Arvo Pärt

b. 1935, Estonia

Miserere, 1989

How can one fill the time

with notes worthy of

the preceding silence?

Fratres. 1977

Credo (1968)

Structure

• Outer sections rooted by Bach

Prelude in C, Ex. 1

• Central section uses

– 12-tone row based on perfect fifths,

ex. 2

– Plus aleatoric sections (See score,

next page), Ex. 3

Early Music

• Gregorian chant—

– Foundation of music for centuries

– Religious basis of music

• Notre Dame--Perotin

• Machaut

• Ars nova

• Netherlands Renaissance

– Ockeghem, Obrecht, Josquin

• Palestrina, Victoria

• Machaut, Kyrie I

• Part, Psalom

• Machaut, Kyrie II

• Perotin, Viderunt Omnes

• Machaut, Kyrie III

Modus: Sarah Was Ninety Years Old

1976

– Rhythmic patterns with no

designated pitch

– Melodic patterns with little

rhythmic differentiation

• Melodic phrase repeated but started at

different points

Ex.

1

2

3

Tintinnabuli

• Two essentials

– Triadic arpeggios

– Diatonic scales

Best known works

– Fratres, 1977—earliest example of

relatively dissonant tintinnabuli

formation [pp104-6]

Arrangements

• Kronos Quartet, Ex. 1, 2

• Strings and percussion

• Violin, strings and percussion

• Wind octet

• Eight cellos

• Cello and piano, Ex. 1, 2

Berlin Mass, 1990

• Kyrie

• Alleluia

• Moves to Vienna and then Berlin

• St. John Passion, 1982

Miserere (1989)

• Structure

– Miserere, 1st 3 verses, soloists, Ex. 1,

2, 3

– Dies irae, 1st 7 verses, choir, Ex. 1

– Miserere, reamaining 16 verses,

soloists, Ex 1, 2 3

– Dies irae, verse 8, choir (plus SA soli),

Ex. 1

• Section I

– Recitation pitches on main stressed

syllables

– T voice a separate response to M

• Section II

– Mensuration canon, descending scales

in 5 tempi

– Each new verse heralded by timpani

• Section III

– Pitch changes on stressed syllable

• Interludes

– Instruments repeat vocal music

• Section IV

– Rising scale

• Other music you might like

– Satie

– Cage

– Gregorian chant

– Kronos, Early Music

– New Age-ism

• Fifteenth-century Netherlands

• Russian Orthodox Church

– Tchaikovsky, Mass?