Arvo Part (1935-)

Arvo Part (1935-)

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

2015

The Soundtrack Of An Age

20150624

20150622 (R3)

The Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt is nothing short of a musical phenomenon. He can lay claim to being the most popular of contemporary composers. According to his publisher's records, in a single month in 2011 there were 63 official performances of his work across the world, from England to Estonia, New Zealand to Venezuela: you can bet there would have been perhaps twice as many unofficial performances. Donald Macleod begins his exploration of the life and work of Arvo P䀀rt. Part of Radio 3's Classical Voice Season - celebrating the art of singing.

Donald Macleod begins an exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo Part.

2015

The Soundworld Of The Composer

20150623

Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt. In this programme, tracing P䀀rt's experiments with 12-tone music and collage and the nine-year period in which he composed almost nothing, a silence which was broken eventually by his development of his own tintinnabuli process. Part of the BBC's Classical Voice Season, celebrating the art of singing.

Tracing Part's experiments in twelve-tone music and collage, and his tintinnabuli process.

2015

Silence Is Like Fertile Soil

20150622

20150624 (R3)

Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt.

P䀀rt had been listening, looking, reading, studying, probing, observing through some nine years of virtual silence, searching for a new style, when, one sunny morning in February 1976, he came through on the other side as he wrote down a piano piece which was to be called, in Estonian, Aliinale: For Alina. The music has no fixed metre or tempo. It's marked: 'Calm, exalted, listening to one's inner self.' It's seemingly so simple - timeless - but it answered many questions for P䀀rt. He says of this point in his life, as if he were describing the music of For Alina itself: 'Begin from zero, from nothing. It's like if there is fresh snow and nobody has walked [on it], and you take the first steps on this snow. And this is the beginning of new life.' Part of the BBC's Classical Voice Season, celebrating the art of singing.

Donald Macleod focuses on the composition of Part's work For Alina.

2015

Eternity And Purpose

20150625

In the autumn of 1979, Arvo and Nora P䀀rt had an unexpected caller at their apartment. It was a leading member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Soviet Estonia. He'd dropped by to offer a friendly suggestion: it might be better all round if they left the country. It was meant to look like a voluntary decision, but it was really an eviction order. So, at five o'clock on the morning of 18th January 1980, telling their children they were all going on a round-the-world trip, they set off from Baltic Station in Tallinn. Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt, in this programme focusing on the years after P䀀rt's move to the West. Part of the BBC's Classical Voice season, celebrating the art of singing.

Donald Macleod focuses on the years after Part's move to the West in 1980.

2015

05 LAST

Give Me The Spirit Of Humility And Love

20150626

Part's recent work, including Orient and Occident, Symphony No 4 and Adam's Lament.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
2015	01	The Soundtrack Of An Age	20150624	20150622 (R3)	The Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt is nothing short of a musical phenomenon. He can lay claim to being the most popular of contemporary composers. According to his publisher's records, in a single month in 2011 there were 63 official performances of his work across the world, from England to Estonia, New Zealand to Venezuela: you can bet there would have been perhaps twice as many unofficial performances. Donald Macleod begins his exploration of the life and work of Arvo P䀀rt. Part of Radio 3's Classical Voice Season - celebrating the art of singing. Donald Macleod begins an exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo Part.
2015	02	The Soundworld Of The Composer	20150623		Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt. In this programme, tracing P䀀rt's experiments with 12-tone music and collage and the nine-year period in which he composed almost nothing, a silence which was broken eventually by his development of his own tintinnabuli process. Part of the BBC's Classical Voice Season, celebrating the art of singing. Tracing Part's experiments in twelve-tone music and collage, and his tintinnabuli process.
2015	03	Silence Is Like Fertile Soil	20150622	20150624 (R3)	Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt. P䀀rt had been listening, looking, reading, studying, probing, observing through some nine years of virtual silence, searching for a new style, when, one sunny morning in February 1976, he came through on the other side as he wrote down a piano piece which was to be called, in Estonian, Aliinale: For Alina. The music has no fixed metre or tempo. It's marked: 'Calm, exalted, listening to one's inner self.' It's seemingly so simple - timeless - but it answered many questions for P䀀rt. He says of this point in his life, as if he were describing the music of For Alina itself: 'Begin from zero, from nothing. It's like if there is fresh snow and nobody has walked [on it], and you take the first steps on this snow. And this is the beginning of new life.' Part of the BBC's Classical Voice Season, celebrating the art of singing. Donald Macleod focuses on the composition of Part's work For Alina.
2015	04	Eternity And Purpose	20150625		In the autumn of 1979, Arvo and Nora P䀀rt had an unexpected caller at their apartment. It was a leading member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Soviet Estonia. He'd dropped by to offer a friendly suggestion: it might be better all round if they left the country. It was meant to look like a voluntary decision, but it was really an eviction order. So, at five o'clock on the morning of 18th January 1980, telling their children they were all going on a round-the-world trip, they set off from Baltic Station in Tallinn. Donald Macleod continues his exploration of the life and music of Estonian composer Arvo P䀀rt, in this programme focusing on the years after P䀀rt's move to the West. Part of the BBC's Classical Voice season, celebrating the art of singing. Donald Macleod focuses on the years after Part's move to the West in 1980.
2015	05 LAST	Give Me The Spirit Of Humility And Love	20150626		Part's recent work, including Orient and Occident, Symphony No 4 and Adam's Lament.