Arvo Pärt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arvo Pärt
Pärt at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, 2008
Born	(1935-09-11) 11 September 1935 (age 89) Paide, Järva County, Estonia
Alma mater	Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
Occupation	Composer
Works	List of compositions
Spouse(s)	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 (born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer. He writes contemporary classical music, which is a type of music written in modern times. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has used a simple style called minimalism. He also created a special way of composing called tintinnabuli. This style is like the ringing of bells. Pärt's music is partly inspired by old church music called Gregorian chant.

Some of his most famous works are Fratres (1977), Spiegel im Spiegel (1978), and Für Alina (1976). From 2011 to 2018, and again in 2022, Arvo Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world. This means his music was played more often than any other living composer's. The Arvo Pärt Centre, a special place dedicated to his work, opened in Laulasmaa, Estonia, in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Arvo Pärt was born in Paide, Estonia. He grew up in Rakvere with his mother and stepfather. When he was young, he started playing the family piano. The middle part of the piano was broken, so he only played the high and low notes. This might have influenced his later simple music style.

Pärt began music school at age seven in Rakvere. By his early teenage years, he was already writing his own songs. In 1954, he started serious music studies at the Tallinn Music Middle School. However, he paused his studies to serve in the military. There, he played the oboe and percussion in the army band.

After his military service, he went to the Tallinn Conservatory. He studied composing with a teacher named Heino Eller. People said he was very talented, as if "he just seemed to shake his sleeves and the notes would fall out." In the 1950s, he wrote his first song for voices, a cantata (a piece for singers and instruments) called Meie aed ('Our Garden'). It was written for a children's choir and orchestra. He finished his studies in 1963.

Music Career

As a student, Pärt wrote music for movies and plays. He created music for over fifty films. These film scores helped him try out different ways of composing. From 1957 to 1967, he worked as a sound producer for Estonian public radio.

In 1962, some officials criticized Pärt for using a modern style called serialism in his piece Nekrolog (1960). This was the first 12-tone music written in Estonia. However, nine months later, Pärt won first prize in a big music competition. This showed that even the Soviet government couldn't agree on what music was allowed.

His first openly religious piece, Credo (1968), was a big moment in his life and career. Personally, he felt stuck creatively and wanted to find a new way to compose. Socially, because the piece was religious, his music was unofficially banned from concerts. For the next eight years, he wrote very little music. Instead, he studied medieval and Renaissance music to find his new musical language. In 1972, he changed his religion from Lutheranism to Orthodox Christianity.

Pärt started composing again in 1976. He used his new style and technique, called tintinnabuli.

In 2014, a newspaper called The Daily Telegraph said Pärt might be "the world's greatest living composer." They also called him "Estonia's most celebrated export." When asked how Estonian his music felt, Pärt said, "I don't know what is Estonian... I don't think about these things."

Pärt's Music Style

Overview of His Works

Some well-known pieces by Pärt include Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten (1977) for string orchestra and bell. Another is the string quintet Fratres I (1977), which he later changed for string orchestra and percussion. He also made versions for solo violin ("Fratres II") and cello ensemble ("Fratres III") in 1980.

Pärt is often linked to minimalism. More specifically, he is known for "mystic minimalism" or "holy minimalism." He is seen as a leader in this style, along with composers like Henryk Górecki and John Tavener. At first, he became famous for instrumental works like Tabula Rasa and Spiegel im Spiegel. But his choral works (music for choirs) have also become very popular.

During this time in Estonian history, it was hard for Pärt to hear music from outside the Soviet Union. He could only get a few illegal tapes and music scores. Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. It remained under Soviet control for 51 years, except for a short time during World War II.

How His Music Developed

Pärt at the Estonian Foreign Ministry in 2011

Pärt's music is usually divided into two main periods. In his early works, he used styles similar to composers like Shostakovich and Bartók. Then, he started using Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, which is a very structured way of composing. However, this style caused problems with the Soviet government. It also felt like a dead end for his creativity.

When Soviet censors banned some of his early works, Pärt took a break from composing. During this time, he studied choral music from the 14th to 16th centuries. His biographer, Paul Hillier, said that Pärt felt "complete despair" and lacked the will to write any music.

In his piece Credo (1968), Pärt used modern music techniques. This work was different from his earlier music. Inspired by old church music, he combined old and new styles to show his faith. The Soviets eventually banned this work because of its clear religious message.

After this period of study, Pärt's music changed a lot. This new period included works from 1977 like Fratres, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, and Tabula Rasa. Pärt calls the music from this time "tintinnabuli"—meaning "like the ringing of bells." Spiegel im Spiegel (1978) is a famous example used in many films.

Tintinnabuli music has simple harmonies, often using single notes or basic chords. These sounds remind listeners of ringing bells. Tintinnabuli works also have simple rhythms and do not change speed often. In this style, each part of a word is given a specific musical note and length. When words are connected, they form a musical phrase.

Another feature of Pärt's later works is that they often use religious texts. He usually chooses Latin or Church Slavonic language (used in Orthodox church services) instead of his native Estonian language. Large works based on religious texts include Berliner Messe, St. John Passion, and Te Deum. Famous choral works from this time are Magnificat and The Beatitudes.

Awards and Recognition

Personal Life

In 1972, Arvo Pärt became an Orthodox Christian after marrying his second wife, Nora.

In 1980, after a long effort, he and his family were allowed to leave the Soviet Union. They first lived in Vienna, Austria, where he became an Austrian citizen. Then, in 1981, they moved to Berlin, Germany. He returned to Estonia around the year 2000 and for a while lived in both Berlin and Tallinn. He now lives in Laulasmaa, Estonia, which is about 35 kilometers from Tallinn. He speaks fluent German because he lived in Germany for many years.

In 2010, the Pärt family created the Arvo Pärt Centre. This center keeps his personal collection of music and writings. A new building for the center opened on 17 October 2018. It has a concert hall, a library, and places for research. The center also offers educational programs for children and shares information about Pärt's life and work with people around the world.

See Also

In Spanish: Arvo Pärt para niños

• List of Estonian composers