Fratres
Fratres | |
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Instrumental music by Arvo Pärt | |
Form | Variations |
Composed | 1977 |
Scoring | varied |
Fratres (meaning "Brothers" in latin) is a musical work by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt exemplifying his tintinnabuli style of composition.[1] It is three-part music, written in 1977, without fixed instrumentation and has been described as a “mesmerizing set of variations on a six-bar theme combining frantic activity and sublime stillness that encapsulates Pärt's observation that "the instant and eternity are struggling within us".[2]
Structure[]
The main theme is strongly inspired by the movement Le Coucou au fond des bois[citation needed] from The Carnival of the Animals (1886) by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Structurally, Fratres consists of a set of nine chord sequences, separated by a recurring percussion motif (the so-called "refuge"). The chord sequences themselves follow a pattern, and while the progressing chords explore a rich harmonic space, they have been generated by means of a simple formula.[3]
Fratres is driven by three main voices. The low and high voice are each restricted to playing notes from the D harmonic minor scale (D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C#); the middle voice is restricted to the notes of the A minor triad (A, C, E). The entire piece is accompanied by drones in A and E, which are primarily heard in the refuge between each sequence.
The chords are created by the movement of the three voices: the low voice starts at C#; the high voice starts at E. Both the low and high voices are moved up or down the D harmonic minor scale at the same time, with the direction of the movement depending on the position within the sequence. The middle voice starts at A and plays a different pattern (A, E, E, C, C, C, C, A, A, E, E, C, C, A). The generated chords create harmonic ambiguity, since both C# and C are present, yielding an A major or A minor feel.
Versions[]
Although often performed by violin and piano, versions for larger ensembles, such as a string quartet or chamber orchestra, are also common. Performances by early music specialists has also been endorsed.[4]
Versions for ensembles include:
- chamber orchestra (1977)
- four, eight, twelve, etc. cellos (1982)
- string quartet (1989)
- winds and percussion octet (1990)
- string and percussion orchestra (1991)
- band of metal instruments (2004)
- three recorders, percussion, and cello or viola da gamba (2009)
- saxophone quartet (2010)
Versions for solo instrument and accompaniment:
- violin and piano (1980)
- cello and piano (1989)
- violin, string orchestra, and percussion (1992)
- trombone, string orchestra, and percussion (1993)
- cello, string orchestra, and percussion (1995)
- guitar, string orchestra, and percussion (2000)
- viola and piano (2003)
- four percussionists (2006)
- viola, string orchestra, and percussion (2008)
In films[]
The composition has been used for many films and documentaries. Notable usages include:
- 1987 : Rachel River directed by Sandy Smolan
- 1996 : Mother Night directed by Keith Gordon ; Fratres is performed by Tasmin Little (violin) and Martin Roscoe (piano)
- 1997 : Winter Sleepers directed by Tom Tykwer
- 1999 : eight-part PBS documentary New York: A Documentary Film directed by Ric Burns
- 2005 : six-part BBC documentary Auschwitz: The Nazis and the ‘Final Solution’ produced by Laurence Rees, used the composition performed in 1997 by the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, conducted by
- 2006 : directed by Victor Erice
- 2007 : There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
- 2013 : To the Wonder directed by Terrence Malick
- 2013 : The Place Beyond the Pines directed by Derek Cianfrance
- 2013 : Violette directed by Martin Provost
- 2015 : El Club directed by Pablo Larraín
- 2017 : documentary film Mountain directed by Jennifer Peedom
- 2017 : Félicité directed by Alain Gomis
In other compositions[]
Jazz pianist Aaron Parks incorporated elements of Fratres into his composition "Harvesting Dance," heard on his album Invisible Cinema and on Terence Blanchard's album Flow.[5]
References[]
- ^ Zivanovic, Rade (2012). "Arvo Part's Fratres and his Tintinnabuli Technique". hdl:11250/138506. Cite journal requires
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(help) - ^ Arvo Pärt, Sinfini Music website
- ^ Linus Åkesson (2007-12-03). "Fratres". Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- ^ "Fratres (concert)". Arvo Part Centre. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- ^ Frank J. Oteri (2014). "Aaron Parks: Make Me Believe A Melody". Retrieved 2014-06-17.
External links[]
- The 1997 release by the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, used in the 2005 BBC documentary Auschwitz: The Nazis and the ‘Final Solution’
- An Official Video of London-based violinist Lana Trotovšek performing the version for violin and piano with pianist Yoko Misumi
- Free recording of Fratres for Cellos by the Columbia University Orchestra.
- A Remixed version for Violin and Piano by Beats Antique of Oakland California
- Compositions by Arvo Pärt
- 1977 compositions