March 15, 2009

Despair

From Arvo Part's wikipedia article:
In this context, Pärt's biographer, Paul Hiller, observed that "[Pärt] had reached a position of complete despair in which the composition of music appeared to be the most futile of gestures, and he lacked the musical faith and will-power to write even a single note."

Like Andrei Rublev.

That film grows more fundamentally true with every passing day.

Andrea Mantegna is a painter. More here.
Arvo Part is a composer. More information here. More music here.


3 comments:

Jon Coutts said...

yes. i NEED to see that film again.

at the Louvre i saw countless paintings of the crucifixion, almost ad nauseum, but something about that one is still striking.

interesting how Bjork actually struggles to find words and even gestures to describe the notes of Pärt's music after his return from silence.

was he talking about lines of music when he said: "one line is my sins, and the other line is the forgiveness of my sins"?

i wish i could be a part of, even overhear, conversations like that in person more often.

Boyda said...

A very tasteful assortment of artforms, Matt. Is that the Gaudi film playing at the beginning and the end? If so, I wonder if he did the music for it - SO didn't know that. That music was brilliant.

s$s said...

Jon:
I took the forgiveness/sins thing to be his way of addressing the idea that there are always two "voices" at work in his music.


Boyda:
I don't think it's the Gaudi film. Maybe. I don't remember Part's music in Gaudi.

"I don't remember," is probably the expression I use more than any other.

I'm so pleased to think of you visiting my site.