Composer

:

Arvo Pärt

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

2000

Average_duration

:

7:32

'... which was the son of…' is a choral work composed by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The piece was composed in 2000 and premiered on October 7, 2000, in Tallinn, Estonia. The work is based on the genealogy of Jesus Christ as described in the Gospel of Luke. The piece is divided into six movements, each of which is named after a figure in the genealogy of Jesus. The movements are: "Jesus Christ, the Son of David," "David the King," "Jesse the father of David," "Salmon the father of Boaz," "Boaz the father of Obed," and "Obed the father of Jesse." The work is characterized by Pärt's signature style of minimalism, which emphasizes simplicity and repetition. The piece is scored for four-part choir and organ, and the organ part is written in a style reminiscent of medieval chant. The first movement, "Jesus Christ, the Son of David," sets the tone for the piece with a simple, chant-like melody sung by the choir. The second movement, "David the King," features a more complex organ part, with the choir singing a series of descending phrases. The third movement, "Jesse the father of David," is the shortest of the six movements, with the choir singing a single phrase over and over again. The fourth movement, "Salmon the father of Boaz," features a more complex choral part, with the choir singing in a call-and-response style. The fifth movement, "Boaz the father of Obed," is the most complex of the six movements, with the choir singing a series of overlapping phrases. The final movement, "Obed the father of Jesse," brings the piece to a close with a simple, chant-like melody sung by the choir. Overall, '... which was the son of…' is a beautiful and meditative work that showcases Pärt's mastery of minimalism and his ability to create powerful emotional effects with simple musical materials.

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