Estonian composer Arvo P盲rt is one of the most performed living composers in the world. Nominated for 11 Grammy awards and revered by Bj枚rk, P.J Harvey, and Radiohead as well as classical musicians around the world, his deceptively simple and spiritual music is loved by millions.

This afternoon鈥檚 programme draws from a fascinating career punctuated by self-reflection and renewal. After attending music school and undertaking military service, the young P盲rt worked with a brash and loaded musical palette, pushing the boundaries of the politically and musically possible. But he began to see this music as 鈥榟ateful鈥�, and he sank into an artistic winter. His Third Symphony, which we hear today, could be considered a pivotal work for P盲rt, composed as he began to explore early music and Gregorian chants, embracing its simplicity and austere beauty.

In 1976, he emerged with a new and highly original musical language that would inspire his creativity and define his inimitable style for decades to come. He had developed a technique which he called 鈥楾intinnabulation鈥�, from the Latin tintinnabuli, or 鈥榯olling of little bells.鈥� This compositional idea, inspired by Medieval chant and Renaissance polyphony, manifests musically as two voices. What this means, essentially, is that the tintinnabuli voice arpeggiates a chord, creating a fixed and beautifully sparse foundation for an unfurling melodic voice. Summa (1977) is one of P盲rt鈥檚 first tintinnabula works, whilst Festina Lente (1986) toys beautifully with time and pace. Swansong (2013) has a captivating hymn-like expression and is based on one of Cardinal Newman鈥檚 most famous sermons, Wisdom and Innocence.

Programme

Arvo P盲rt

Festina lente - 1986
Summa - 1977
Swansong - 2013
Symphony No. 3 - 1971