Michael Nyman - Out of the Ruins (1989)

Musically derived from 'L'Arche de La Defense' from the multi-movement work 'La Traversee de Paris', 'Out of the Ruins' is a choral work that was commissioned by filmmaker Agnieszka Piotrowska for use in her documentary commemorating the first anniversary of the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia which took the lives of some 50,000 people. The sung text is derived from Grigor Narekatsi's 'Book of Lamentations'. Nyman later transcribed and adapted the music from 'Out of the Ruins' into his String Quartet No. 3 in 1993.

Performed by the Holy Etchmiadzin Chorus conducted by Khoren Meykhanejian.
Recorded October 2nd 1989 in the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia.