Classics revisited: Passio
Fabrice Fitch and Edward Breen
The Hilliard Ensemble’s recording of Arvo Pärt’s Passio (ECM, 2/89)
Edward Breen and Fabrice Fitch revisit the premiere recording of Arvo Pärt’s Passio, set down by the Hilliard Ensemble in 1988
It was the mid 90s and I was still at school when I first heard Arvo Pärt’s Passio: an impulse purchase which influenced the future direction of my life, not as a performer or academic, but as an engaged consumer of music. Perhaps it was the ECM cover that I desired at first, having been transfixed by Officium (10/94) that same year, I felt the lure of these minimalist designs and their Conran-esque vibes, but more so I trusted the Hilliard Ensemble to be a guide in new repertoire - and they never let me down. Years later I read Laura Dolp’s essay on those iconic sleeves and now recommend it to anyone who remembers that intersection of sacred minimalism with the early music revival.
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To read the full text of this feature please visit Gramophone (January 2025)
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