Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's playful side revealed in new book-album
For his 90th birthday, the Arvo Pärt Center published a new collection of the Estonian maestro's witty musical greetings spanning nearly five decades.
"Gratefully. Heartfelt. With Love. Musical Greetings from Arvo Pärt" reveals a previously unknown playful side of Pärt's work.
Over nearly 50 years, Pärt has written more than 80 brief musical greetings for friends, close acquaintances, public figures and collaborators over the years, 78 of which are featured in this volume.
Recipients include the likes of conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, producer Manfred Eicher, conductor and pianist Dennis Russell Davies, and former Estonian presidents Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Kersti Kaljulaid.
Several of the more musically distinctive and complete miniatures were composed as farewell gifts to former employees at the Arvo Pärt Center.
The musical greetings highlight Pärt's warmth, humor and linguistic creativity, featuring wordplay, drawings and graphic elements. In many cases, Pärt has used the recipient's initials as musical motifs, turning letters into musical pitches.
"In birthday and wedding greetings, he makes playful use of well-known melodies like 'Happy Birthday' and Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March,'" notes coauthor Maarja Tyler. "At the same time, those based on a person's initials feel especially personal and one-of-a-kind."
Never intended for public performance, the majority of the pieces featured were recorded especially for the new volume, offering a unique insight into their musical character.
The recordings are available online on the Arvo Pärt Center's homepage.
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Editor: Neit-Eerik Nestor, Aili Vahtla
