Maria Listra to perform demanding Pärt work at Pärt Days

Soprano Maria Listra will perform Arvo Pärt’s “Como cierva sedienta” at the upcoming Pärt Days, ERR’s Vikerraadio reported. She described the rarely heard work as one of the most difficult and extraordinary pieces she has faced.

“It is a very demanding work, both vocally and in terms of its content,” Listra said. The piece addresses why and whether God has abandoned people, and what that experience feels like. Listra said she is practising it every day and must understand not only the notes but also what she thinks about the work.

She said the music had prompted her to reflect on whether God had truly abandoned people. “The question may be where we look and what we look at, where we direct our gaze,” Listra said.

Listra has performed Pärt’s music around the world and said audiences often recognise in it something distinctly Estonian, including the serenity of Estonian nature. Last autumn, she performed Pärt’s “L’abbé Agathon” in the United States under the direction of conductor Tõnu Kaljuste.

Recalling a performance at Carnegie Hall, Listra said a train could be heard through the wall of the smaller concert hall. She saw the noise as a contrast to Pärt’s music, which requires silence to be heard. “Outside, there is a clattering and creaking world, while inside the room you remain true to yourself and simply create silence,” she said.

Listra said a good artist is like water that fills whatever space is given to them. She has performed in venues ranging from living rooms to a concert hall seating 2,500 people.

“Tõnu Kaljuste trusts me, and that gives me great freedom,” Listra said. She added that people inspire her and that she is currently focusing on long thoughts and taking time to do important things.