Good morning.

Today we’re listening to Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer. Pärt grew up in northern Estonia, began to compose music in his early teens, and studied composition at the Tallinn Conservatory.1 In the ‘70s, Pärt embraced a minimalist style he called “Tintinnabuli.” Generally it’s about using two voices – arpeggio and conjunct motion – together in unity. Or as he described it in 2011, “One and one makes – one.”2 Some of Pärt’s pieces that epitomize this style are “Für Alina” and “Spiegel im Spiegel,” spare, stark compositions that are performed faithfully on 1999’s Alina. If you’re interested in fuller, more dynamic pieces, we’re also playing a collection of Pärt’s orchestral works performed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, which also came out in 1999.

Alina - Arvo Pärt et al. (50m, no vocals)
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Tabula Rasa; Fratres; Symphony No. 3 - Arvo Pärt et al. (60m, no vocals)
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Have a really nice Wednesday.