Arvo Pärt, an eminent composer born in Estonia under Soviet rule and now residing in Berlin, is one of my favorite living composers. In Spiegel im Spiegel, Pärt uses a method of composition that he invented and calls tintinnabuli, which is a word derived from the Latin tintinnabulum, meaning "a bell". Part's tintinnabuli music falls into the broader category of minimalism, yet it avoids the busy patterns typical of Philip Glass or Steve Reich.
In tintinnabuli, there typically are two components: a slow-moving melodic line and an ostinato based upon a triad. To the listener and theorist, the music's structure appears incredibly simple. Yet in Part's hands, the effect is nothing short of mystical. Pärt crafts progressively longer lines that each play against the consonance of the home triad and then gently bring you to a resting point. To me, it is like a slow massage of the soul, where gentle musical "pressure" to my heart is applied and stretched, and my tension is released.
Part says of this style: "Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers – in my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it? Traces of this perfect thing appear in many guises – and everything that is unimportant falls away. Tintinnabulation is like this. . . . The three notes of a triad are like bells. And that is why I call it tintinnabulation"
It would be enough to sit and experience this music without any further insight or expectations. However, I feel compelled to share one more insight: the central role of the note A as both a point of rest and a point of symmetry.
Spiegel im Spiegel translates into "Mirror in the Mirror." Each pair of melodic phrases in Spiegel im Spiegel is a mirror image of the other, with each phrase converging on the same A. If one phrase walks up toward A, the paired phrase will walk down toward A. Likewise, if one phrase walks down away from A, the paired phrase will walk up away from A.
Furthermore, each successive pair of phrases is one note longer than its predecessors, incorporating an additional note from the scale that moves the listener progressively further from the home note.
Upon recognizing the mirrored pairing of phrases, each extending incrementally in length, you become aware of your anticipation of each phrase's concluding and restful note - always the same A. Experiencing this awareness while within the music feels akin to unlocking a small secret of the Universe.
In a recent conversation, James D'Leon highlighted a challenge of performing Spiegel im Spiegel. Most classical music demands a range of interpretive timing and articulation, but this composition requires precision. Performers must respect each phrase's natural tension and release, so the purity of the structure can resonate to its fullest.
Take a listen to the music below with your eyes closed and your heart open. Find the mirrored lines in each pair of phrases. Be aware of the cello's pitch at each phrase's conclusion. Listen to how your body reacts to the musical journeyaway from and to that note. After that journey, imagine how it will sound with James D'León on piano and Ruthie Wilde on cello filling Ruth Street Theater or ASU Kerr with this spiritual embrace.
I hope to see you at what is always one of our most popular and praised concerts.
- Henry Flurry, Artistic Director
Spiegel im Spiegel
by Arvo Pärt
piano: Filipe Melo | cello: Ana Cláudia Serrão | Feb 27, 2013
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Today, I’d like to share insights into 
In tintinnabuli, there typically are two components: a 
Part says of this style: "Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into 
Upon recognizing the mirrored pairing of phrases, each extending incrementally in length, you become aware of 
In a recent conversation, James D'Leon highlighted 
