If you're going to listen to a choral work, it's worth looking first for recordings by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, as Pärt often collaborates with them (sits in on performances, recordings; he's Estonian himself so there's a 'cultural collection').
† On a historical note, the "Te Deum" is one of the earliest Christians hymns we know about (and that is still used), apparently dating back to before 500 AD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Deum
Prior to this he had composed in the dissonant, serialist style that was expected of "serious" art music in the middle of the 20th century. This was the first piece where he broke with the contemporary style and introduced his unique "tintinnabuli" style.
If you have even a basic familiarity with music theory it's worth taking a look at the structure of the piece because it's surprisingly simple for the effect. As the right hand plays the melody, the left hand simply plays notes from a b minor chord, with the particular note being whatever is just beyond one octave below the note that the right hand is playing. However there is one exception towards the end where the left hand plays a C# instead of a D as it would be expected to, and this marks the climax of the piece.
Not a fan of Pärt myself, but Zelenka is a good one to pair with Bach (they were contemporaries and knew each other, holding each other in high esteem).
"God" is capitalized for the same reason "Earth" or "the Universe" is capitalized. What precisely is meant may differ, but it's rich even for a materialist to argue that the name for the personification of the ground of being shouldn't be capitalized (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptions_of_God)
Got worried for a moment: this is a profile on him, not an obituary.
Pärt leans towards a form of minimalism, which not everyone likes. Some of the works I personally lean towards are:
* "Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvfvO3dJqFY
* "De Profundis": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vOSKaKJ1QY
* "Te Deum"† (~30m): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNxbT0MESTY
* "Fratres" (for cello and piano): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4XMjsYeMig
* "Fratres" (for violin and piano): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PS5QMsGaRw
* "Fratres" (for violin, chambre orchestra, percussion): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9I-6QPT8Is
* the Tabula rasa album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YqF69HLkj8
If you're going to listen to a choral work, it's worth looking first for recordings by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, as Pärt often collaborates with them (sits in on performances, recordings; he's Estonian himself so there's a 'cultural collection').
† On a historical note, the "Te Deum" is one of the earliest Christians hymns we know about (and that is still used), apparently dating back to before 500 AD: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Deum
Tabula Rasa is such a beautiful modern masterpiece.
There's a slower and arguably better version of Pärt's "De Profundis":
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzmflIdYmw
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzmflIdYmw
I have a CD of Hillier's album (one of the first ways I was exposed to Pärt):
* https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lmpgHbTQHjWV6o...
See Summa (Credo) and perhaps Seven Magnificat Antiphons in it.
Shameless plug, I helped produce and sang on this disc of Pärt by tbe Byrd Ensemble of Seattle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc96YWX4qAE&list=PLbeKTzt34V...
Excerpts of it were later featured in a French movie called L'Apparition whose soundtrack features a lot of Pärt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apparition_(2018_film)
Check out Magnificat also
> Magnificat
I have a few of Hillier's Pärt CDs:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04XKjal0grI
In addition to his more substantial pieces that others have mentioned, the real turning point in his music was a very small piece called Für Alina:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvXy69eF__Y
Prior to this he had composed in the dissonant, serialist style that was expected of "serious" art music in the middle of the 20th century. This was the first piece where he broke with the contemporary style and introduced his unique "tintinnabuli" style.
If you have even a basic familiarity with music theory it's worth taking a look at the structure of the piece because it's surprisingly simple for the effect. As the right hand plays the melody, the left hand simply plays notes from a b minor chord, with the particular note being whatever is just beyond one octave below the note that the right hand is playing. However there is one exception towards the end where the left hand plays a C# instead of a D as it would be expected to, and this marks the climax of the piece.
If you are ever in Tallinn, it’s well worth the visit to the Arvo Pärt Centre.
One of his most beautiful and well-known pieces is "Spiegel im Spiegel": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZe3mXlnfNc
https://youtu.be/PzSlmWQuHFw
https://youtu.be/T2WuzKeDx8U
“Sarah was ninety years old” is one of the most beautiful and haunting pieces of music ever written. If you don’t know it, check it out
Bach and Part are the two composers who make music not just of man but of the glory of God Himself. IYKYK.
Carnatic, Qawwali and many more central Asian musics as well, i.e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pran_Nath_(musician) to pick a particularly influential person to the Western canon
Not a fan of Pärt myself, but Zelenka is a good one to pair with Bach (they were contemporaries and knew each other, holding each other in high esteem).
You mean "god", right?
These two composers certainly meant God.
"God" is capitalized for the same reason "Earth" or "the Universe" is capitalized. What precisely is meant may differ, but it's rich even for a materialist to argue that the name for the personification of the ground of being shouldn't be capitalized (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptions_of_God)
In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Pärt a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture.