Arvo Pärt – Für Alina
Since the late 1970s, Arvo Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-invented compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music is in part inspired by Gregorian chant. His most performed works include Fratres (1977), Spiegel im Spiegel (1978), and Für Alina (1976). Pärt has been the most performed living composer in the world for five consecutive years.
Für Alina can be considered as an essential work of his tintinnabuli style. It was first performed in Tallinn in 1976, along with six other works, after a long preparatory period in Pärt’s life as a composer. This concert was the first to introduce his new signature style of composition, referred to as the tintinnabuli style. Für Alina was dedicated to a family friend’s eighteen-year-old daughter who had just gone to study in London. Its introspection calls to mind a vivid image of youth, off to explore the world.
The score of Für Alina is only two pages long. It is in the key of B minor and is played piano (p). The only notation related to tempo is Ruhig, erhaben, in sich hineinhorchend, which roughly translates as peacefully, in an elevated and introspective manner. There is no time signature.
Scores available:
For piano (original)
Transcription for guitar
