Arvo Pärt, September 11, and Giya Kancheli. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was born on September 11, 1935. Pärt is rightly considered one of the most important contemporary composers. His essentially minimalist style was deeply influenced by Gregorian chant and early European polyphony. Not surprisingly, it works most effectively in his sacred pieces, such as Fratres or Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. Practically from the beginning of his career Pärt had problems with cultural authorities. Many of his compositions, written while he was living in Soviet Estonia, were banned by the local censors. In 1980 Pärt emigrated to Austria and later moved to Germany. Some years after Estonia gained independence Pärt returned to his native land.
Of course we are approaching not just Arvo Pärt’s birthday, but also the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. No music can express the horror of these events, but Pärt’s deeply contemplative piece, "Spiegel im Spiegel" (“mirror in the mirror") seems to be at least adequate in its tone. It can be heard here in the performance by janus trio.
Another piece from our library, which we thought would be appropriate under the circumstances, is Giya Kancheli’s Valse-Boston for Piano and Strings (1996). Kancheli is a tremendously talented composer, and he deserves to be better known in the US. Like Pärt, Kancheli was born in a former Soviet republic – Georgia,, and in the same year, 1935. Like Pärt, he emigrated to the West in 1991, first to Berlin, and later to Antwerp, where he now lives. While not a real “minimalist,” Kancheli’s style is ascetic in nature, to quote Rodion Shchedrin. And, like Pärt, Kancheli often writes liturgical music. The lighthearted name of the composition, Valse-Boston, is rather misleading: it’s a profound piece (of course there have been many precedents to that in the history of music, Ravel’s La Valse being probably the most famous example). Valse-Boston is performed by the pianist Eteri Andjaparidze with Round Top Festival Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Jean-Marie Zeitouni. To listen, click here.
September 5, 2011
Arvo Pärt, September 11, and Giya Kancheli. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was born on September 11, 1935. Pärt is rightly considered one of the most important contemporary composers. His essentially minimalist style was deeply influenced by Gregorian chant and early European polyphony. Not surprisingly, it works most effectively in his sacred pieces, such as Fratres or Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. Practically from the beginning of his career Pärt had problems with cultural authorities. Many of his compositions, written while he was living in Soviet Estonia, were banned by the local censors. In 1980 Pärt emigrated to Austria and later moved to Germany. Some years after Estonia gained independence Pärt returned to his native land.
Of course we are approaching not just Arvo Pärt’s birthday, but also the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. No music can express the horror of these events, but Pärt’s deeply contemplative piece, "Spiegel im Spiegel" (“mirror in the mirror") seems to be at least adequate in its tone. It can be heard here in the performance by janus trio.
Another piece from our library, which we thought would be appropriate under the circumstances, is Giya Kancheli’s Valse-Boston for Piano and Strings (1996). Kancheli is a tremendously talented composer, and he deserves to be better known in the US. Like Pärt, Kancheli was born in a former Soviet republic – Georgia,, and in the same year, 1935. Like Pärt, he emigrated to the West in 1991, first to Berlin, and later to Antwerp, where he now lives. While not a real “minimalist,” Kancheli’s style is ascetic in nature, to quote Rodion Shchedrin. And, like Pärt, Kancheli often writes liturgical music. The lighthearted name of the composition, Valse-Boston, is rather misleading: it’s a profound piece (of course there have been many precedents to that in the history of music, Ravel’s La Valse being probably the most famous example). Valse-Boston is performed by the pianist Eteri Andjaparidze with Round Top Festival Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Jean-Marie Zeitouni. To listen, click here.