How to compose like Arvo Pärt, tintinnabuli style

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to composing music in the unique style of Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer known for his distinctive 'tintinnabuli' technique. It delves into the fundamental concepts and practical tools needed to create a sound that blends ancient and modern aesthetics, achieving both simplicity and depth. The instructor breaks down key elements like melodic modes, tonic triads, and the systematic relationship between 'M' and 'T' voices. The video also explores advanced techniques such as incorporating rhythmic displacement, going beyond a seven-note scale, and strategically designing structures to match an instrument's range. With engaging audio mockups and animations, viewers gain an in-depth understanding of Pärt's compositional approach and leave equipped to create their own music in this captivating style.

Takeaways

• 🎵 Arvo Pärt's compositional style, known as the tintinnabuli technique, combines ancient and modern elements, creating a sound that is simultaneously simple and profound.
• 🎼 The tintinnabuli style uses two types of musical voices: M-voices (made up of scale segments) and T-voices (using only notes from the tonic triad).
• 🎶 M-voices serve as structural origins, with T-voices systematically branching out from them in various positions (close or open) above or below.
• 🎻 Pärt often structures his compositions to align with the range limitations of specific instruments.
• 🎵 The M-voice can be constructed using different systems, such as increasing or decreasing segment lengths, mirroring patterns across modes, or setting syllables to scale segments.
• 🎹 T-voices can be added above or below the M-voice in close or open positions, using notes from the tonic triad.
• 🎺 Symmetry and balance are crucial in Pärt's compositions, achieved through mirroring, alternating patterns, and strategically designing climactic moments.
• 🎼 Variety and complexity can be introduced by going beyond the seven-note diatonic scale, raising or lowering specific scale degrees, or incorporating rhythmic displacement.
• 🎻 Pärt's music invites a new perspective on existing compositions, reframing elements like parallel motion and tonic triads within the tintinnabuli style.
• 🎹 The script provides practical examples and exercises for composing in Pärt's style, including recomposing Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 as a tintinnabuli homage.

Q & A

What are the two types of musical voices described in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style?

The two types of musical voices in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style are M voices and T voices. M voices are made up of scale segments, whereas T voices use members of a tonic triad.

How does an M voice function within Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style?

An M voice functions as the structural origin of all other voices, either directly or indirectly, in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli style.

What is the significance of the tonic triad in the tintinnabuli style?

The tonic triad is significant in the tintinnabuli style as it provides orientation for each line written, with T voices using only members of this triad, thus grounding the music in a harmonic foundation.

How are M voices and T voices related in Arvo Pärt's composition technique?

M voices and T voices are systematically related, with T voices branching out from M voices in a patterned way, following rules that only allow the use of notes from the tonic triad in relation to the M voice.

What are the four orientations of a scale segment to a central pitch according to Arvo Pärt?

The four orientations are: descending toward the central pitch, ascending toward the central pitch, ascending away from the central pitch, and descending away from the central pitch.

How does Arvo Pärt use instrument range in his compositions?

Arvo Pärt often picks keys and structures to correspond with the limits of an instrument's range, carefully considering the practical concerns and capabilities of the instruments used.

What is the role of symmetry in Arvo Pärt's tintinnabuli compositions?

Symmetry plays a crucial role in creating balance and structure in Pärt's compositions, often through mirrored segments, systematic or symmetric design, and the strategic placement of M and T voices.

How can composers add harmonic complexity using rhythmic delay in the tintinnabuli style?

Rhythmic delay can add harmonic complexity by creating overlaps and suspensions between notes, blending consecutive sonorities into a cascade of harmonies and enriching the texture of the composition.

What is a practical approach to composing in the tintinnabuli style as described in the script?

A practical approach includes starting with an underlying scale and tonic triad, systematically creating M and T voices, and considering instrument ranges and symmetrical structures to elaborate the music.

How does Arvo Pärt's music reorient the way one might think about other music?

Arvo Pärt's music, with its emphasis on simplicity, depth, and structural symmetry, can offer a new perspective on existing music, encouraging a reevaluation of harmonic and melodic relationships.