Pärt: Credo

With this album, Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra pay tribute to Arvo Pärt, who celebrated his 90th birthday in 2025. The Estonian composer has been part of Paavo Järvi's life since childhood: "For me and my sister, Arvo was our father's super-cool friend. He wore a baseball cap, jeans, and a denim jacket." The history of the Järvi family is closely linked to Pärt's work, as it was the now-legendary concert where Neeme Järvi – Paavo's father – conducted Pärt's "Credo" in 1968 that led the Soviet regime to blacklist the Järvi family and accelerated their departure from Estonia. The "Credo" is also part of this extensive program, which encompasses compositions spanning 45 years. What lies behind the simplicity and depth of this music? An answer may be found in a remark Pärt made during a rehearsal with Paavo in London: "I have the impression that the orchestra doesn't like this chord enough." What happened next was incredible: the same notes sounded completely different when played "with love." The album, which was already released in 2025, is now being issued on LP.