Andrew Shenton, ed. - The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

ISBN: 9781107009899 | 272 pages | PDF

Arvo Pärt is one of the most influential and widely performed contemporary composers. Around 1976 he developed an innovative new compositional technique called "tintinnabuli" (Latin for "sounding bells"), which has had an extraordinary degree of success. It is frequently performed around the world, has been used in award-winning films, and pieces such as Für Alina and Spiegel im Siegel have become standard repertoire.

This collection of essays, written by a distinguished international group of scholars and performers, is the essential guide to Arvo Pärt and his music. The book begins with a general introduction to Pärt's life and works, covering important biographical details and outlining his most significant compositions. Two chapters analyze the tintinnabuli style and are complemented by essays which discuss Pärt's creative process. The book also examines the spiritual aspect of Pärt's music and contextualizes him in the cultural milieu of the twenty-first century and in the marketplace.

- Covers a wide range of subjects and approaches to Pärt and his music: biographical, analytical, contextual, cultural and historical, providing a complete and authoritative guide to the composer

- Technical musical language and any theoretical concepts are clearly explained and contextualized

- Includes original writing and quotations from Arvo Pärt which appear in English for the first time, enabling readers to engage directly with the composer and to form their own opinion of what he says


Reviews

"This volume is long overdue. Although the music of Arvo Pärt has been readily embraced by audiences, listeners and licensees (providing the soundtrack to many Hollywood films and YouTube clips), the Estonian-born composer has yet to enter the academic press. Joining an august catalog of previous composers and genre companions from [Cambridge], Andrew Shenton's volume is a persuasive act of stimulation and provocation." -- Classical Music