Arvo Pärt - Hymn to a Great City

Marjan Peternel - piano
Primož Urbanč - piano

[@dbadagna]

"Hymn to a Great City," a work for 2 pianos, was completed in 1984. It premiered on March 10, 1984, at the Retrospective Music concert series at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in New York City, performed by members of the contemporary music ensemble Continuum, the pianists Cheryl Seltzer and Joel Sachs. It was the first large-scale event featuring Arvo Pärt’s works after the composer's immigration to Vienna in 1980. Five out of the seven of Pärt's compositions at the concert were performed in the United States for the first time. "Hymn to a Great City" sounds a little exceptional among Pärt's oeuvre. The composer has almost never composed for two pianos, and this piece is also written in an unusual key: C-sharp major. There are only hints and hidden elements of the tintinnabuli style here. It has been designed according to the compounding principle, where sequences of triads are used in the cycle of fifths instead of tone rows. Receding from the main key is achieved by the constant tonic-dominant succession, but only to return "home" soon afterwards. The composer made several revisions to the piece in the years following the premiere. The current version dates from 2004. "Hymn to a Great City" is dedicated to the music-loving émigré Estonian family, Miriam and Bill Miesse, who accommodated the composer in their welcoming home during Pärt's trip to the U.S.

[@MontoyaMatrix]

Really kicked it up a notch when the Liberace parts came in! C#, key of warmth and movement, stretching out. I think the secret is in the compassionate cadence, actually. And then a tear falls from the eye.

[@infoqwe]

Excellent interpretation, good synchronism, crystalline sound, thanks.

[@DarkNazgul]

How absolutely beautiful these sounds are! Magic for the soul.

[@victor105]

im ready to born again after this piece.

[@christophcloren4740]

Wonderful brillant interpretation !!!🥰🙂

[@MarcoInchingolo83]

Beautiful and moving performance!

[@vinm300]

Magnificent. Thanks for posting.

[@tinusbotha]

This is magical. Thank you.

[@rafapuckalodu]

Maravilloso

BTW, I love this performance, bravi, guys!!!!!!!!

[@burn0018]

dobr igraš Primož. ;)

[@RegineNoelle23]

That is quite pretty. I know nothing of this piece (a friend of mine from Germany suggested it) but (being a hopeless romantic) it suggests a bit of love to me.

[@rogeraraujo4900]

Chopin's Raindrop all the way here.

[@pauclaris2000]

well done!

@shanebai Thanks for the image of the stars twinkling. I will play this piece soon and your image will help a lot!

[@CarolusFilms]

I wish I knew, but perhaps Part wanted to leave the details to the listener!

[@temporapianoduo1278]

Great and beautiful perfomance and video! We also have live recorded this piece in our channel 😊

[@saruoora]

@8422hdbb Yes it was New York City of course. I heard the Guggenheim is doing a project with him in September. check it out

[@saruoora]

@saruoora it's called stillspotting nyc

[@bUklMusic]

the tempo is right but I dont like the pedal note's register. Michael Mchale does the best version i've heard. What was so fantastic about hearing this piece for me was that it was played just after a radio astronomy report, and now I always have the image of stars twinkling in my mind when I listen!