Search - Vladimir Spivakov, Sergej Bezrodny, Dietmar Schwalke :: Alina - Arvo Pärt

Calmly Listening to One's Still Small Voice Within

Nicholas Croft | New York | 02/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Arvo Part was born on September 11th, 1935 in Estonia. By his 27th year, he had graduated from the Tallinn Music Conservatory and was already composing conventional cantatas and oratorios. During his early years as a composer, however, he struggled with creative despair and entered two different periods of self-imposed silence. He emerged from this period of reflection, at the age of 41, having discovered a simple, heartfelt compositional method based on the three notes of a musical triad: tintinnabuli (from the Latin, little bells). A short work for piano, "For Alina", was the first piece that introduced this new compositional style to Part's listening public.



Two years later, "Mirror in Mirror" was written, continuing what was to become Part's signature approach to authoring new music. On this ECM compact disc, "Alina", we are offered an extended meditation on these two starkly contemplative compositions. The musical intention here might be to calm listeners and provide a sonic atmosphere of quiet repose. Yet these works of "holy minimalism" may be better suited to reflective states that require a more engaged level of listener attention. It is a music that perhaps finds it's proper home within the zeitgeist of contemporary independent cinema or postmodern dance.



There is undeniable beauty in this recording, along with restrained feelings of sadness as well. One has the sense that this era of Part's music was born only after long periods of a solitary prayer life. That the music's beauty comes from the serenity found within that solitude, while it's sadness might originate in humanity's inadequate response to the dark mysteries of our time.



Part has said, "it is enough when a single note is beautifully played". Each note here, within the five pieces of "Alina", is performed through a spirit of hushed reverence and tender devotional love. This quality of living makes "Alina" easily one of the most accessible wordless recordings by Arvo Part in recent years. For those curious about his music, there is definitely no better place to start listening than with this simple, serene offering."