| Fratres | |
|---|---|
| Instrumental music byArvo Pärt | |
| Form | Variations |
| Composed | 1977 (1977) |
| Scoring | varied |
Fratres (meaning "brothers" inLatin) is a musical work by the Estonian composerArvo Pärt exemplifying histintinnabuli style of composition.[1] It is three-part music, written in 1977,without fixed instrumentation and has been described as a "mesmerizing set of variations on a six-bar theme combining frantic activity and sublime stillness that encapsulates Pärt's observation that 'the instant and eternity are struggling within us'".[2]
Structurally,Fratres consists of a set of ninechord sequences, separated by a recurringpercussionmotif (the so-called "refuge"). The chord sequences themselves follow a pattern, and while the progressing chords explore a rich harmonic space, they have been generated by means of a simple formula.[3]
Fratres is driven by three main voices. The low and high voice are each restricted to playing notes from the Dharmonic minor scale (D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C#); the middle voice is restricted to the notes of the A minor triad (A, C, E). The entire piece is accompanied bydrones in A and E, which are primarily heard in the refuge between each sequence.
The chords are created by the movement of the three voices: the low voice starts at C#; the high voice starts at E. Both the low and high voices are moved up or down the D harmonic minor scale at the same time, with the direction of the movement depending on the position within the sequence. The middle voice starts at A and plays a different pattern (A, E, E, C, C, C, C, A, A, E, E, C, C, A). The generated chords create harmonic ambiguity, since both C# and C are present, yielding an A major or A minor feel.
Although often performed by violin and piano, versions for larger ensembles, such as astring quartet orchamber orchestra, are also common. Performances byearly music specialists have also been endorsed.[4]
Versions for ensembles include:
Versions for solo instrument and accompaniment:
The composition has been used for many films and documentaries. Notable usages include:
Jazz pianistAaron Parks incorporated elements ofFratres into his composition "Harvesting Dance," heard on his albumInvisible Cinema and on Terence Blanchard's albumFlow.[5]
| Vocal and Choral |
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|---|---|
| Orchestral | |
| Instrumental |
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| Related | |
