Arvo Pärt

De profundis

De Profundis was the first new composition written after Pärt's emigration, and belongs more with the Estonian tintinnabuli works, with their unwavering adherence to a simple unfolding of material in basic tintinnabuli manner, than to the relatively more intricate manner of the later Latin works. It is scored for male voices (TTBB), organ, and percussion (bass drum, E bell, and tam-tam) - the percussion is marked 'ad lib', though much would be lost by its omission. The organ provides a relentless walking bass beneath alternate phrases, while the voices declaim the text in steady minim beats throughout. (Paul Hillier) Psalmus 130 (129) De profundis clamavi ad te Domine: Domine ex audi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuae intendentes in vocem deprecationis meae. Si iniquitates observaveris Domine: Domine quis sustinebit. Quia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui te Domine. Sustinuit anima mea in verbo eius: speravit anima mea in Domino. A custodia matutina usque ad noctem, speret Israel in Domino. Quia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio. Et ipse redimet Israel ex omnibus iniquitatibus eius. Psalm 130 (129) Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, o Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, o Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.