The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt spent the early part of his career composing in neoclassical forms and experimenting with twelve-tone music and serialism. After some of his early compositions were censored by the Soviet government, Pärt entered a period of compositional silence. Instead of creating new works he turned to the past, studying plainsong, Gregorian chant, and the polyphonic vocal works of the Renaissance. He emerged from this period an entirely different composer.
Pärt called the compositional style that he developed during this period tintinnabuli. If you know anything about Pärt, you probably know that word because you were made to memorize it for a music history class. Inspired by the clarity and simplicity of early vocal music, tintinnabuli (meaning “like the ringing of bells”) featured the building blocks of Western music: simple triads and unembellished notes. Spiegel im Spiegel, written in 1978, is an excellent example of his meditative, minimalist style, and is perhaps Pärt’s most beloved piece.
The title of Spiegel im Spiegel translates roughly to “mirror in the mirror,” or possibly “mirrors in the mirror.” Triads revolving around the tonic in the key of F major are repeated on piano in a seemingly endless pattern with slight variations. A violin melody composed entirely of long tones within the F major scale contrasts the bell-like nature of the accompaniment. The piece progresses slowly but undeniably as the two lines interact, building and relaxing to form peaks and valleys. The music reflects upon itself like a mirror, giving the impression that the piece is part of an unending pattern, of which its performance can only convey one tiny part. Spiegel im Spiegel, like many of Pärt’s later compositions, creates a truly meditative experience for both the performers and the listeners.
Although Spiegel im Spiegel was written for violin and piano, it has been performed and recorded with cello as well. But the simplicity of the piece’s construction allows it to work in a wide variety of instrumental combinations. It is helpful, though not completely necessary, for the instrument playing the triadic line to be a string or percussion instrument. The gentle bell tones can be performed with the most ease on an instrument that creates its own sound decay. I had the opportunity to play this piece on my own instrument (tuba) with harp playing the accompanying part. I have returned to it many times since then because its mystical, calm character is so unique in classical music (or any other kind of music).
Although Spiegel im Spiegel is simple in its construction, it should not be mistaken as an easy piece to perform. Wind players, in particular, will find that a piece composed entirely of long tones presents its own unique physical and mental challenges. Its transparency demands that the musicians stay in the moment, experiencing the music beat by beat along with the listener. I highly recommend that all musicians experience it at least once. I have even been known to play along with a recording when I don’t have a collaborator close at hand!
Please enjoy the video performance above, along with this delightful interview of Arvo Pärt by the Icelandic musician Björk: