Arvo Pärt

"Pärt" redirects here. For the Estonian handballer, seeArmi Pärt.For the Estonian music producer, seeMichael Pärt.

Arvo Pärt
Pärt atChrist Church Cathedral, Dublin,2008
Born	(1935-09-11)11 September 1935 Paide,Järva County, Estonia
Alma mater	Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
Occupation	Composer
Works	List of compositions
Spouse	Nora Pärt
Awards	American Academy of Arts and Letters Order of the National Coat of Arms Brückepreis Léonie Sonning Music Prize Légion d'honneur

Arvo Pärt(Estonian pronunciation:[ˈɑrʋoˈpært];born 11 September 1935) is anEstoniancomposer ofcontemporary classical music.Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in aminimaliststyle that employstintinnabuli,a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in part inspired byGregorian chant.His most performed works includeFratres(1977),Spiegel im Spiegel(1978), andFür Alina(1976). From 2011 to 2018, and again in 2022, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world, and the second most performed in 2019, afterJohn Williams.TheArvo Pärt Centre,inLaulasmaa,was opened to the public in 2018.

Early life, family and education

Pärt was born inPaide,Järva County,Estonia, and was raised by his mother and stepfather inRakverein northern Estonia.He began to experiment with the top and bottom notes of the family's piano as the middle register was damaged.

Pärt's musical education began at the age of seven when he began attending music school in Rakvere. By his early teenage years, Pärt was writing his own compositions. His first serious study came in 1954 at the Tallinn Music Middle School, but less than a year later he temporarily abandoned it to fulfill military service, playingoboeand percussion in the army band.After his military service he attended theTallinn Conservatory,where he studied composition withHeino Ellerand it was said of him, "he just seemed to shake his sleeves and the notes would fall out".During the 1950s, he also completed his first vocal composition, thecantataMeie aed('Our Garden') for children's choir and orchestra. He graduated in 1963.

Career

As a student, Pärt produced music for film and the stage. From 1957 to 1967, he worked as a sound producer for the Estonian public radio broadcasterEesti Rahvusringhääling.

Tikhon Khrennikovcriticized Pärt in 1962 for employingserialisminNekrolog(1960), the first 12-tone music written in Estonia,which exhibited his "susceptibility to foreign influences". But nine months later Pärt won First Prize in a competition of 1,200 works, awarded by the all-Union Society of Composers,indicating the Soviet regime's inability to agree on what was permissible.His first overtly sacred piece,Credo(1968), was a turning point in his career and life; on a personal level he had reached a creative crisis that led him to renounce the techniques and means of expression used so far; on a social level the religious nature of this piece resulted in him being unofficially censured and his music disappearing from concert halls. For the next eight years he composed very little, focusing instead on study ofmedievalandRenaissance musicto find his new musical language. In 1972 he converted fromLutheranismtoOrthodox Christianity.

Pärt reemerged as a composer in 1976 with music in his new compositional style and technique, tintinnabuli.

On 10 December 2011,Pope Benedict XVIappointed Pärt a member of thePontifical Council for Culturefor a five-year renewable term.

In 2014The Daily Telegraphdescribed Pärt as possibly "the world's greatest living composer" and "by a long way, Estonia's most celebrated export". When asked how Estonian he felt his music to be, Pärt replied: "I don't know what is Estonian... I don't think about these things." Unlike many of his fellow Estonian composers, Pärt never found inspiration in the country's epic poem,Kalevipoeg,even in his early works. Pärt said, "MyKalevipoegis Jesus Christ. "

Music

See also:List of compositions by Arvo Pärt

Overview

Familiar works by Pärt areCantus in Memoriam Benjamin Brittenforstring orchestraand bell (1977) and thestring quintetFratresI(1977, revised 1983), which he transcribed for string orchestra and percussion, the solo violin "Fratres II" and the cello ensemble "Fratres III" (both 1980).

Pärt is often identified with the school ofminimalismand, more specifically, that of mystic minimalism orholy minimalism.He is considered a pioneer of the latter style, along with contemporariesHenryk GóreckiandJohn Tavener.Although his fame initially rested on instrumental works such asTabula RasaandSpiegel im Spiegel,hischoralworks have also come to be widely appreciated.

In this period of Estonian history, Pärt was unable to encounter many musical influences from outside the Soviet Union except for a few illegal tapes and scores. Although Estonia had been an independent state at the time of Pärt's birth, theSoviet Union occupied it in 1940as a result of the Soviet–NaziMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact;and the country would then remain under Soviet domination—except for the three-year period of German wartime occupation—for the next 51 years.

Development

Pärt at theEstonian Foreign Ministryin 2011

Pärt's works are generally divided into two periods. He composed his early works using a range ofneo-classicalstyles influenced byShostakovich,Prokofiev,andBartók.He then began to compose usingSchoenberg'stwelve-tone techniqueand serialism. This, however, not only earned the ire of the Soviet establishment but also proved to be a creative dead-end. When Soviet censors banned early works, Pärt entered the first of several periods of contemplative silence, during which he studied choral music from the 14th to 16th centuries.In this context, Pärt's biographer,Paul Hillier,observed that "he had reached a position of complete despair in which the composition of music appeared to be the most futile of gestures, and he lacked the musical faith and willpower to write even a single note."

In his workCredo(1968), written for solo piano, orchestra, and chorus, he employedavant-gardetechniques. This work differed in its forms and context from his earlieratonaland tintinnabula works. Inspired by 14th and 16th century liturgical music, he used apoly-stylisticcompositional technique to express his faith in God while incorporating avant-garde techniques of the 20th century. By definition, acredoexpresses beliefs and guides religious action, and in his work it represents his faith in God. The Soviets eventually banned the work due to its clear religious context, even though it incorporated avant-garde and a constructivist procedure.

The spirit of early Europeanpolyphonyinformed the composition of Pärt's transitionalThird Symphony (1971);after that, he immersed himself in early music, reinvestigating the roots of Western music. He studiedplainsong,Gregorian chant,and the emergence ofpolyphonyin the EuropeanRenaissance.

The music that began to emerge after this period was radically different. This period of new compositions included the 1977 worksFratres,Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin BrittenandTabula Rasa.Pärt describes the music of this period as "tintinnabuli"—like the ringing of bells.Spiegel im Spiegel(1978) is a well-known example used in many films. The music is characterised by simpleharmonies,often single unadorned notes, ortriads,which form the basis of Western harmony. These are reminiscent of ringing bells. Tintinnabuli works are rhythmically simple and do not change tempo. In this technique, each syllable of a word is assigned to a pitch and a duration. Once two or three words have been connected, a phrase has been made.Another characteristic of Pärt's later works is that they are frequently settings for sacred texts, although he mostly choosesLatinor theChurch Slavonic languageused in Orthodox liturgy instead of his nativeEstonian language.Large-scale works inspired by religious texts includeBerliner Messe,St. John PassionandTe Deum;the author of the famous text ofLitanyis the 4th-century theologianJohn Chrysostom.Choral works from this period includeMagnificatandThe Beatitudes.

Reception and later compositions

Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world from 2011 to 2018, but then the second-most performed composer, afterJohn Williams.In 2022, Arvo was back to the top in Bachtrack. Of Pärt's popularity,Steve Reichhas written:

Even in Estonia, Arvo was getting the same feeling that we were all getting... I love his music, and I love the fact that he is such a brave, talented man… He's completely out of step with thezeitgeistand yet he's enormously popular, which is so inspiring. His music fulfills a deep human need that has nothing to do with fashion.

Pärt's music came to public attention in the West largely thanks toManfred Eicherwho recorded several of Pärt's compositions forECM Recordsstarting in 1984. Pärt wroteCecilia, vergine romanaon an Italian text about life and martyrdom ofSaint Cecilia,thepatron saintof music, for choir and orchestra on a commission for theGreat Jubileein Rome, where it was performed, close to her feast day on 22 November, by theAccademia Nazionale di Santa Ceciliaconducted byMyung-whun Chung.

Invited byWalter Fink,Pärt was the 15th composer featured in the annualKomponistenporträtof theRheingau Musik Festivalin 2005 in four concerts. Chamber music includedFür Alinafor piano, played by himself,Spiegel im SpiegelandPsalomfor string quartet. The chamber orchestra of theBavarian Radio Symphony Orchestraplayed hisTrisagion,FratresandCantusalong with works ofJ.S. Bach.TheWindsbach Boys Choirand soloistsSibylla Rubens,Ingeborg Danz,Markus SchäferandKlaus MertensperformedMagnificatandCollage über B-A-C-Htogether with twoBach cantatasand one byMendelssohn.TheHilliard Ensemble,organistChristopher Bowers-Broadbent,theRostock Motet Choirand the Hilliard instrumental ensemble, conducted byMarkus Johannes Langer,performed a program of Pärt's organ music and works for voices (somea cappella), includingPari intervallo,De profundis,andMiserere.

A composition,Für Lennart,written for the memory of the Estonian President,Lennart Meri,was played at Meri's funeral service on 26 March 2006.

Pärt with his wife Nora in 2012

In response to themurder of the Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskayain Moscow on 7 October 2006, Pärt declared that all of his works performed in 2006 and 2007 would be in honour of her death, issuing the following statement: "Anna Politkovskaya staked her entire talent, energy and—in the end—even her life on saving people who had become victims of the abuses prevailing in Russia."

Pärt was honoured as the featured composer of the 2008Raidió Teilifís ÉireannLiving Music Festivalin Dublin, Ireland. He was also commissioned by Louth Contemporary Music Societyto compose a new choral work based on "Saint Patrick's Breastplate",which premiered in 2008 inLouth,Ireland. The new work,The Deer's Cry,is his first Irish commission, and received its debut inDroghedaandDundalkin February 2008.

Pärt's 2008Fourth Symphony is namedLos Angelesand was dedicated toMikhail Khodorkovsky.It was Pärt's first symphony written since hisThird Symphonyof 1971. It premiered inLos Angeles,California, at theWalt Disney Concert Hallon 10 January 2009,and was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Compositionin 2010.

On 26 January 2014,Tõnu Kaljuste,conducting theEstonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir,the Sinfonietta Riga, theTallinn Chamber Orchestra,theLatvian Radio Choirand the Vox Clamantis ensemble, won aGrammy for Best Choral Performancefor a performance of Pärt'sAdam's Lament.Describing aspects of Pärt's music as "glocal"in approach, Estonian musicologist Kerri Kotta noted that the composer" has been able to translate something very human into sound that crosses the borders normally separating people. "

Awards

• 1996 –American Academy of Arts and Letters Department of Music
• 1996 – Honorary Doctor of Music,University of Sydney
• 1998 – Honorary Doctor of Arts,University of Tartu
• 2003 – Honorary Doctor of Music,Durham University
• 2006 –Order of the National Coat of Arms1st Class
• 2007 –Brückepreis
• 2008 –Léonie Sonning Music Prize,Denmark
• 2008 –Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class
• 2009 – Foreign Member,Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• 2010 – Honorary Doctor of Music,University of St Andrews
• 2011 – Chevalier (Knight) ofLégion d'honneur,France
• 2011 – Membership of thePontifical Council for Culture
• 2013 –Archonof theEcumenical Patriarchate
• 2014 – Recipient of thePraemium Imperialeaward, Japan
• 2014 – Honorary Doctor of Sacred Music,Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
• 2016 – Honorary Doctor of Music,University of Oxford
• 2017 –Ratzinger Prize,Germany
• 2018 – GoldMedal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis,Poland
• 2018 – Honorary Doctor of Music,Fryderyk Chopin University of Music
• 2019 –Cross of Recognition,2nd Class, Latvia
• 2020 –Frontiers of Knowledge Award,BBVA Foundation, Spain
• 2021 –Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 2022 – Officer of theOrder of the Oak Crown,Luxembourg
• 2023 –Polar Music Prize,Sweden
• 2024 – Gold Medal of theRoyal Philharmonic Society

Personal life

He converted to Orthodox Christianity in 1972 upon marrying his second wife, Nora.

In 1980, after a prolonged struggle with Soviet officials, he was allowed to emigrate with his wife and their two sons. He lived first inVienna,where he took Austrian citizenship, and then relocated toBerlinin 1981. He returned to Estonia around the turn of the 21st century and for a while lived alternately in BerlinandTallinn.He now resides inLaulasmaa,about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Tallinn.He speaks fluent German as a result of living in Germany from 1981.

In 2010, the Pärt family established TheArvo Pärt Centre,an institution responsible for maintaining his personal archive, in the village of Laulasmaa. A new building of the centre opened to the visitors on 17 October 2018, containing a concert hall, a library, and research facilities. The centre also offers educational programmes for children and operates as an international information centre on Pärt's life and work.

In April 2020, although Pärt rarely gives interviews, he spoke to the Spanish newspaperABCabout the coronavirus crisis.

See also

• List of Estonian composers

Citations and references

Cited sources

• Hillier, Paul.(1997).Arvo Pärt.Oxford:Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-816616-0(paper)

Further reading

• Chikinda, Michael (2011). "Pärt's EvolvingTintinnabuliStyle ".Perspectives of New Music49, no. 1 (Winter): pp. 182–206
• Pärt, Arvo; Enzo Restagno;Leopold Brauneiss;Saala Kareda (2012).Arvo Pärt in Conversation,translated from the German by Robert Crow. Estonian Literature Series. Champaign, IL:Dalkey Archive PressISBN978-1-56478-786-6
• Shenton, Andrew (ed.) (2012).The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt.Cambridge:Cambridge University PressISBN978-0-511-84256-6
• Shenton, Andrew (2018).Arvo Pärt's Resonant Texts: Choral and Organ Music 1956–2015.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press
• Sildre, Joonas (2024). Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language. Walden: Plough Publishing House.
• Dolp, Laura (ed.) (2019).Arvo Pärt's White Light: Media, Culture, Politics.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press
• Bouteneff, Peter; Jeffers Engelhardt; Robert Saler (eds.) (2020).Arvo Pärt: Sounding the Sacred.New York:Fordham University Press

External links

• Arvo Pärtbiography and works on the UE website (publisher)
• Arvo Pärt discography at Classical Net
• Arvo Pärt Conference at Boston University
• Arvo Pärt– extensive site
• Between Two Sounds:Graphic novel about Arvo Pärt's life and musical journey.
• Biography in MUSICMATCH Guide– small biography and list of works.
• Arvo Pärt and the New SimplicityArchived22 October 2003 at theWayback Machine– article byBill McGlaughlin,with audio selections
• Steve Reich about Arvo Pärt, in an interview with Richard Williams,The Guardian,2 January 2004
• Spike Magazine Interview
• Lancing College Commission Original Claudio Records Recording in the presence of the composer – Review/Information(archived)
• Arvo Pärt Centre– most up-to-date info and more
• Arvo PärtatIMDb