I. Ludus

 

The piece starts with a cleaning the 'slate' action, with a searing fortissiomo A on both soloists, four octaves apart.  This becomes the work's first theme, a single note that serves as a source to process, alter and elaborate. After the initial single note, the piece starts with Tabula Rasa, a blank canvas, in this scenario a bar of silence. This becomes the second theme of the piece, which was one of the most fascinating aspects of his music, leading me to write a chapter dedicated to Silence and Space. The first movement turns into a game (Ludus) between full of silences that grow progressively shorter and the ever expanding theme, until they are overwhelmed by the cadenza. A beautiful transition to the world of the second movement, which has no actual silent parts until the end, but it is a progressive and gradual preparation for silence, a slow and controlled decay towards it. 

The second soloist plays a high A, four times again, accompanied the the piano the the respected T-voices, serving as a marker for the end of this variation and start of the other. Followed by a bar of silence, this time 7 half notes, one less than the first silence, the first variation comes to an end. The second variation follows the exact same sequence of events, except that the pitches B and G are added to the M-voice, hinting the upcoming additions within new variations and the patterns played by the soloists get longer by an extra bar. The decrease of duration in the silences while increasing the length of the phrases in between creates a beautiful contrast between what is there and what is not there, creating tension and density through a very simple structural idea.

The beginning of Ludus is shown in the example. The first two bars begins with a clarification of the center note A and the answer comes with a silence, almost like an introduction to the rules of the game. The first movement consists of eight variations, working in pairs ( they are comprised of an M-voice and a T-voice). Starting with the first violings divisi, the strings sound the note A four time with T-voices in close position and alternating. This pattern descends through each section down to the low A of the double basses, covering the entire range that will be present in the upcoming bars. After, the soloists exchange a more animated figure between them, based on the A minor triad while the piano plays a single chord that serves as a foundation for the play between the soloists. At the same time, the strings reverse their pattern of entrances, creating a symmetrical version of how they entered, ascending to their initial octave. 

This process of ever changing and elongation continues throughout the entire eight variations, the melodic pitches increasing by one in both directions in each variation while diminishing the concluding silence by one half note each time. By the time it reaches the eighth variation, the M-voice has included all seven diatonic pitches with no more silences left. In place where another silence should happen, it is replaced by a large crescendo that starts a cadenza. The prepared piano takes on a crucial role, almost like a main character, playing a three octave descending scale with ideas from all of the soloists while seperate notes are sustained in the orchestra, creating a weaved tapestry of sounds.

All of these events lead into a ninth variant, a npenultimate note, B. Two pitches are added after, F# and Eb, forming a diminished seventh chord. At first the diminished triad remains in its own territory, except the piano playing chords from A minor, to which the diminished triad responds by moving outwards in both directions. The A minor interracts more directly with these foreign tones, slowly overcoming them. Eventually everything goes into there respective high and low A, and a long single chord of A minor brings this movement to an end, concluding the game.

A remark regarding the end of the first movement by Paul Hillier:

" This latter struggle is remarkably reminiscent of passages written in Pärt's earlier style, particularly the Second Symphony and Credo, though here, of course, the activity is entirely generated from within the music's substance and makes no cross-references or stylistic allusions." 1

A beatiful explanation of the simplicity yet the depth of this piece. One of the most admirable element in most of Pärt's works, the facing of the fundamental elements of music, which holds so much details in a piece like Tabula Rasa, and how to overcome the need to do more and play how it is intended. In most cases, the simplicity makes it more difficult to perform, it requires virtuosity in a different, maybe even more of a spiritual manner rather than playing the notes only.

 

The apparently simple music proved incomprehensible to the performers. It is not an overstatement to say that the musicians, who were used to virtuosity and artistry, were suddenly face to face with the basic elements of music in Pärt’s score: triads and scales. This required a completely different approach, both interpretatively and psychologically. Gidon Kremer admitted that he was surprised by the reduced musical language of the piece and it took him a long time before finally realising the subtlety and intelligence hidden in these sounds. Nora Pärt, the composer’s wife has recalled that even after additional rehearsals the musicians felt powerless before the composition. However, when they started playing at the concert, all the pieces miraculously fell into place. Nora Pärt: "Never again have I experienced the silence that took over the assembly hall after the premiere." (Arvo Pärt Centre 2025)

Additional information regarding the piece.

The double concerto for two violins, string orchestra and prepared piano was composed at the request of the violinist Gidon Kremer in 1977. The piece was premiered on 30 September 1977 at Tallinn Polytechnic Institute by the chamber orchestra of the “Estonia” State Academic Theatre, conducted by Eri Klas, a talented young conductor and a good friend of Arvo Pärt. The violin soloists were also young musicians, soon to be world famous Gidon Kremer and Tatiana Grindenko, while Pärt’s close friend, the composer Alfred Schnittke played the prepared piano. Tabula rasa is dedicated to Eri Klas, Gidon Kremer and Tatiana Grindenko. (Arvo Pärt Centre 2025)

 

Tabula Rasa (1977)


A double concerto for two violins and a prepared piano, Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa is a cornerstone of contemporary classical music, exemplifying his unique tintinnabuli style. This composition became a turning point in Arvo Pärt’s career, introducing the expressive possibilities of the tintinnabuli style for the first time in a large-scale musical composition and this piece concludes the early tintinnabuli works of Pärt. There are no new processes applied in the piece besides the previously discussed approaches, it almost serves as a summary of instrumental tintinnabuli style. It is one of his most expansive work in his early style, approximately twenty-five minutes, has two complementary movements, yet contrasting in both mood and tempo. The underlying connection between these two movements unify the tintinnabuli elements in both sections, blending all details into a large and complete structure. A journey from beginning to end. I interpret the work evoking themes of purity, renewal, and existential exploration. Introspective elements. The title, "blank slate," suggests a starting anew or a spiritual cleansing.

 

Two movements are called  Ludus and Silentium, first one being in A minor and second in D minor. The natural harmonic transition between them creates a brief sense of resolution in the beginning of the second movement. But becase Pärt obscures the traditional function of harmony through his techniques, the ear is not given any expectations of a resolution so this relationship is merely theoretical. The two titles represent two 'themes', giving hints of what to come. Ludus meaning game, to play (music) and Silentium, silence, or contemplation. A common theme underlying most of Pärt's work. 

Violinist Gidon Kremer has described Tabula Rasa as a declaration of silence, a manifesto of concentrating on important things. He has also admitted that this piece changed his life. Manfred Eicher, the head of the record label ECM, has recalled the first time he heard Tabula Rasa: driving in a car, without knowing the name of the composer or the title of the piece. This experience became a trigger for creating the ECM New Series in 1984. Tabula rasa was the first record in the series and also brought wider recognition to Arvo Pärt. (Arvo Pärt Centre 2025)

II. Silentium

 

An opening with a D minor arpeggio from the prepared piano immediately sets the tonal centre of this movement.  The same melodic pattern that happened in the first movement, now centred on D, moves in triple rhythm this time. The structure is a threefold metric canon, a common approach that Pärt has in his compositions, begins simultaneously in the solo first violin, followed by tutti first violin and cello. Together, they gradually created a web of ever-growing melodies, supported by T-voices. The T-voices are distributed in three different ways compared to the single alternating 1st position T-voice in the first movement. The second soloist supports the first soloist with alternating 1st position, while the second violins are in 2nd inferior position to the first violins. And lastly, the violas are in 2nd position superior position to the celli. I have listed a detailed analysis of the second movement as well. As the melodic structure widens, the opening arpeggios by the piano starts coming in later, whenever the M-voice soloist passes through the D centre, piano reaccentuates the opening phrase. 

 The journey of the cello grows into four octaves, assisted by the double basses, but their lowest D slowly decayes into an inaudible thing before it arrives, letting the ear finish it. Same approach also happens towards the end. The last pitch sounded is actually an E, the same as the ending of the first movement. This time however, instead of going through another story, it leads into a contemplative silence. Pärt's creation of these wonderful and introspective endings usually finish with a lingering sense of incompletenes, almost as if asking the listener to finish the puzzle.

First two pages of Ludus. The clear construction and usage of tintinnabuli can be seen instantly. (Pärt 1977)

A personal favourite quote regarding silence by Arvo Pärt:

 

"Before one says something, perhaps it is better to say nothing. My music has emerged only after I have been silent for quite some time, literally silent. For me, “silent” means “nothing” from which God created the world. Ideally, a silent pause is something sacred… If someone approaches silence with love, then this might give birth to music. A composer must often wait a long time for his music. This kind of sublime anticipation is exactly the kind of pause that I value so much." (Engelhardt 2012)

The main focus of the piece consists in the need to listen to the silence and find its colours, delve into every single note and approach the music in a completely selfless, humble way. (Arvo Pärt Centre 2025)

Regarding Tabula Rasa as a philosophy:

"The phrase tabula rasa comes from ancient philosophy and is directly translated as “blank slate” or “erased slate”. Although the term has acquired somewhat different meanings and interpretations over the centuries in Western culture, it is mostly associated with the Aristotelian notion of a human soul that is born into this world as pure and empty of all experiences or ideas, at the same time having a special potential in the anticipation of these ideas and experiences." (Arvo Pärt Centre 2025)

In Depth Analysis. II. Silentium

 

- The prepared piano part, playing a D minor triad in second inversion in two octaves, follows a structure of entrance;

2+2+4+4+6+6+8+8+10+10+12+12+14+14+16+16

Meaning every represented number, due to the structure of the melody, it comes later in a very systematic way, making the form slower with every repetition. Also, the piano downbeat always lands together with the M-voice note D, no matter how long the phrase is.

 

- Violin Solo 2 is accompanying Violin Solo 1 as T voice in D minor, outlining only D and A, no F.

 

- Violin I plays the lead melody 8vb and in double time.

 

- Violin II plays T-voice for Violin I, inferior 2nd position.

 

- Viola section plays another T voice, 2nd position superior for the Celli.

 

** Violin II and Viola section plays the accompanying T-voices in 1-2 ratio. Violin II has quarter note speed while violas having half note speed.

 

- Celli plays the melody 15vb, 4 times faster then the original M-voice.

 

-In bar 61( Rehearsal mark 11) Violin solo 2 takes the melody while Violin solo 1 takes over the T-voice accompanying the melody.

 

-Contrabass has the main function of hitting a two octave D, pizzicato; always with the piano, creating a strong and open perfect 5th sonority. Gives us a very stable strong foundation for the entire composition.

 

-Contrabass also starts playing T-voice, taking over from the Celli section when they reach their lowest register.

 - Because of the nature of both M-voice and T-voice of the second movement, throughout the piece it covers the entire 7 octaves of the string ensemble. Demonstrating a beautiful example of orchestration and usage of the different colour quality of each individual section.

 

- After bar 89 (rehearsal mark 15), Violin solo 1 gets back the melody. Because it starts getting out of the lower register of the instrument, violas stop the role of T-voice and occasioanly take over the melody. When it reaches the low end of violas, celli takes over while helping with T-voice as well. And when every section other then contrabass reaches their lowest note, only the contrabass section remains, ending with an open E string, ppp, making us fill the remaining tonic note D.  This vanishing quality aligns with Pärt’s spiritual aesthetics, where the music seems to dissolve into an infinite stillness, silence.

The ending is with 4 bars of general pause written into the score purposefully(G.P), helping us contemplate on the rich composition we just experienced. This ending, seeing the deliberate addition of silence helped me realise the value of beginnings and ends, since then I have been practicing a ritual for both my composition and improvisation practices.

 

"Everything should start from silence and should go back to silence". 

The last measures of SIlentium, where the intentional silence can be seen. (Pärt 1977)

Opening measures of Silentium. (Pärt 1977)

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