Symphony No. 3 (Pärt)

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Symphony No. 3
by Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt.jpg
Arvo Pärt
Composed1971
PerformedSeptember 21, 1972 - Tallinn
PublishedEdition Peters
Movements3
ScoringSymphony orchestra

Arvo Pärt composed his Third Symphony in 1971. It is scored for symphony orchestra and was dedicated to Neeme Järvi.

Composition[]

After composing his Credo in 1968, he embarked on a transitional period where he stopped composing. The reason for this creative hiatus was Pärt's realization that his musical compositional method had been fully developed. The only major piece he decided to work on was the third symphony, which came about right before the creation of his unique tintinnabular style. During the years between 1968 and the creation of both Fratres and Tabula Rasa, Pärt delved into Gregorian chant, early polyphonic music and polyphony from the Renaissance period, from which he found much inspiration for this symphony.[1] By doing this, he rejected the serialist musical style he pioneered and advocated in Estonia and turned to a much denser, minimalistic musical language.[2] Pärt finally completed the symphony in 1971 and premiered it at the Estonia Concert Hall in Tallinn, with the dedicatee, Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi, who conducted the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, on 21 September 1972.[3]

Structure[]

The symphony is divided into three untitled movements, played without pause. The total duration of the symphony is approximately 21 minutes. The movement list is as follows:

  • 1. (♩ = 66)
  • 2. (