Arvo Pärt and Fratres The use of his compositional Tintinnabuli Style

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1 Arvo Pärt and Fratres The use of his compositional Tintinnabuli Style Zachary Payne University of Mary Washington Department of Music Under the direction of Dr. Mark Snyder, Kristen Presley, Dr. David Long, and Dr. Theresa Steward

2 Payne 2 Abstract In this lecture recital, I wish to present the violin concerto Fratres and the piece s composer Arvo Pärt. Pärt s music, specifically Fratres, is an example of modern 20 th century minimalist music. Pärt s minimalist work is unique due to a compositional technique he created called Tintinnabuli. My goal is to demonstrate how his music used his style to create musical sequences inspired by Gregorian chant and sequential chord sets. In my performance of Fratres, my goal is to show how a musical formula and the Tintinnabuli style is used to create sequential patterns and melodies that explore the space Pärt creates with his style. While doing so, I hope to illustrate the unique voice of minimalism Fratres achieves.

3 Payne 3 Table of Contents Page 1: Cover Page Page 2: Abstract Page 3: Table of Contents Page 4: Thesis Statement Page 5: Introduction Page 6: The Tintinnabuli Technique Page 8: Fratres Page 11: Melody, Root and Code Page 13: Use of Tintinnabuli in Fratres Page 16: Conclusion Page 17: References

4 Payne 4 Thesis Arvo Pärt s Fratres uses a musical structured formula and compositional tool called Tintinnabuli. This compositional style, technique, and philosophy is not just a word to describe the sound of Pärt s greatest works, but it showcases tools and techniques that can be learned and applied to composition to create minimalist works that are related to, or emulate, Fratres.

5 Payne 5 Introduction Since the minimalist movement began around the 1960s, the diverse field has become a staple in musical history. As this scope of music continues to grow and vary, new composers create fresh techniques, systems, or philosophies that apply to minimalist music and give later composers not only inspirations, but compositional tools and rules that can be followed to emulate a chosen style, or to create something new. Arvo Pärt, a 20 th and 21 st century composer, wrote and innovated in the field of minimalist music during the early half of his career. 1 Upon first listening, many knowledgeable people in the subject matter might say that his music is reminiscent of American minimalist music due to some shared notes with the style and the seeming nature of the repetition. 2 However, Pärt cannot really be placed in this category. While he created his excellent examples of this style of music, Pärt also created a unique compositional technique known as Tintinnabuli. This compositional technique uses influences from Gregorian chant and medieval heterophony, Stravinsky s liturgical music, as well as his own stylings inspired by his own beliefs on how Tintinnabuli should be perceived. This style can be useful as a tool for study, and for application in the creation of minimalist music. Fratres will be examined to identify how simple structure and symmetry can be combined with tintinnabuli to create beautiful minimalist music Arvo Part s Fratres and his Tintinnabuli Technique, Zivanovic

6 Payne 6 The Tintinnabuli technique Before one can truly observe and understand Fratres, one must understand Tintinnabuli. This technique was created by Pärt himself during the early half of his compositional career for his minimalist work. Pärt himself explains how, When the complex and multifaceted confuse me, I must search for unity. Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers. Pärt then explains how when he searches for this unity, that traces of this perfect thing appear in many guises. He then notes that when observing this unity, everything that is unimportant falls away. Arvo Pärt names and identifies this feeling, and he uses it when he creates his technique, Tintinnabulation is like this The three notes of a triad are like bells, and that is why I call it tintinnabulation. 3 With that explanation, he identifies the technique and resultant affect. This is an affect that replicates in music like the bell tones of wind chimes. The tintinnabuli technique is predominately the use of a single triad. Using influences from Gregorian chant, this technique operates with two to four voices, where each voice is named and traceable. The melodic line is where the main melody is portrayed in this minimalist style. This line typically is monophonic, meaning the voice is always expressed with a single line, and the melody never is portrayed with layers. It usually moves in a predominantly stepwise motion and can be doubled with two separate voices. The held 5 th voice is an optional part, inspired by Gregorian chant, that is occasionally used to provide stability to the piece. The tintinnabuli baseline is the line that shadows the melodic line; however, 3

7 Payne 7 the baseline only uses tones from the chosen triad. The base can be doubled in the voices, and can be located above (Superior) the melody, below(inferior) the melody, and interwoven (alternating) with the melody 4. For example, these are examples of the tintinnabulation with superior, inferior, and interwoven lines with the two main tintinnabuli voices: 4 Arvo Part s Fratres and his Tintinnabuli Technique, Zivanovic

8 Payne 8 Fratres To illustrate a potent use of Tintinnabuli, one must look at Arvo Pärt s compositional work Fratres for violin and piano. Fratres was created as a general melody in 1978, by Arvo Pärt and over the next few years was modified for different ensembles. The version used in this analysis is Fratres für violin und clavier, created in It is for violin and piano. General themes of Fratres are patterns and mirrored symmetry. These themes can be found on the surface of the piece, as well as woven into the structure, pitch cells, and the over arching movement of the piece. Of interesting note for the piano and violin version, is that the piece has a lot of give and take from both players in terms of musical phrasing. This is an interesting deviation from a lot of standard violin works with piano accompaniment. In many pieces, the violin is centerpiece with the piano in a supporting role. In Fratres however, the two parts must play much more like a duet, taking cues from one another and molding their shape of phrasing with the other to get the most precise sound required for the piece. Arvo Pärt utilizes most techniques for virtuosic violin, including Arpeggiated chords, double and triple stops, harmonic chords and col legno as well as requiring the violinist to know much of the range of the fingerboard. Over the piece s running time, a sort of theme and variations is observed. The central theme presented by the violin is followed by eight variations for nine parts total. An example of mirrored symmetry is found in the overall arc of the piece in terms of various intensities. The piece raises in volumetric intensity up until the height of motion and tension at rehearsal number 4 before the center variation at 5. This is the gentle center point of the piece. After the mirror point,

9 Payne 9 the 6 th variation has a similar intensity to the 4 th variation. The piece then weakens in intensity for every following variation. This culminates in the whispered harmonics at the final 9 th variation followed by the barely audible col legno at the piece s end. Some of the various fluxes in intensity besides volumetric intensity, include individual pitch per beat intensity (the upward trend of intensity), and chord dissonance intensity (the declining trend of intensity). The following basic arc shows the basic form for reference. The piece exists within the following eight pitch cell. One can note how the distances between the tones, when spread out C# to C#, are mirrored at the center note of the scale (G). This is another example of the theme of mirrored symmetry. [C# D E F G A Bb C C#] S T S T T S T S Both the main theme, first and the last variation s central pitch is the C#. The entire piece is panmodel, a scale system rooted in tradition. This is where the tonal centers of a piece shift, but they always stay within the pieces 8 pitch cell. The variations have the pitch centers descend by 3rds. 5 All the while the melody is 5

10 Payne 10 shadowed by the major third below the central pitch, creating a harmony. This pattern keeps up until the 8 th variation when the central pitch returns to C# within the pitch cell. Main Theme Central pitch C# C# A F D Bb G E C# Harm. pitch NA A F D Bb G E C# A After the violin solo theme, every variation ends with a piano interlude accentuated by a rolling chord of the open violin strings (a set of 5ths starting on G55). Whenever this segment is played, the previous variation seems to disappear. All leftover tension and momentum that was built up before seems to suddenly clear. Arvo Pärt uses this like a pallet cleanser to clear the listeners mind of the previous variation in preparation for the new variation that follows. The form of this interlude is as follows,

11 Payne 11 The Melody, Root, and Code Looking closely at Fratres reveals a musical formula throughout the piece. This is where the theme of structure can be found. Both the violin and the piano take part in playing the chord tones that act as the foundation of the piece. The root of the formula is a set of four notes. This structure expands before mirroring itself. What is fascinating is that pthe way it expands is set and structural. The formula is so exact even, that it can be represented in a computer assembly language like C++, java, or python. For readings sake, this computer program version of Fratre s underlying formula can be represented in asuedo-code (a form of writing code not using proper syntax, but a very easy to read version of code) using the syntax of C++. Do pitchvalues = [55, 57, 58, 61, 62, 64, 65] home = 4 If mirror = False For(X = 1; X < 4; X++) Y = X Z = X play(pitchvalues[home], length = 2) while(y!= pitchvalues[home]) play(pitchvalues[home-y]) Y = Y + 1 while(z!= pitchvalues[home]) play(pitchvalues[home+z]) Z = Z - 1

12 Payne 12 else play (pitchvalues[home], length = 3) mirror = True for(x = 1; X < 4; X++) Y = pitchvalues[home]) + 1 Z = pitchvalues[home]) - X play(pitchvalues[home], length = 2) while(formula!= 2) while(y!= X) Play(pitchValues[Y]) Y = Y + 1 while(z!= pitchvalues[home]) Play(pitchValues [X]) Z = Z + 1 play(pitchvalues[home], length = 3) mirror = False To help showcase the flow of this formula, one can consult this visual aid. Note that the design here also incorporates the mirror at the exact midway point. This shows how the formula itself follows the theme of mirrored symmetry. This system outlines the basic melodic formula of Fratres in the piano barring some minor variations.

13 Payne 13 Use of Tintinnabuli in Fratres Now that the melody is identified, and the technique is quantified, one can now pick out the use of tintinnabuli within the theme and variations of Fratres. The variations of this piece often use two voices doubling the melodic lines (major thirds apart), as well as two voices doubling the base tintinnabuli line. The opening violin solo uses a sequence of rolling chords in within the pitch cell. The central pitch used within the cell is C#. This is where the melody is established, and it is where the violinist can showcase virtuosic ability. The formula for the melody line of the piece can be found outlined in the lowest pitch of each chord. After the theme suddenly halts with the first interlude cell, the first variation begins. This is where the melodic line and base line of tintinnabuli begin to interact powerfully with a bell like affect.

14 Payne 14 To best illustrate the interactions with the base and melody lines in this variation, one must look to the mid-point of the variation when the melody is mirrored. The violin and alto lines of the part are used to double the tintinnabuli baseline. While the upper lines in each of the pianos hands double the melody major thirds apart. The baseline is in octaves both above and below the melody focused on the main melody. This is a case of superior and inferior tintinnabuli. Both types are in position 2. The second variation begins the interpolation of the tintinnabuli baseline that Pärt will use to add movement and complexity to the variations. Every cell of 4 sixteenth notes devotes the 1 st and 3 rd notes of the cell to the current note in the baseline found in the bottom voice of the right hand of the piano part. The baseline also uses octaves above and below the base note for variations. The type of tintinnabuli is inferior tintinnabuli in 2 nd position according to the types list in the section defining tintinnabuli

15 Payne 15 Variation 4 is the height of the tension that is built up from the opening theme. This height in tension is due to the rapid use of 32 nd notes coupled with the first full forte of the piece. The violin part also has one of the most busy and rich sections that can be found in the tintinnabuli style. The 32 nd notes are an interpolation of the tintinnabuli baseline with more notes similar to the 3 rd movement. However, the extra notes in this case belong to the melody in the central and harmonizing pitches.

16 Payne 16 Conclusion Fratres showcases the effect that what seems like a simple, minimalistic piece, can have on the listener. After examining the tintinnabuli technique Arvo Pärt created, one can see how this effect is achieved by combining new ideas with old. The theme of mirrored symmetry is integral to all aspects of the piece, and can be found in the overall arcs the piece takes, in the arrangement of the piece s pitch cell, and in the code and formula of Fratres. The theme of structure and formula can be found in the theme and in every variation of the piece as the main constant of Fratres. Tintinnabuli is indeed a perfect tool in the belt of minimalist composers seeking to add serenity by simple perfection to their piece. Because when the artistry of the structural symmetry of Fratres combines with the simple perfection tintinnabuli provides, what would be a simple piece comes together as a minimalist marvel.

17 Payne 17 References Score used for study and examples: Arvo Pärt, Fratres für violin und clavier (1980), ue 17274, universal edition Zivanovic.pdf?sequence=1