Arvo Pärt's Resonant Texts Choral and Organ Music 1956–2015

Statistically the most performed and listened to contemporary composer in the world, Arvo Pärt is a musical and cultural phenomenon. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in his extraordinarily innovative and uniquely appealing music. Andrew Shenton surveys the full scope of Pärt's oeuvre, providing context and chronological continuity while concentrating in particular on his text-based music, analysing and describing individual pieces and techniques such as tintinnabulation. The book also explores the spiritual and theological contexts of Pärt's creativity, and the challenges of performing his work. This volume is the definitive guide for readers looking to engage with the form, content, and context of Pärt's compositions, as Shenton situates Pärt in the narrative of metamodernism and suggests new ways of understanding this unique and beautiful music.

1. Prelude: resonant texts [1]; 2. Credo: 1955–76; 3. Interlude: audible light; 4. Passio: 1976–82; 5. Interlude: the numinous encounter; 6. Kanon: 1982–97; 7. Interlude: performance practice; 8. Lamentate: 1997–2003; 9. Adam's Lament: 2003–15; 10. Postlude.

Andrew Shenton is on the faculty of Boston University, and is a leading expert on the music of Arvo Pärt. He is the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt (Cambridge, 2012), and is the author of Olivier Messiaen's System of Signs (2008). Active as a performer, he has premiered more than ninety pieces, and has more than thirty recordings to his credit.