ARVO PÄRT: STABAT MATER Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal Christopher Jackson, direction Quatuor Franz Joseph (on early instruments) Daniel Taylor, countertenor ACD2 2310 Sometime around 1976, when Arvo Pärt's oeuvre was about to be reborn in his newfound tintinnabular style, the enthusiasm mustered by the world of ancient music was opening up around him in his native Estonia.   It was to have, in his own words, ‘the effect of a midwife on my music.’ This release from ATMA Classique is unique in that it rekindles that seminal atmosphere in performances of these stunning works - foremost among which the strikingly beautiful ‘Stabat Mater’ - entirely on early instruments and at the Baroque pitch of A=415 Hz. The profound voices of the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal choir and the Franz Joseph String Quartet also deliver two visions of Pärt's famous setting of the Christian Creed, ‘Summa,’ while the Quartet alone is heard in ‘Fratres’ (originally composed for string ensemble on early instruments) and the haunting miniature ‘Psalom.’   Finally, star countertenor Daniel Taylor sings the telling ‘motet’ Es sang vor langen Jahren, on words by the German Romantic poet C.M. von Brentano. ARVO PÄRT   • Stabat Mater (for choir, violin, and violas da gamba) • Summa (for choir, for string quartet) • Psalom (for string quartet) • Fratres (for string quartet) • Es sang vor langen Jahren ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879