Arvo Pärt

Born: September 11, 1935. Paide, Estonia
Died:

- Biography
- Musical Examples
- Works
- Links

Estonian composer. He creates music that combines Western, medieval, and Russian Orthodox elements in an individual blend.

Over the last few decades, many composers have infused their music with a distinctly spiritual quality. This is often accompanied by a style that stresses a relatively tonal framework and a retreat from the complexities that have marked art music in the twentieth century. Composers such as Henryk Gorecki, John Tavener, and, above all, Arvo Pärt have created a style that mixes modern musical ideas, ancient musical techniques, and a stark spirituality. This music has found a home in the complex world of the early twenty-first century.

Pärt began his music studies in 1954 and entered the conservatory at Tallinn in 1957. At the same time, he began work at the state radio station and composed for stage and films. His early career was conducted within the oppressive atmosphere of Soviet domination in art and culture. Nonetheless, Pärt helped to pioneer the use of serial techniques in Estonia and later added the technique of collage (making use of extensive quotation of material by baroque and classical composers). After his 1968 Credo was banned, he ceased composing for a time, turning to the study of medieval music and the works of the Franco-Flemish school. He returned to composition in 1971 with his Symphony #3, but soon retreated again into artistic silence. By 1976 he had developed a radically new style based on simple melodies in counterpoint with drones and arpeggiated triads—a style he named tintinabuli because of its bell-like qualities. Since finding this new compositional voice, Pärt has maintained an active and prolific compositional career. He has continued to explore this style, and since leaving Estonia in 1980 he has added the strong religious element that marks his most recent work.

Arvo Pärt's music has found a solid following in the last fifteen years. This is due in part to the clear tonal orientation of his music, which makes it easily accessible to the listener. At the same time, different qualities appeal to other audiences. The general static quality of the music, with slowly shifting harmonies and rich timbres, connects with the so-called New Age style, while his use of medieval techniques has made him popular with proponents (listeners and performers) of Early Music. Finally, the religious quality of his music, tinged with the exotic qualities of the Russian Orthodox church, has made his music attractive to various religious and spiritual movements. His is a popularity perfectly in sync with the eclecticism of his style.

Musical Examples:

Works:

Orchestral works, including Cantus in memorium Benjamin Britten (string orchestra and bells, 1977); concertos Pro et contra (for cello, 1966) and Tabula rasa (for 2 violins, 1977)
Instrumental chamber works, including Collage sur B-A-C-H (1964) and Fratres (1977)
Sacred choral works, including Credo (for piano, chorus, and orchestra, 1968), Cantate Domino canticum novum (1977, rev. 1996), St. John Passion (1982), Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988), Magnificat (1989), and Kanon Pokajanen (on Russian Orthodox texts, 1997)

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