4/9/20

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Arvo Pärt (1935- )

After two days in a row of not just Alexander Scriabin the man, but the orchestral works of Scriabin, I figured it would be a very good time for a palate cleanser. To fulfill that, I have selected a work by contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, who is widely known for his minimalist and spiritual style of composition. The piece of his which I decided to talk about today is a very brief solo piano work titled Für Alina (which as you might expect is named in part to reference the Beethoven’s solo piano piece which was dedicated to some Elise character). In Pärt case, however, we know that Alina is the daughter of a family friend, and with the separation of Alina’s parents, the piece is meant as a consolation for her mother who would not have contact with Alina. The piece was premiered with a set of works which were meant to showcase Pärt’s new signature style of composition in 1976, which he calls “tintinnabuli” (which I will go into depth about later). Arvo Pärt is currently one of the most performed living composers in the world, with some of his more famous works including Fratres and Spiegel im Spiegel.

Pärt’s minimalist style (in Für Alina in particular) is actually quite different than the minimalist style of composers like John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. The style of those three goofballs (and what is usually accepted as the true original “minimalist style”) is music that is focused on patterns and how small changes in rhythms and harmony can change the musical effect completely. By contrast, music like Für Alina uses the minimal amount of notes to achieve its emotional affect. Both variants of minimalism have yielded great pieces of music since the development of those styles in the second half of the 20th century. This also brings us to Pärt’s tintinnabuli style, which unites his spiritualism, minimalism, and fascination with chant music. In this style, two voices play together, one with a conjunct melody and the other with a note in harmony taken from the tonic chord. Pärt has been quoted with saying this about his own style: “Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers – in my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it? Traces of this perfect thing appear in many guises – and everything that is unimportant falls away. Tintinnabulation is like this… The three notes of a triad are like bells. And that is why I call it tintinnabulation.”

Für Alina is almost like a “poster child” of this new style which came at a time in Pärt’s life when he was abandoning all the previous ways in which he would compose. That may be part of the reason as to why I am so attracted to this music - it seems like it aims to convey complex ideas in simple, elegant fashion. Even in such a short piece, there is beauty. In my own music, I find that the style of minimalism has become more and more important to me, as I try to evoke emotions in a way that speaks to me. Often these emotions and concepts manifest themselves as very romantically inspired pieces (which may be to the fault of my own diet of music which I enjoy and listen to), but the more pieces which I listen to like Für Alina which achieve so much with no more than a few dozen notes, I recognize the beauty in simplicity. This piece and this style of composition may not appeal to everyone, but I urge you to listen to it just once, step away for a while, and then listen again. While you listen, remember that when a composer does not trust their own writing, it is much easier to add and mask than it is to reduce and give space to. I hope you enjoy the performance which I have linked below.