Symphony No. 4 (Pärt)
Encyclopedia
Los Angeles is the fourth symphony by Estonia
n composer Arvo Pärt
.
Pärt's previous symphonies are scored for full orchestra, but this one is only scored for string orchestra
, harp and percussion (this includes timpani, marimba
, crotales
, chimes, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam and Bass Drum
).
The work was commissioned by Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Canberra International Music Festival
. It was composed in 2008 and had its first performance on January 10 2009 in Los Angeles at Walt Disney Concert Hall
conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen
.The symphony received its UK premiere at the BBC Proms on August 20 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall
, played by the Philharmonia Orchestra
again conducted by Salonen. On May 8th 2010, it received its East Coast premiere at the Society for Ethical Culture concert hall in New York City
.
The symphony is in three slow movements
. The second includes the piece These Words
, composed in 2008 and performed in May in Copenhagen
.
The symphony is dedicated to Mikhail Khodorkovsky
, a Russian oil executive with political ambitions who was accused of fraud. Pärt explained in a program insert that he is also reaching out in this symphony to “all those imprisoned without rights in Russia.”
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n composer Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
.
Pärt's previous symphonies are scored for full orchestra, but this one is only scored for string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
, harp and percussion (this includes timpani, marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, crotales
Crotales
thumb|right|Crotales are often used with other mallet percussionCrotales , sometimes called antique cymbals, are percussion instruments consisting of small, tuned bronze or brass disks. Each is about 4 inches in diameter with a flat top surface and a nipple on the base. They are commonly...
, chimes, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam and Bass Drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
).
The work was commissioned by Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Canberra International Music Festival
Canberra International Music Festival
The Canberra International Music Festival is a music festival based in Canberra, Australia. It was founded by Ursula Callus , President of Pro Musica Incorporated....
. It was composed in 2008 and had its first performance on January 10 2009 in Los Angeles at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.-Early career:...
.The symphony received its UK premiere at the BBC Proms on August 20 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, played by the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
again conducted by Salonen. On May 8th 2010, it received its East Coast premiere at the Society for Ethical Culture concert hall in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The symphony is in three slow movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
. The second includes the piece These Words
These Words
"These Words" is a song written by Natasha Bedingfield, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Wayne Wilkins for Bedingfield's 2004 debut album Unwritten. The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its second single...
, composed in 2008 and performed in May in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
The symphony is dedicated to Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky is a Russian prisoner, considered by some - such as Amnesty International - to have been imprisoned for political reasons, jailed until 2016 and a former Russian oligarch and businessman...
, a Russian oil executive with political ambitions who was accused of fraud. Pärt explained in a program insert that he is also reaching out in this symphony to “all those imprisoned without rights in Russia.”