Adam's Lament (Pärt)

Adam's Lament (Russian: Адамов плач Adamov plach) is a 2009 choral composition in Russian language by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt on a text by Silouan of Athos (Силуан Афонский).^[1] The work is scored for choir and orchestra, and is a setting of the words of Saint Silouan.^[2] Pärt has been reported to say that the fallen Adam of the work represents "humankind in its entirety and each individual person alike".^[3]

Text

The poem by Silouan begins:

"Адам, отец вселенной, в Раю знал сладость любвьи Божией,

И потому, когда был изгнан из Рая за грех и лишился любвьи Божией,

Горько страдал и с великим стоном рыдал на всю пустыню."

"Adam, otets vselennoy, v rayu znal sladost' lyubvi Bozhiyey, i potomu, kogda byl izgnan iz raya za grekh i lishilsya lyubvi Bozhiyey, gor'ko stradal i s velikim stonom rydal na vsyu pustynyu."^[4][5]

Adam, the father of the universe, in heaven knew the sweetness of the love of God, and therefore, when he was expelled from heaven for the sin and lost the love of God,

References

1. Cunningham, Harriet (8 April 2013). "Simple merges with complex in right hands". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
2. Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim (26 October 2012). "Arvo Pärt: "Adam's Lament" and other Choral Works". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
3. Fiona Maddocks (28 October 2012). "Arvo Pärt: Adam's Lament – review". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
4. "Силуан Афонский. Адамов плач - Зачатьевский ставропигиальный женский монастырь". Zachatevmon.ru. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
5. "Adam's Lament" (PDF). Svots.edu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.