The power of silence
During the concert series The just, we perform works by Vasks — a richly rewarding challenge for both singer and listener. But who is this composer, and what makes his repertoire particularly well-suited for this concert?
At a time when the noise of the world seems to constantly overwhelm us, the music of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks offers a quiet yet powerful counterbalance. His work is deeply rooted in nature, the suffering and hope of his homeland Latvia, and exudes a spiritual intensity that is rare in contemporary classical music. For Vasks, music is more than just an art form. Music is a necessity—a form of resistance against violence, loss, and dehumanization.
Vasks grew up in the years following World War II, in a Latvia still under Soviet rule. His father was a Baptist minister, a position viewed with suspicion under the atheistic regime. In this tense context, Vasks developed a strong sense of the value of inner freedom, silence, and faith. These elements would go on to profoundly influence his later music.
What makes his music unique is the combination of Latvian folk music, postmodern harmonies, and a spiritual sensitivity that feels universal. He often employs “simple” musical means—gentle strings, long melodic lines, quiet chords. His works are often meditative in nature, like prayers expressed through sound.
Two compositions particularly illustrate this style: The Fruit of Silence and Actus Caritatis. Both pieces are part of the concert The just, and in both, silence is not merely used as a pause, but as an active element, a carrier of meaning.
The Fruit of Silence and Actus Caritatis
The Fruit of Silence is a musical setting of a prayer by Mother Teresa. The text is short and simple—“The fruit of silence is prayer / The fruit of prayer is faith / The fruit of faith is love…”—but in Vasks’ hands, each line becomes a meditation in itself. The music slowly circles around the words, with long sustained tones and a sparse choral arrangement that allows every sound to fully resonate. Here, silence is not absence, but presence—a presence of attention, of inner peace, and perhaps even of inspiration.
In Actus Caritatis (Latin for “act of love”), Vasks takes this exploration even further. The piece is an ode to the healing power of love and humanity. The music is reverent and austere, at times almost transparent. The choral singing builds an atmosphere of quiet surrender. Notably, Vasks composed this work especially for The just, a concert centered on the courageous acts of Jan Zwartendijk, who upheld humanity in times of violence and hatred. In this context, the piece takes on an added layer of meaning: love as silent resistance, and simplicity as a moral force.
Vasks’ work is an invitation not to fear silence, but to embrace it—as a source from which love and hope can grow. It shows how the quiet and the simple can carry profound expressive power. He steers clear of bombast and returns to the essence of what it means to be human: to suffer, to hope, to believe, to give. And above all: to listen—to the silence, and to one another.
