Arvo Pärt's Fratres for Viola: Live Performance by Emily Drexler

Arvo Pärt (1935-2020), an Estonian composer who studied at the Tallinn Conservatory and worked as a sound engineer for Estonian television, developed a distinctive minimalist style called 'tintinnabuli' ('little bells') after studying medieval choral music in the 1960s. This style uses only one or two voices with perfect chords, creating meditative, timeless sacred music that has become widely performed globally, including works like De Profundis, Magnificat Antiphons, and religious compositions such as St John's Passion and Miserere.

Tintinnabuli, meaning 'bell-like' in Latin, is Arvo Pärt's distinctive compositional style derived from the sound of bells, characterized by a central fundamental note surrounded by harmonics and reinforced by a triad, with uncomplicated melodies woven around this structure; this approach creates a meditative, spiritual quality exemplified in works like the Magnificat where a sustained note (such as C) forms the foundation while other voices introduce triads and counter-melodies that evolve from this simple material.

Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer born in 1935, developed a unique musical style called tintinnabuli (named after medieval monastery bells) after abandoning serial composition in 1976, creating works like Spiegel im Spiegel, Tabula Rasa, and Magnificat that combine spiritual depth with radical simplicity through slow repetitions, silences, and accessible melodies, representing a significant return to tonal music in the 20th century.

String instruments produce dramatically different timbres across their ranges, similar to the human voice transitioning from chest resonance to falsetto. Registers are subsections where sound character changes. Strings uniquely control timbre by selecting which string to play a pitch—for example, G on the low G string produces a woollier sound than on thinner strings. Violins have three registers: rich bottom octave, projecting middle register, and brilliant top register. Violas sound denser with more low harmonics. Cellos have the clearest register distinctions: powerful bass register, resonant tenor register, and bright treble register. Understanding these relationships enables composers to select appropriate sounds for emotional expression.

Viola playing requires fundamentally different techniques than violin, including deep breathing and sinking into the instrument's strength. Commercial violas often have a 'boxy sound' due to inconsistent string tension, preventing students from achieving authentic viola sound. The viola is specifically designed for lower registers, requiring wider instrument outlines (like 12-inch loops) to allow plates to resonate at lower frequencies. Wood selection must prioritize density and stiffness—less stiff wood transmits lower frequencies more easily and produces greater volume through stronger vibrations. Quality violas produce warm, round, deep sounds with even playing across all four strings and clear intonation during double stops.

The violin and viola are closely related string instruments with key differences: the viola is larger (typically 380-430mm in size) and produces a deeper, warmer, more velvety sound, while the violin is smaller and easier to play; both have four strings tuned in fifths but the viola's lower string is D (vs. G on violin) and upper string is A (vs. E on violin), and they use different clefs (viola primarily uses alto clef, violin uses treble clef), with the viola's bridge having an oval angle compared to the violin's acute angle.

The viola is physically similar to the violin but approximately one to one and a half inches longer, creating a lower sound due to longer string length. It shares three strings (A, D, G) with the violin but lacks the top E string, instead having a C string one octave below middle C. Viola players employ various bowing techniques: legato for smooth connected notes, détaché for separate bows, staccato and fast staccato for off-string playing. Advanced techniques include ricochet (bow bouncing in one motion), using bow wood for percussive effects, and playing near the bridge (ponticello) for icy sounds versus sul tasto over the fingerboard for softer tones. Pizzicato involves finger-plucking, with snap pizzicato creating sharp snapping sounds. Contemporary composers also request unconventional methods like knocking on the instrument wood or playing behind the bridge.

The viola is the oldest and most fundamental member of the string family, serving as the 'grandmother' of all string instruments. The violin is essentially a smaller viola, while the cello is a larger viola, and the double bass was originally called the 'violone' (big viola). Historically, string instruments were divided into 'viole da braccio' (played like violins) and 'viole da gamba' (played like cellos). Despite being the least known among string instruments, the viola has its own specific dignity and characteristic timbre. The viola has historically been treated as the 'poor relative' among string instruments due to its lower sound making it more suited for accompaniment than virtuosic solo passages. The viola has four strings, with three in common with the violin and one lower string that the violin does not have. Unlike violins, which have standardized measurements around 35.5 cm since Stradivarius, violas can vary significantly in size to match the stature of the player. While the basic technical approach for violin and viola is similar, the viola requires a slightly wider vibrato, more robust left-hand articulation, and a more delicate, airy bow technique. The viola's characteristic timbre has been recognized since the early 1700s. In Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons,' the viola parts in 'Spring' are titled 'The Barking Dog,' demonstrating how the instrument's rough, robust sound can be used for programmatic purposes. In the 19th century, the viola's more meditative and interiorized sound acquired the characteristics of the romantic hero. Berlioz's 'Harold in Italy' is a significant example, where the viola's lower strings and warm tone are particularly suited for evoking romantic and passionate sentiments. Despite its larger size compared to the violin, the viola is capable of virtuosic playing. Great violin virtuosos like Paganini and his teacher Alessandro Rolla were also skilled viola players. Paganini's 'Sonata for the Great Viola' demonstrates the viola's capacity for virtuosic, rhythmic, and technically challenging music. However, the viola's larger dimensions and associated emission problems make such repertoire particularly challenging to execute. The sound of a single viola differs significantly from the sound of a section of violas playing together. As the first viola (section leader), the role is not simply to lead but to create a homogeneous, rounded sound where no individual instrument stands out too much. While there are more solo works written for violin and cello, the viola has experienced a significant revival as a solo instrument since the 20th century. This revival is largely due to Hindemith, a German composer and virtuoso viola player, who dedicated a significant portion of his output to viola works. Additionally, Lionel Tertis, an English violist of the late 19th century, passionately advocated for the viola as a solo instrument, commissioning works from composers of his time including Walton's important viola concerto. Primrose, perhaps the greatest violist of all time, commissioned Bartók's viola concerto, which represents the composer's final work. When programming viola concerts, it is important to include original works written specifically for the viola rather than transcriptions from other instruments. Robert Schumann's 'Märchenbilder' (Op. 113) is an excellent example, consisting of four pieces with varying characteristics: the outer pieces are slow and meditative, while the central pieces are more virtuosic and fast. These works showcase the viola's full range of capabilities and were composed specifically for the instrument's unique timbre and expressive qualities.

Fratres is a composition by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, exemplifying his tintinnabuli style. The piece is structured around a series of eight or nine chord sequences, each separated by a recurring percussion motif. The chords follow a clear, formulaic pattern that generates rich harmonic movement despite their simplicity. Originally composed in 1977 for string quintet and wind quintet, Fratres has since been adapted into numerous versions for different instrumentations, including violin and piano, cello and piano, violin and string orchestra with percussion, string quartet, wind octet and percussion, saxophone quartet, and guitar with string orchestra and percussion. Most versions last between seven and twelve minutes. The violin and piano version, as performed here, is one of the most prominent. Other versions, such as those for viola and piano or cello and piano, are nearly identical to the violin version, while the string quartet version aligns more closely with the cello arrangement. The piece has been used in notable film and documentary soundtracks, including the BBC’s Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution' (2005), There Will Be Blood (2007), and The Place Beyond the Pines (2013). Jazz pianist Aaron Parks also incorporated elements of Fratres into his composition “Harvesting Dance.”

This tutorial teaches a portion of Arvo Pärt's Fratres, featuring a left hand bass of A and E held throughout, with a right hand chord progression of C#-A-E, Bb-A-E-D, A-E-C#, G-C-Bb, F-C-A, E-C-G, D-C-F, and returning to C#-A-E.

A chord progression cycle is a repeating pattern of chords that structures a musical piece. The composer created a cycle of 'one two one two' for the harmonic rhythm, which then progresses to 'two one two one' in subsequent sections. The piece has a fulcrum in the middle section where everything is written out as 'one' (a single chord). The drum solo section then goes 'two one' and 'two one' again. This creates a structured harmonic progression that cycles through different patterns throughout the piece.

In a quartal cycle, notes repeat at certain positions because of the interval structure. When playing the 12th and 17th frets on the A string, the notes repeat when you move to the next string. For example, the 17th fret of the A string produces the same note as the 12th fret of the D string, creating a repeating pattern throughout the cycle.

A recital program can be structured palindromically, with compositions arranged symmetrically around a central piece. This evening's program begins with ascetic, mystical compositions by Arvo Pärt, moves toward classical sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms, and returns to Pärt's works. The piece 'Fratres' (meaning 'brothers' in Latin) exemplifies Pärt's tintinnabuli technique, inspired by medieval and Renaissance aesthetics. This technique reduces musical material to create contemplative atmospheres suitable for liturgical texts, symbolizing the union of two brothers and representing six related souls.