Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel (LP)

Description

A LP reissue for a critically acclaimed bestseller from the Brilliant Classics catalog, and an ideal introduction to the unique and meditative world of Arvo Pärt. The gentle piano arpeggios introducing Spiegel im Spiegel calm the pulse and invite the listener into a realm of stillness, consolation, and contemplation. Composed in 1978, it has become one of the most well-known works written by Pärt in his tintinnabuli style, which he first developed with the short piano piece Für Alina in the early 1970s. This music reacts against both the aggressive modernism that the composer had embraced earlier in his career and the muscular style of socialist realism demanded of composers in the Soviet republics. Its tonal centering and peaceful ambiance have captivated millions of listeners since, making Pärt one of the most individual and renowned figures in contemporary classical music. This album features three different versions of Spiegel im Spiegel: the original score for violin and piano, followed by later arrangements for cello and piano and for piano trio. Each reveals different facets of the piece as it unfolds gently, making the album as a whole a one-hour meditation. Shorter intermezzos highlight the main work: in addition to Für Alina, written as a birthday gift for the composer's daughter, there is also a satellite work for solo piano, the Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka. Finally, there is the Mozart-Adagio that Pärt wrote for piano trio in 2005 in memory of the Russian violinist Oleg Kagan. Neither an arrangement nor a collage, the piece draws its theme from the slow movement of Mozart's Violin Sonata K280, a youthful work, and weaves a sober commentary around the original, as well as adding an introduction and an epilogue that place the piece in the context of our time. Like much of Pärt's music, it makes a disproportionate impression relative to its ambition and seemingly modest dimensions.