Arvo Pärt

The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (*1935) attracted a wide base of fascinated listeners during the 1980s with the ethereal consonance of his compositions which appear strangely timeless, while simultaneously generating outright rejection from the contemporary avant-garde scene. In the meantime, all controversy has subsided and Pärt is counted among the most successful composers of our time. Artistically speaking, he has travelled a substantial distance which was shaped by a profound dichotomy, resulting in two distinct stylistic groups of compositions.

Pärt was born in Paide, a small town in Estonia which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. He initially studied piano and later composition from 1958 to 1963 in Tallinn. During his studies and afterwards, he earned his living as a sound engineer for Estonian Radio up to 1967 when he became a freelance composer based in Tallinn. His compositions dating from this period were decidedly avant-garde. His orchestral work “Nekrolog”, composed in 1960 during his studies and dedicated to the victims of Fascist dictatorships, was the first serial composition in Estonia and attracted strong disapproval from the Soviet cultural authorities. The work was followed by a variety of stylistic experiments, culminating in the “Credo” for choir, piano and orchestra in 1968. The performance of this composition was banned due to its religious content and Pärt fell into disfavour within official musical circles for many years.

His enforced retreat from public life was accompanied by a deep distrust in the music of the avant-garde, causing Pärt to suffer a compositional crisis lasting around eight years. During his “years of silence” in Pärt’s own words, he focused on an intense study of Medieval music and Orthodox church music, surviving with considerable success through the composition of film scores. In 1976, he ultimately found his way to a new compositional style characterised by extreme reduction and the utilisation of consonant triads and repetitive structures. The best-known work of this so-called “tintinnabuli” style – named after the small bells utilised in Eastern Orthodox chants – is “Fratres” (1977) which exists in a number of different versions, including arrangements for chamber ensemble, violin and piano and a cello ensemble. This breakthrough unleashed creative energies prompting a productive new compositional phase.

Due to Pärt’s increasing reputation in the West, the Soviet authorities considered the composer no longer supportable and ordered him to leave the country with his family in 1980. After an initial period in Vienna, the family settled in Berlin in 1981. A recording of several “tintinnabuli” works including “Fratres” was issued, gaining Pärt an international reputation. Compositions relating to religious texts and content have formed the core of his artistic creativity, including numerous choral works with and without instrumental accompaniment. Pärt returned to Estonia in 2008. Although the composer rarely makes any public pronouncements, he has made no secret of his critical attitude towards the Russian government. His 90th birthday will be celebrated across the world of music with numerous performances and additional events in 2025.