Miserere is a choral work by Estonian composer
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...
, setting the words of two traditional
liturgical hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
s: the
Miserere and the
Dies irae. The piece begins with repeated pleas for mercy, accompanied by dramatic pauses, leading to the arrival of the day of wrath, signaled by a powerful drum roll. The drum initiates each new verse as the choir sings the most terrifying words in the Christian liturgy. Having confronted catastrophe, the choir ascends to radiant heights over the deep-throated resonance of the organ, tam-tam, and bell. Performances of The Miserere typically last around 35 minutes. The composition was written between 1989 and 1992.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miserere (Part)
Choral compositions by Arvo Pärt