribuite proporzionalmente, in modo che tutte dodici stanno ad una ‘eguale’ distanza l’una dall’altra. L’esempio più semplice è l’intonazione del pianoforte. A prescindere da quale accordo si suona, le note suonano piuttosto bene insieme. Ma le frequenze d’onda delle singole note non sono sempre ‘pure’. Il temperamento equabile è un compromesso in cui il carattere specifico dei diversi intervalli emerge meno chiaramente.

L’intonazione ‘giusta’ è un’antica forma d’accordatura. Gli intervalli sono distribuiti in modo irregolare ma ‘puro’ lungo l’ottava, sulla base degli armonici naturali. All’ascoltatore contemporaneo, l’intonazione ‘giusta’ suona più calma e un poco più dolente. Alcuni accordi suonano pungenti alle nostre orecchie moderne, dandoci talvolta l’impressione che i musicisti siano stonati. Per ogni tonalità, un ensemble deve intonare nuovamente ciascuno strumento singolarmente. Ciascuno strumentista o cantante deve tener conto delle sottigliezze dell’intonazione, della scrittura e dei singoli intervalli.

Per tutto il suo Stabat Mater, Arvo Pärt alterna bellissime triadi con dissonanze. Il carattere emozionale dell’opera è presente a prescindere da quale intonazione sia utilizzata, ma la ‘giusta’ intonazione conferisce all’opera una ‘voce’ particolare.»
Philippe Grisar, dalle note di copertina

Artist(s)

Goeyvaerts String Trio

The Goeyvaerts String Trio was founded by violinist Kristien Roels, violist Kris Matthynssens and cellist Pieter Stas in 1997 with the sole aim of performing twentieth- and twenty-first-century repertoire. The trio takes its name from the Belgian composer Karel Goeyvaerts, who played an important role in developments in European new music. Not only does the ensemble perform existing works, but it also actively commissions new compositions for string trio.
After the trio released its CD recording of string trios by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alfred Schnittke on the renowned international label Challenge Records, the recording received the highest possible rating in multiple music magazines, as well as a Gold Label from Klassiek Centraal, a nomination for best CD production for the Belgian classical broadcasting network Klara and a recommendation in Gramophone. In 2012, the Goeyvaerts String Trio released a new CD entitled String Trios from the East featuring compositions by Sofia Gubaidulina, Alexander Knaifel, Oleg Paiberdin and Giya Kancheli. Of this recording, the Dutch music publication Luister wrote, ‘These three musicians’ performance here borders on the impossible in terms of concentration and precision.’ The trio’s album Stabat Mater, featuring Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater in just intonation and Ivan Moody’s Simeron, followed in 2014. With the support of over 500 international investors, the Goeyvaerts Trio raised £15,000. Of the trio, the Flanders Arts Institute wrote, ‘We already know they’re outstanding performers, but the fact that they managed to pull this off is proof that they’re also enthusiastic entrepreneurs.’ This CD was showered with the highest critical praise, heralded as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone and included in the list of the ten best Arvo Pärt recordings of all time. Dutch magazine Luister also ranked Goeyvaerts String Trio the highest ranking. The recording was most recently awarded an Edison, and the trio hailed by Klara as ensemble of the year. The Belgian city of Sint-Niklaas also honoured the trio with its 2014 Culture Prize.

less

Barnabás Hegyi (vocals)

arnabás Hegyi was born in 1980 in Budapest as an overture of a family that by now is proud of having brought up 9 children. He studied conducting, singing, church music, composition and organ playing at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He was recently awarded the Bachelor degree in Early Music singing at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague as a student of Michael Chance, Rita Dams, Jill Feldmann and Peter Kooij. Presently he attends Tilburg Music Academy where he is completing his Master's in Early Music Singing He has won awards at several singing competitions; 1st prizes at the National Singing Competition for Secondary Music Students in 2001 as well as at the National Simándi Singing Competition in 2002. Later, in 2003 he was awarded 3rd prize at the singing competition in Irun, Spain, which same competition he came as first in 2005.
In 2007 he faced three major challenges. First he gained the only countertenor role for Monteverdi’s Orfeo at the competition organized to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the piece in Verona and thus sang Pastore at the piece’s gala performance in Mantova. Soon after this he sang successfully at two singing competitions in Hungary; he won 3rd prize at the International Handel Singing Competition and 1st prize at the International Oratory Singing Competition. In the former he also won a special prize, which gave him a registration at the internet protal MusiciansWho.hu, while the latter secured him an appearance at Zemplén Festival, where he gave two concerts in the summer of 2008. In the same year he also gave a solo concert at Hebden Bridge Arts Festival in England.
His co-operation with Budapest Chamber Opera is also due to his competition results. He sang with the organization in 2002 for the first time, and since then he has played more than half a dozen opera roles in around 40 performances both in Hungary and abroad such as Monteverdi: Il ritorno d’Ulisse (L’humana fragilita, and the roles of the Third Suitor), Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea (Amore), Monteverdi: Orfeo (Pastore), Monteverdi: Il ballo delle ingrate (Amore), Händel: Semele (Athamas), Vivaldi: Il Tigrane (Clearte).
Besides, he has sung in A:N:S Choir and Purcell Choir, and in vocal ensembles Voces Aequales and Arpa d’O. He sings regularly with ensembles such as theHuelgas Ensemble, Netherlands Kammerkoor and Netherlandse Bach Vereniging.
He can be heard on more than 30 CD recordings as soloist, choir- or vocal ensemble singer, or piano/organ accompanist.

less

Kristien Roels (viola)

Kris Matthynssens (viola)

Olivier Berten (vocals)

After studying communication and multimedia, Olivier Berten enters the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels where he gets a diploma in opera-singing with Marcel Vanaud. He is going to advanced studies in the conservatories of Amsterdam, Metz and Brussels with Udo Reinemann and other masters of Lied. He was in 2004-2005 part ofOperastudio Vlaanderen in Ghent. He makes his debut in the Monnaie opera house as Brühlmann ('Werther' van Massenet) under the baton of Kazushi Ono. In 2008, he was on the stage of the Flemish Opera in the leading role of Villa Vivaldi by Wouter van Looy en Jan Van Outryve. Upcoming projects include 'L'enfant et les sortilèges' with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège and 'Ne criez pas au loup' in the Opéra Royal de Wallonie.

After studying communication and multimedia, Olivier Berten enters the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels where he gets a diploma in opera-singing with Marcel Vanaud. He is going to advanced studies in the conservatories of Amsterdam, Metz and Brussels with Udo Reinemann and other masters of Lied. He was in 2004-2005 part ofOperastudio Vlaanderen in Ghent. He makes his debut in the Monnaie opera house as Brühlmann ("Werther" van Massenet) under the baton of Kazushi Ono. In 2008, he was on the stage of the Flemish Opera in the leading role of Villa Vivaldi by Wouter van Looy en Jan Van Outryve. Upcoming projects include "L'enfant et les sortilèges" with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège and "Ne criez pas au loup" in the Opéra Royal de Wallonie.

less

Pieter Stas (cello)

Zsuzsi Tóth (soprano)

Zsuzsi Tóth was born in Hungary, where she began her musical studies with piano at the age of 7. She started classical singing at the Faculty of Music of the University of Szeged, receiving the Master`s degree in 2004. During her studies she won a Hungarian State Grant (2002-2003) as well as the "Huygens programma Scholarship" in The Netherlands (2006-2007). She was awarded the Bachelor degree in Early Music singing at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and completed her Master's in 2009 with distinction as a student of Peter Kooij, Jill Feldman and Rita Dams.
She participated on masterclasses given by Martin Klietmann, Mitsuko Shirai, Júlia Hamari, Marius van Altena, László Polgár and Adrienne Csengery. She has given concerts as a soloist with Collegium Vocale Gent, Nederlandse Bach Vereniging (Jos van Veldhoven), l'Arpeggiata, Sete Lágrimas, Collegium 1704 (Váklav Luks) and Le Concert Lorrain. She is a regular member of several early music ensembles such as Vox Luminis (Lionel Meunier) and Tetraktys (Kees Boeke). She participated on several national and international competitions winning two 1st prises, a 3rd prise and a special prise. (Ruma, Yugoslavia, 2002, Budapest, Hungary 2003, Szeged, Hungary, 2004)

less

Composer(s)

Arvo Pärt

Pärt was born in Paide, Järva County, Estonia, and was raised by his mother and stepfather in Rakvere in northern Estonia. He began to experiment with the top and bottom notes as the family's piano's middle register was damaged. His first serious study came in 1954 at the Tallinn Music Middle School, but less than a year later he temporarily abandoned it to fulfill military service, playing oboe and percussion in the army band. While at the Tallinn Conservatory, he studied composition withHeino Eller. As a student, he produced music for film and the stage. During the 1950s, he also completed his first vocal composition, the cantata Meie aed ('Our Garden') for children's choir and orchestra. He graduated in 1963. From 1957 to 1967, he worked as a sound producer for Estonian radio.
Although criticized by Tikhon Khrennikov in 1962, for employing serialism in Nekrolog (1960), which exhibited his "susceptibility to foreign influences", nine months later he won First Prize in a competition of 1,200 works, awarded by the all-Union Society of Composers, indicating the inability of the Soviet regime to agree consistently on what was permissible. In the 1970s, Pärt studied medieval and Renaissance music instead of focusing on his own composition. About this same time, he converted from Lutheranism to the Russian Orthodox faith.
In 1980, after a prolonged struggle with Soviet officials, he was allowed to emigrate with his wife and their two sons. He lived first in Vienna, where he took Austriancitizenship and then relocated to Berlin, Germany, in 1981. He returned to Estonia around the turn of the 21st century and now lives alternately in Berlin and Tallinn. He speaks fluent German and has German citizenship as a result of living in Germany since 1981.

less

Ivan Moody

Press

''The trio chose to play the Stabat Mater from Arvo Pärt in the less current used just intonation version in an attempt to get to an intens version without vibrato.''
Cobra.be, 24-11-2015

extremely vigorous recording
Fono Forum, 01-9-2015

Interview: Goeyvaerts String Trio
Luister, 06-3-2015

["]..Consideration for crowdfunding of award-winning album Stabat Mater. The Goeyvaerts String Trio, internationally renowned, made a remarkable cover and a full clip around the Sint-Niklaas - number Hooverphonic Renaissance Affair."
Het Nieuwsblad, 08-1-2015

This renowned and second oldest music award in the world of Classical music is awarded to the best musicians for the best productions. Between all those big names one Belgian production stood out in the chamber music category: Goeyvaerts String Trio (Pärt, Moody - Stabat Mater, Simeron)!
Klassiek Centraal, 07-12-2014

The performance of the string trio and the vocal trio is brilliant: all six musicians perform with a pristine timbre and in perfect harmony.
Rondo Magazine, 27-10-2014

The performers crafted an interpretation of mesmerizing intensity
International Record Review, 01-9-2014

"This is a wonderful performance and recording. Listeners who connect with the somberness and spirituality of Pärt will feel right at home. Highly recommended!"
http://audaud.com/, 28-8-2014

"Two works about mourning Jesus Christ after crucifixion, beautifully played and sung. The atmosphere of the performances is sublime and moving"
Pizzicato, 08-8-2014

"The Theatre of Voices recording has long been my go to but this exquisite rethinking has displaced it. There’s nothing stark or white about this musical purity, which finds kaleidoscopic depth in the narrowest of palettes"
Gramophone, 08-8-2014

This is a wonderful performance and recording. Listeners who connect with the somberness and spirituality of Pärt will feel right at home. Highly recommended!
Audiophile Audition, 01-8-2014

Concerning the Strabat Mater by Arvo Pärt, this version claims the title....
Quadrevisie.nl, 01-8-2014

The excellent Goeyvaerts String Trio - using just intonation - give the performance an ethe-real quality, which combines with the wonderful clarity and blend of the three singers for a simply stunning performance.
Choir & Organ, 31-7-2014

Editor's Choice The absolute control and pinpoint perfection required by pieces such as these is masterfully achieved: the result is incredibly, movingly, beautiful.
Grammophone, 22-7-2014

The extreme precision and purity of this rendition is a real revelation
Luister, 01-7-2014

Two works about mourning Jesus Christ after crucifixion, beautifully played and sung. The atmosphere of the performances is sublime and moving.
pizzicato, 20-6-2014

The result is [because of the just intonation] that the Stabat sounds very serene and extremely pleasant.
Music Emotion , 09-6-2014

The richness of sound is overwhelming. Both the vocal soloists and the Goeyvaerts Trio deliver a top performance here.
Opus Klassiek, 05-6-2014

On 14th position in ultratop
Ultratop, 20-5-2014

The spiritual intensity of the music is powerful. Also notable is how carefully and in detail the whole album sounds.
Musicalifeiten, 07-5-2014

The three singers, as well as the string trio, delivers a flawless performance in consonance and soloist in this highly exposed work.
Platomania, 30-4-2014

The three singers, as well as the string trio, deliver in consonance and soloist in this highly exposed work a flawless performance, the first high-risk but pure splash commitment sung by soprano should be also stated
Plato Mania, 24-4-2014

It's the contrast between the high voices' purity and the subtle dissonances of the strings which deepens the sense of suffering redeemed by faith.
The Independent On Sunday, 11-4-2014