“I have discovered that it is enough when a single note is beautifully played.” Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Alongside American composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is one of the most important representatives of the “minimalist” movement in classical music. Browse our sheet music and scores, and discover all his simple, beautiful, mysterious, spiritual, atmospheric music today!
Pärt began his career at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s as a sound engineer, and also composed music for film and television. His early works were influenced by Russian neoclassicism, in particular the works of Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev, however he also used various modern composition techniques, such as dodecaphony, serialism, and aleatorism. A turning point came in the 1970s, when he devoted himself intensively to the study of medieval music, chorales and polyphony.
In 1976, Pärt began to use his own minimalist compositional technique, “Tintinnabuli”, named after the Latin word for “little bell”, which generally revolves around a simple triad, or three “little bells”. In the words of the composer:
“Tintinnabulation is like this. Here I am alone with silence. I have discovered that it is enough when a single note is beautifully played. This note, or a silent beat, or a moment of silence comfort me.”
Due to his deep devotion to Christianity, Arvo Pärt’s work includes a great number of religious and spiritual pieces for choir or soloists, either with accompaniment or a cappella. He also wrote many instrumental works, including four symphonies, and a series of piano pieces. Pärt’s music is best characterised by simple motifs, spirituality and atmosphere.
for: für Chor SATB und Orchester
Study score
Item no.: 1657214
for: 4 saxophones (SATBar/AATBar)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1681089
'Ja ma kuulsin hääle ...'
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1666979
for: String orchestra, percussion
Score
Item no.: 1672488
'Los Angeles'
for: String orchestra, kettledrums, percussion, harp
Study score
Item no.: 1667558
for: für Sopran und 8 Violoncelli
Study score
Item no.: 1658094
Pärts musikalische Interpretation der Seligpreisungen aus der Bergpredigt
lateinische Fassung
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 1663949
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1546723
Psalm 96 (95)
for: gemischten Chor oder Solisten (SATB) und Orgel
Vokalpartitur
Item no.: 1645402
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1664726