John Forrestal 8 November 2011

For Boston University Graduate School Application

TWO TANGLED GOLDEN THREADS: ARVO PRT, HIS TINTINNABULATION

TECHNIQUE, AND HIS BERLINER MESSE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction Pg. 1 II. Biography Pg. 1 III. Tintinnabulation, Pandiatonicism and Liturgical Bells Pg. 6 IV. The Berliner Messe and the Mass Ordinary Pg. 12

V. Analysis Techniques of the Berliner Messe Pg. 14

VI. The Berliner Messe Pg. 21

1. Kyrie Pg. 21

2. Gloria Pg. 24

3. Erster / Zweiter Alleluiavers Pg. 29

4. Veni Sancte Spiritus Pg. 34

5. Credo Pg. 38

6. Sanctus Pg. 42

7. Agnus Dei Pg. 45

VII. The Berliner Messe, Arvo Prt and Minimalism Pg. 47

VIII. Final Notes on the Berliner Messe Pg. 49

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EXAMPLE LIST

Example 1, Arvo Prt, Fur Alina, mm.1-3 Pg. 5

Example 2, Fundamental Elements of a Liturgical Bell Pg. 7

Example 3, Comparison of shapes between Liturgical Bells Pg. 8

Example 4, Andr Lehr, Hedendaagse Nederlandse Klokkengietkunst", Pg. 10

Generalized harmonics of a liturgical bell

Example 5, Comparison of Prts Berliner Messe and the Pg. 13

Mass Ordinary of the Roman Rite

Example 6, Letter/Number Notation Pg. 15

Example 7, Cipher Notation Pg. 15

Example 8, Cipher Notation - Repeated Notes Pg. 16

Example 9, H chords used in tintinnabulating voices Pg. 17

Example 10, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, mm.15-20 Pg. 18

Example 11, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, Threshold Technique Pg. 18

(soprano and alto voices)

Example 12a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-4 (Unstressed syllables) Pg. 19

Example 12b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-4 (Stressed syllables Pg. 19

as is written in published score)

Example 13a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, mm.2-4 Pg. 21

Example 13b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, mm.4-7 Pg. 22

Example 13c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, Structure of the text Pg. 24

in relation to number of voices

Example 14a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-12 Pg. 26

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Example 14b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, Organ Passages Pg. 27

Example 15a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Erster Alleluiavers, Full Score Pg. 30

Example 15b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Zweiter Alleluiavers, Full Score Pg. 32

Example 15c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Erster Alleluiavers, Threshold Pg. 33

Tintinnabulation, Alto/Soprano Voices

Example 15d, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Zweiter Alleluiavers, Threshold Pg. 34

Tintinnabulation, Alto/Soprano Voices

Example 16a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Pg. 36

Threshold Technique

Example 16b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Pg. 36

Row Design mm.1-14, Bass voice

Example 16c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Pg. 37

Row Displacement

Example 16d, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, mm.131-143, Pg. 38

completion of incompleted row by derivative of mm.101-104

Example 17a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, Row Design Pg. 39

Example 17b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, mm.13-20, Pg. 41

Canonic Writing

Example 18a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Sanctus, mm.1-7 Pg. 43

Example 18b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Sanctus, Organ Passages Pg. 45

Example 19a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Agnus Dei, page 1 Pg. 46

Example 19b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Agnus Dei, Pg. 47

dona nobis pacem (contrary motion)

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Acknowledgments

I would personally like to thank Professor Dennis Leclaire at the Berklee College of Music for

his outstanding guidance with this paper. I would also like to thank Dr. Rachel Cowgill from Cardiff

University for providing her dissertation, from which I gathered information for this paper.

Research Materials

Arvo Prts Berliner Messe is available through Universal Edition, in the original 1990 chorus

a cappella version, and the 2002 revision for chorus a cappella and string orchestra.

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I. Introduction

Arvo Prt has often been looked to as one of the most important living composers of the last

century. His compositional voice is an amalgamation of his religious foundation, a modernistic

compositional thought process and a musical language that isnt unfamiliar to the ordinary or

trained ear; however, his tactical approach to manipulating tonality has been nothing short of

revolutionary, and has been a factor in bringing his music to the forefront of music today. There is a

dichotomy between Prts music and what one would consider modern, as it surely references the

distant past, however, in the 21st century, his music has come to the forefront of concert music,

transcended the boundaries that genres often set, and reached an international audience.

One of Prts most notable works in recent years has been his Berliner Messe, a setting of the

Roman Catholic Mass, which makes use of his signature compositional style and techniques, in a

combination of contemporary harmonies with ancient liturgical texts. It is intended that this paper

will explain these techniques in great detail, demonstrate their application in the Berliner Messe, and

illustrate how Prts usage of techniques are reused in numerous ways, to create his own unique

sound.

II. Biography

Prt, originally born in Paide, Estonia (a small urban municipality of Jrva county), now

resides in the capital city of Tallinn, after a period of time where he was forced to leave Estonia

under Soviet occupation. When he was 3 years old, his parents divorced, and he left Paide with his

mother, to move to Rakvere, Estonia. In his youth, he began to study piano at the age of 7.

When I went to the children's school, I practiced on my piano. Not all keys produced

sounds, so I sang the missing sounds. And when it got too complicated, I had to change the hammers,

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taking them from the side and bringing them to the middle. The basses have big hammers, and at the

top the hammers are small. The keys were all mixed up, some were heavy and some were light. In

short, it was the most peculiar music. Then I tried to tune the piano myself, but I had no tuning key. I

did it with pincers. You can do it only a few times, because the screws become round, and you can't

get hold of them with pincers. I inflicted that piano a great deal of pain. But it kept going to the end. I

really had no other option.1

Due to only the extreme registers of the piano being available to him, his exploration of these

available notes eventually led him to create his own compositional voice, showing up in smaller

works in his early teenage years. In these years, he briefly studied at the Tallinn Music Middle

School. This was abandoned, due to his requirement to enlist in the military, where he had played

oboe and drums in a military band. While serving in the military, he fell ill and returned to the

Tallinn Music Middle School, where he continued with his theory and composition lessons. Much

of his compositions during this era are neo-classical in style, and an influence of such composers as

Bartok, Prokofiev and Shostakovich are evident. He claims that this period of his life may have

helped him as a composer.2

Prt gained a large amount of experience during his years of study at the Tallinn

Conservatory, under the guidance of Heino Eller. He began to experiment with the compositional

techniques of Arnold Schoenberg, such as dodecaphonic music in his first orchestral work Necrolog,

or his strict serial work Perpetuum Mobile. He also experimented with aleatoric music and collage

techniques in such pieces as his Second Symphony and Collage Sur B-A-C-H. At the time (and up

until 1967), Prt also worked as a recording engineer and composer at the Estonian Radio, which

opened many doors for commissions; so much so, that when Prt graduated the Tallinn

1 Arvo Prt, 24 Preludes for a Fugue, Juxtapositions, 2005. 2 Hillier, Paul. Arvo Prt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997. Print.

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Conservatory in 1963, he was already considered to have enough of a foundation to be a

professional composer.

During this time, Prt wrote several pieces that garnered praise; two childrens vocal works,

the cantata Meie Aed (Our Garden), and the oratorio Maailma Samm (Stride of the World), won first

prize in 1962 at the All-Union Young Composers' Competition in Moscow.3 Prts acceptance of

dodecaphonic and collage music did not come without a cost; Under the Khrushchev era of the

Soviet Union, Soviet rule controlled all aspects of the arts, including music. His experimental phase

between 1960 and 1968 may have placed him at the forefront of Soviet composers (as access to

Western contemporary music was difficult), but it did come with dissatisfaction from the Soviet

ministers of the Arts. Soviet censors placed a ban on performing his music, and, through the

combination of this and his inability to creatively express himself any further in these idioms, he

found himself at a loss. In 1967, Prt heard the sounds of early Renaissance and Gregorian

plainchant, which had a direct impact on his following work. After his last piece in this period, his

Credo (1968) was banned, Prt fell into a deep contemplative silence.

During this silence, he met his second wife, Nora, in 1972. He also joined the Russian

Orthodox Church at this time, which has played a very important factor in his life and in his musical

career. Nora, Arvos second wife, was Jewish, and so he was led to make a decision when the

emigration of Jewish citizens began in the mid 1970s. Coupled with the progressively growing

restraint on him from attending his own performances, he made the decision to leave Estonia in

1979 with his family (his wife and two sons), and settled in Vienna for one year, only to move to

Berlin in the following year.

3 Pinkerton II, David E. "Discovering the Music of Estonian Composer Arvo Prt." Choral Journal (1993). Print.

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One of the most unique aspects of Prts development as a composer happens to be the close

relation of his compositional voice and the contemplative periods of his life. In lieu of this

encumbrance, Prt entered what would be one of his periods of contemplative silence.

I can't even remember where I heard it, maybe in a Tallinn bookshop. The music was so

simple, and so clear and so lucid. I was amazed. And suddenly, I realized that this was the truth. I

mean this kind of musical thinking. It was a turning point. I became interested in the notes of

Gregorian chant. I studied them this way and that way. For years, I played and sang but nothing

helped. No drastic change happened within me. The language remained alien to me.4

Prts rediscovery of early music in 1967 (which had impacted him greatly, as evident in his

Credo) led to a deep study of music from the 1300s to the 1500s. He found himself studying

Franco-Flemish Renaissance music, from composers such as Johannes Ockeghem, Guillame de

Machaut and Josquin Des Prez. After the completion of his transitional Third Symphony in 1971, he

fell into another period of contemplation, delving deeper into the history of western music through

the means of plainsong and organum, and finding comfort in the sounds of Gregorian chant. The

connection to be made between his periods of silence, what has ultimately resulted from his musical

exploration is astounding, and intensifies the underlying strength and beauty of his latter output. As

Dr. Rachel Cowgill states in her dissertation of the anachronistic characteristics of Prts music in

relevance to the 20th and 21st centuries:

Prt was drawn to Renaissance and medieval isorhythmic techniques such as mensuration

canon and to Baroque variation, because of the repetitive basis of these forms; the surfaces of the

music seem to change perspective continually around a central core which remains essentially non-

dynamic and motionless.5

4 Arvo Prt, 24 Preludes for a Fugue, Juxtapositions, 2005. 5 Cowgill, Rachel E. "'Sacred Music in Secular Times'; Arvo Prt, an Anachronism in the Twentieth Century?" Diss. 1989. Print.

5

This second period of Prts musical life has come to be the most notable of the two, and the

one with which his followers most commonly associate him. It is also the period that will be focused

upon in further detail, and exemplified in his Berliner Messe.

In 1976, Prt emerged with a new voice that was both radical, yet extremely organic; Fur

Alina, written as a dedication for the daughter of a family friend (whom was moving away from

home to attend college in London), is a relatively short piece of music, and on the surface, simple as

well.

Example 1, Arvo Prt, Fur Alina, mm.1-3

Two notes move against one another, in parallel or oblique motion, with very little or no

markings of dynamic, tempo and meter. Noteheads are either filled or unfilled, to show the stressing

or un-stressing of certain dyads. The phrases expand and retract over the length of the piece, which,

in its entirety, lasts about 2 minutes long.6 Functional harmony gives way to a floating sense of a

post-tonal stasis, as if the listener is gently drifting through space, unable to control time or motion.

6 Recordings of Fur Alina have been considerably longer in length. (E.g., the recording on the ECM album Alina, performed by Alexander Malter, was a several hour-long improvisation on the piece, which was then reduced to 3 variations picked by Arvo Prt himself.)

6

This piece was the first of his to use the tintinnabulation technique that he has become known for.

Prt experienced other periods where his musical output dwindled, however, following a lag in

output during the period 1985 to 1988, Prt began a new period of creativity that would lead into

the highly productive years of 1989-1990.7 It is during this period that Prt completed the Berliner

Messe.8

III. Tintinnabulation, Pandiatonicism and Liturgical Bells

Tintinnabulation is a term coined by Arvo Prt himself (latin for little bells), in reference

to the correlation between the sounds of 2 melodic voices and the relation between the fundamentals

and harmonics of bells. Prt, in the annunciation of his faith in Eastern Orthodoxy, was more than

likely exposed to the tolling of Russian Orthodox Church bells, known as zvon. Russian church

bells, unlike their western counterparts, can produce a whole scale of sounds (up to several dozen of

them)9, from the unique sculpting and alloy from which they were made. Example 2 shows the

fundamental components of a liturgical bell. Russian bell casting was perfected early in the 17th

century, and by the 20th century culminated into a religious form of art. Bells were not tuned to

specific pitches, but rather in general high-to-low sets, with timbre being the more important

characteristic. The bells were played in various rhythmic patterns, depending on the application to

which they were being used.10 Great emphasis is placed on the detail of the decoration of the bell,

7 Davison III, Joseph F. "Ancient Texts, New Voices." Diss. University of California, 2002. Abstract. 26. Print. 8 For a chronological list of Prts works, they are available at: . 9 "Russian Orthodox Bell Ringing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. . 10 Various patterns, such as the different peals (e.g., double, triple, chain) are explained in further detail at .

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and the aesthetics do play a role in the overall sound, the decorative belts and intricate detailing on

the outer surfaces affecting overtones and projection.

Example 2, Fundamental Elements of a Liturgical Bell

There is something unique to be found in Russian bells, both in the sound and shape of the

physical bell that is different from bells of Western Europe. Example 3 shows the difference (in

shape alone) between the Russian liturgical bell and its German and French counterparts.

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Example 3, Comparison of shapes between Liturgical Bells

Notice the differentiation in the depth of the walls of the Russian bell, especially the

elongated, more gradual flare between the skirt and the mouth. Also take notice to the overall width

of the walls, the shape of the shoulder of the bell and the striking similarity between the neck of the

German and Russian bells, and the angling of the inner lip between these bells. The Russian bell is

much more pronounced in shape, and is similar to the French bell in that regard, however it bears

much more of a similarity to the German bell in construction, with overall thickness of the alloy and

a rounded flare on the outside being the most notable differences.

The tolling of Russian bells is an incredible form of polyphony and rhythmic complexity,

with various rhythms in the assorted sizes of the bells played against the fundamental large bell. It is

inferred that there is a connection between the bells resonant sonorities, and the trumpets that are

related to heaven. Hierodeacon Roman of the Danilov Monastery writes:

They always have a rich timbre, a generally low tone; they are sonorous; they are tuned

neither to major nor minor. The voice of a bell was thought of as exactly that: not a note, not a chord,

but a voice. And that voice had to meet certain characteristics and idea both theological and aesthetic.

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The ring of a bell must be clear, loud, melodious, harmonious, low, sonorous and resonant. 'God is

calling the faithful: this call must remind them of God, and the sound of the call must touch their

hearts' writes one scholar specializing in the study of heavy Russian bells. The voices of the bells

represented what the craftsman understood the thunderous voice of God to be, a sound image, and a

sound interpretation of all the qualities of Gods voice in Russian Orthodox belief. In that voice

speaking to us we can hear compassion, all-encompassing mercy, and such is the deep, rich timbre of

the great Russian bells: there is might, there is nobility, there is constancy in the volume, in the

sonority, in the depth.11

Although many of the bells were destroyed during the Soviet Union (for fear of a possible

uprising that they could inspire), it is more than likely that these Russian church bells had made

their way to Estonia at some point, and it can be inferred through Prts delicate approach to

melodic, harmonic, timbral and rhythmic gestures that the Russian zvon played a particular

influence. Prt himself often mentions the correlation between his music and the tolling of bells, and

how he sees that his unique blend of 2 melodic voices is a direct connection to the ringing of church

bells.

Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers - in

my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this

one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for

unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it? Traces of this perfect thing appear in

many guises - and everything that is unimportant falls away. Tintinnabulation is like this. . . The three

notes of a triad are like bells. And that is why I call it tintinnabulation."12

In the following example, Andr Lehr, a Dutch expert on liturgical bells, created a diagram

showing the decay of a bells harmonics (and fundamental pitch) over time. 11 Roman, Hierodeacon. "The Phenomenon of Russian Church Bell Ringing /zvon/ / Returning of the Bells." Returning of the Bells. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. . 12 "Tintinnabulation." David Pinkerton's Arvo Prt Information Archive. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. .

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Example 4, Andr Lehr, Hedendaagse Nederlandse Klokkengietkunst", Generalized harmonics of a liturgical bell

The example depicts a fundamental pitch at the very top, and its resonance is shown as a

horizontal line extending outward. Harmonics are shown with roman numerals and numbers to the

left hand side, and their decay times are also depicted as similar horizontal lines. It is interesting to

see how several of the harmonics extend far beyond the fundamental pitch, and, as shown in the

earlier diagram, how the harmonics are often much stronger in volume than the fundamental. We

will find that Prt makes great use of this, perhaps not so literally as to measure the acoustical

properties and translate them into notation, but to not take such aspects as dissonant tones,

overtones and resonance in music for granted.

Prts translation of the harmonic content found in the ringing of bells to his music is quite

extraordinary; he often utilizes 2 voices in parallel and oblique motion. One voice will only move by

the notes of a given triad, whereas the other voice will move by diatonic step, usually in the form of a

scale. The blends of these two voices often result in rich sonorities, thick with buzzing overtones and

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dissonances. His consideration of rhythmic and timbral possibilities reflects his desire to stress

particular simultaneities. This places a great deal of importance on phrasing, so as not to lose the

feelings of development or cadence in the music. Pandiatonicism plays a key role in Prts music.

While being tonal, dissonances often will not completely resolve as expected, nor will functional

analysis serve any purpose in understanding his compositional language. The gravitational forces of

functional harmony no longer suffice in this new medium. Melodic voices now function both

independently and yet seemingly co-exist, with less of an emphasis on such tonal urges as cadence

and development, and more so on process and interaction within melodic lines and a modal context.

It is important to keep in mind that the process of tintinnabulation is not a single voice, but

rather a pair of voices that, by means of octave displacement, voice exchange and stepwise motion,

create a harmonic sound-world akin to that of Prts inspirational tolling of bells. As Dr. Graeme

Langager states in his dissertation of Prts tintinnabulation technique, the two elements (in

reference to the scalar and triadic voices) are isolated, stripped of their functional roles, and then

superimposed one on top of the other. By this superimposition, they exist as independent entities yet

possess a symbiotic relationship necessary for creating the sound. 13In some sections of the Berliner

Messe, I have chosen to place a higher emphasis on the diatonic, stepwise voice as opposed to this

tintinnabulating voice; I do this because of the extreme importance Prt places on this particular

voice. The tintinnabulating voice is a voice created out of a mathematical absolute (as the reader will

see in the analysis), whereas the stepwise voice can be created in a similar fashion, but is often much

more musical and through-composed. While this may seem highly mechanical in analysis, the true

compositional aspect of the music lies in the interaction between these voices, and the ultimate result

is extremely organic. To the listener, it is equally important to weigh these two lines against one 13 Langager, Graeme. "The Tintinnabuli Compositional Style of Arvo Prt." Diss. California State University, 1997. Print.

12

another, as one without the other does not complete the compositional technique we know as

tintinnabulation. As Prt himself appropriately says, It's not the tune that matters so much here.

It's the combination with this triad. It makes such a heart-rending union, that the soul yearns to sing

it endlessly.14

For this thesis, I have chosen to analyze his Berlin Mass (1990 version, for organ and SATB

chorus). The ultimate goal of this thesis is to make evident the use of tintinnabulation in this

composition, and to expose tintinnabulation as a valid compositional style, as noted by not only the

melodic content of the music, but its relation to text setting, phrasing, color, and performance

practice.

IV. The Berliner Messe and the Mass Ordinary

The Ordinary of the Mass is a form of sacred composition, based around 5 liturgical texts of

the Roman Catholic Rite. The 5 texts are the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Prt deviates from the standard Mass structure in his Berliner Messe by interpolating a Pentecost

sequence (consisting of 3 separate liturgical texts based upon a celebration fifty days after Easter) into

the Mass: an Erster Alleluiavers, Zweiter Alleluiavers, and Veni Sancte Spiritus. These 3 texts are

used during Pentecost, a celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples of Christ

after the resurrection of Jesus. Prts intention was for the Berliner Messe to serve a dual purpose of

being either a concert or liturgical Mass. This was done for practical purposes, as he places the 3

liturgical texts in between the Gloria and the Credo, and takes this into consideration when planning

a key scheme for the overall Mass.

14 Arvo Prt, 24 Preludes for a Fugue, Juxtapositions, 2005.

13

Prt Berliner Messe

Kyrie Gloria Erster Alleluiavers

Zweiter Alleluiavers

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Credo Sanctus Agnus Dei

Typical Mass Ordinary

Kyrie Gloria - - - Credo Sanctus Agnus Dei

Key Scheme

(Prt) G

Aeolian G

Aeolian G Ionian E Aeolian E Aeolian E

Ionian C-Sharp Aeolian

C-Sharp Aeolian

Example 5, Comparison of Prts Berliner Messe and the Mass Ordinary of the Roman Rite

The key scheme that Prt has chosen for each liturgical text directly relates to the groupings

that would take place in a traditional Mass setting. The groupings are separated by keys moving to

their parallel Ionian/Aeolian modes (or major/minor, in a tonal context), while each group of

liturgical texts are linked together either by the same key or by relative Ionian/Aeolian (major/minor)

functionality.

The Mass Ordinary referred to in Prts Berliner Messe is in fact the liturgical texts of the

Roman Rite, although his personal faith is in eastern Russian Orthodoxy. It is also worth noting the

influence of Gregorian Chant (a predominantly Western European form of plainchant, which

replaced the Beneventan, Gallican, Ambrosian, Mozarabic and Beneventan chants of Spain, Italy

and Gaul) in his studies prior to the time when the Berliner Messe was composed, and that a majority

of his other sacred a cappella works are set to texts of Roman Catholic background.

As the Eastern Orthodox Church does not use instruments in their service, this may have a

relation to Prts decision to set the music to texts for the Roman Rite as opposed to Orthodox texts.

Prts use of the organ is sparse in the Berliner Messe, and is similar to the aforementioned Russian

bell ringing (the only instruments used in an Orthodox service), and so Prts use of the organ may

14

be to disguise it as a set of bells, rather than an organ with an idiomatic purpose. In addition,

Prts 2002 revision of the Berliner Messe is scored for strings and chorus a cappella, which reinforces

this claim.

In order to make sense of Prts compositional approach, it is important to be aware of the

Mass texts and the musical vernacular to which they are often related. Prt takes great caution to pay

respect and detail to traditional forms and development, but does not sacrifice his compositional

voice for the sake of tradition, and finds new methods to explore old concepts.

V. Analysis Techniques of the Berliner Messe and Tintinnabulation

In the Berliner Messe, Prt explores a variety of ways to convey his tintinnabulation

technique, borrowing from functional relationships in harmony, pandiatonicism, pulsitive and

process music, and modality.15 The melodic voices are created through various methods, such as row

construction and repeating melodic gestures (e.g., the Veni Sancte Spiritus), stepwise diatonic motion

(e.g., the Kyrie), pitch centricity and pitch axes (e.g., the Gloria), and the expansion and contraction

of a melodic figure (also to be seen in the Gloria). Similarly, he creates tintinnabulating voices by 2

important major methods: Set classes (which I will label as H135 and H153) and what I will label as the

threshold technique, first appearing in his Erster and Zweiter Alleluiavers, and further explored in

the last movements of the Mass.

15 I am aware of the analyzation techniques that Hillier refers to in his 1995 text Arvo Prt (Oxford Studies of Composers), however I have opted for slightly different terminology to reflect a different aspect of Prts compositional technique. Hilliers T-voice and M-voice, in short, are the tintinnabulating and melodic voices that I discuss in this thesis. Where I differentiate from Hilliers text is in the definitive roles of the T-voice; Hillier talks about the T-voice in alternating, superior or inferior manners, and in positions relative to those (for more detail, please reference the Hillier text.) I have chosen to opt out this approach in exchange for what I will label as H-class and threshold technique. These essentially serve the same purpose, however are looked at different than Hillier approaches Prts tintinnabulation technique.

15

The culmination of these techniques is found in the final movement of the Mass, the Agnus

Dei, where an exclusive combination of stepwise motion is fused together with the threshold

technique.

For explanation of both the tintinnabulating and melodic lines, I will use a combination of

traditional notation language (e.g., D4, E3), graphics and a form of cipher notation, using the

numbers one through seven.

The letter/number notation is used as follows:

Example 6, Letter/Number Notation

This combination of letter and number notation is used for analysis as it demonstrates the

octave displacement that is important to the timbre of Prts voice. In some cases, he will break the

melodic line in a voice, and continue to finish the line one octave below. This is often to create

clusters of notes and dissonances in a different register (with other voices,) to create different

overarching timbres within a piece, and also for practical purposes. Should a line continue on the

path that it was, it may fall outside of the practical range of the particular voice that it is in.

The cipher notation is demonstrated as follows:

Example 7, Cipher Notation

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It is essentially the diatonic scale, with each number representing the corresponding pitch.

The reason I chose this type of analysis over a more traditional analysis is that the cipher notation

helps to understand how and where Prt moves the tintinnabulating line, without the issues of

dealing with octave displacement and rhythmic notation. As I said before, octave displacement is a

very important factor of the overall sound of Prts music, however in analysis, it sometimes may be

best to strip down the notes to their most bare form, and by doing so, motifs and melodic gestures

become much more apparent. I will use the letter/number notation to show melodic phrasing,

motivic exchange between voices and timbral characteristics of a piece, whereas I will use the cipher

notation to show motivic development and tintinnabulating characteristics of melodic voices. I will

use parentheses to show a repeated note, as they do often occur in the melodic lines of Prts writing.

As an example, a line such as follows would be notated as 3-5-(5)-1-3-5:

Example 8, Cipher Notation - Repeated Notes

Closely related to the cipher notation that I have used to analyze Prts writing are the chord

structures that I have labeled for the tintinnabulating voices. I have named each possible

construction of the tintinnabulating voice either H135 or H153. The H represents the German letter

for B, which I derived from the relation between the tintinnabulating voice and the relation to

liturgical Bells. The numbers in subscript are derived from the sequence in which the 3 notes of

the outlined triad are struck (or in this case, sung.)

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Example 9, H chords used in tintinnabulating voices

Of course, with the above two chords, you can have 3 different inversions of each, with them

being 1-3-5/3-5-1/5-1-3 and 1-5-3/5-3-1/3-1-5, respectively. Prt seemingly picks and chooses a

note with which to begin a line, out of interest to preserve consonance at key points in phrasing and

syllables, and to create dissonances between tintinnabulating voices and melodic voices through

intervals of 2nds, 4ths, and 7ths. Dissonant intervals above the octave are usually continuations of

previous melodic lines, and are products of octave displacement or register changes.

The threshold technique that I use to analyze such sections as the Veni Sancte Spiritus and

Credo is a mathematical approach of outlining the melodic voice with specific tintinnabulating notes

that relate directly to what note is in the melodic voice. As the melodic voice rises and falls in

register, the tintinnabulating voice follows the same rise and fall in parallel motion, but rises and falls

by the notes of the tintinnabulating triad as opposed to the diatonic notes of the scale. For instance,

in mm.15-20 in the Credo, Prt has all 4 voices singing in canon with one another. The soprano and

alto voices are coupled together as tintinnabulating and melodic voices, and the tenor and bass voices

are also coupled together in a similar fashion.

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Example 10, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, mm.15-20

If the alto and soprano voices melodic material is reduced down to the range that they span

over the course of the Credo, we are left with this scale (in the alto voice), and the corresponding

tintinnabulating notes in the soprano voice.

Example 11, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, Threshold Technique (soprano and alto voices)

In regards to rhythmic analysis, I have not placed a great deal of emphasis on Prts rhythmic

writing. This is not because it is lacking in musicality or in any other way, which it is certainly not,

however melody, harmony and tintinnabulation are first and foremost the most interesting and

unique aspects of Prts compositional style. The majority of the Berliner Messe is homorhythmic in

texture (aside from the strict canonic writing in the Credo.) The most important part about the

rhythm in this piece is not so much a constant motor rhythm like one would see in Bach, or perhaps

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the canonic or contrapuntal development that one might see in Franco-Flemish Renaissance music,

but his use of constantly changing time signatures (to create a more open, free feel reminiscent of

early chant, as well as to show phrasing in a clearer fashion), and his emphasis on stressing syllables

by augmentation of rhythm. For example, in the following phrase, I removed the rhythmic aspect of

Prts writing and focused solely on the notes:

Example 12a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-4 (Unstressed syllables)

Prt then takes these notes, and by stretching the rhythm of specific syllables, creates this

new phrase:

Example 12b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-4 (Stressed syllables as is written in published score)

Prt places emphasis on weak syllables through augmentation to create a sense of leaning,

forward motion. It also often happens where there are dissonances between voices, as opposed to

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consonant intervals. While Prts music is pandiatonic by nature, the combination of augmentation

in rhythm on weaker beats, combined with dissonant intervals between tintinnabulating and

melodic voices creates a post-tonal sense of cadence and phrasing in his music. The fact that this

inclination towards cadential material through stressed syllables is compounded with an overall

homorhythmic texture only emphasizes the sense of tension and release more so.

There is an argument to be made about the worth of analyzing Prts music from a

functional, tonal perspective, versus a modal perspective. Key schemes and the overarching

development of keys in the piece do come from a tonal background (e.g., the parallel minor/major

relationship between the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Credo, or the relative major/minor relationship

between the Erster and Zweiter Alleluiavers.) However, Prts use of a leading-tone (outside of the

Gloria), and lack of any statement of a functional cadence leaves a big question to one that analyzes

his piece: Does Prt view his music from a tonal perspective? Prts harmonic language is rather

modal in characteristic, and the influence of early chant in both melodic and harmonic gestures seem

to hint at modality as opposed to tonality. However, for the sake of clarity in this thesis, I have

included the parallel and relative major/minor relationships when discussing key-schemes, and the

relative modes when discussing harmonic relationships.

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VI. The Berliner Messe (Berlin Mass)

1. Kyrie

The Latin text of the Kyrie is as follows:

Kyrie Eleison / Christe Eleison / Kyrie Eleison.

In English translation:

Lord, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy. / Lord, have mercy.

It is important to note that the Christe Eleison is a later addition in the Roman Rite, and,

much like the initial Kyrie Eleison, is a direct translation of a Greek counterpart from the Divine

Liturgy (which was originally advocated in early Rome, yet was pushed out with the acceptance of

Latin as a popular language.) It is also important to note that popular settings of the text often follow

a ternary form, with the Christie Eleison acting as a contrasting section.

The Kyrie opens with a subtle G pedal in the organ, in the lower register. The alto opens

the movement with a descending line, starting on G4 (which we will call 1, as the tonal

centricity of the Kyrie is around G).

Example 13a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, mm.2-4

Of mentionable importance is the first use of the tintinnabulating chord H135 in the soprano

voice. Utilizing cipher notation, the line goes as follows: 3-5-1-3-5. Similar to the usage of octave

displacement in the altos as a means of transitioning into the 2nd measure (for reasons that will be

22

discussed), Prt brings the tintinnabulating line into the organ through octave displacement here in

mm.3, and by continuing the process started in the soprano voice. It is duly noted that the process

that began in the soprano voice has now completed, and so Prt pivots on the D in the organ, and

brings in the chord H153 by a pivot note. The complete tintinnabulating passage in mm.2-4 (between

the soprano voice and organ) goes as follows (with the pivot note underlined to be clear):

3-5-1-3-5-1-5-1-5-3.

Prt continues this passage by displacing it into the tenor voice, and in similar fashion,

retrogrades the melodic line in the alto voice. As opposed to the first phrase of the Kyrie, the altos are

now singing a rising figure as opposed to a falling one. The line is still an octave span between two

G notes, however the break-point between octaves changes from the note D to C. As the

tintinnabulating line moves from voice to voice, this alto voice will serve as a guide for all other notes

in other voices to create dissonance and consonance against. Example 13b shows mm.4-7, where

Prt pivots to H153 in the organ, and moves the line into the tenor voices, only to conclude the

phrase with a second gesture in the organ.

Example 13b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, mm.4-7

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The organ line that had ended on the B6 (it is notated 8va), is now moved into the tenor

voice to continue the tintinnabulation, to create the line as follows:

1-5-1-5-3-(3)-1-5-3-1-5-3-1-5.

In measures 4-7, it can be argued that the tintinnabulating line continues in the soprano

voice (who is also singing a tintinnabulating line of their own), but I assume Prts intention was to

move it to the tenor voice for two reasons: The tenors hold over the 3, which acts more like a

method to continue a line through octave displacement, more so than a fresh new line altogether. In

addition, the soprano voice, if combined with the previous organ passage, create this line:

1-5-1-5-3-5-3-1-5-(5)-3-1-5-3.

Ones concern might be the two consecutive underlined notes, D4 and Bb4, in the

soprano voice (mm. 5). Would they sincerely function as pivot notes, or does the tenor better

communicate Prts desire to continue the line? With the argument that the tintinnabulating line is

moved into the tenor voice, we find ourselves with one pivot note in the organ. With the argument

that the line does not break, and continues in the soprano voice, we are left with not one, but two

consecutive pivot notes that do not fall within the H153 pattern, and an additional re-struck D. It is

therefore assumed that the tenors continue the line, and the soprano voices take on the role of a

supporting tintinnabuli voice. This method of octave displacement continues throughout the Kyrie.

Now that we have brought in all 4 voices, we can see how their functions serve in the context

of the opening section of the Mass:

Sopranos tintinnabulation

Altos Main voice, diatonic motion (stepwise)

Tenors tintinnabulation

Basses Supporting voice, doubling altos at one major 6th below

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As functional harmony ceases to serve a purpose in this context, Prt finds an ingenious way

of creating a sense of structure and form; by expanding and contracting the amount of voices used in

a given section. The Kyrie, because of its naturally ternary shape, lends itself well to the shape created

by adding and subtracting voices. The table below (example 13c) depicts the addition and

subtraction of voices over the length of the Kyrie. Keep in mind that the Kyrie ends with all of the 4

voices singing, and the Gloria seamlessly picks up from where the Kyrie leaves off, with the entire

choir singing powerfully at forte.

Kyrie eleison K e Christe eleison C e Kyrie eleison K e

1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4

Example 13c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Kyrie, Structure of the text in relation to number of voices

2. Gloria

The Gloria of the Berliner Messe continues in the same key (G minor/Aeolian) as the Kyrie

left off. The Berliner Messe differs from a traditional mass in that it can be performed as a continuous

piece of music. Each section serves as what a single movement is to a sonata or symphony. Prts

music has been often considered to be simple in its nature, and that he often leaves out important

factors (to leave it up to performance practice); While this is true in some regards (e.g., the notation

of dynamics are far more sparse than most works in standard repertory), Prt is not oblivious to what

message he is trying to convey. It can be inferred that there is a direct correlation between the chant

music that he had studied (in between his transitional Third Symphony and his Fur Alina) and his

notational preferences.

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In the Gloria, Prt takes a different compositional approach than in the Kyrie. Tonal

centricity plays a key role in the development of this movement, where he uses the stepwise line

(again voiced in the altos), and moves around a specific pitch-axis to create movement in the voices.

The basses couple along with the altos exactly one major 6th below, so that if the alto voice

cadences on a note of the tintinnabulating chord (1, 3, or 5), there will be no discrepancies

as to the tonality of the cadence; One finds themselves to have arrived at the tonic chord in any of

the 3 possible inversions. Of course, if the altos resolve on 1, we will be in 1st inversion. Note 3

will place us in 2nd inversion, and note 5 will place us in root position.

Prt decides to use note G4 as the pitch-axis for the alto voice. Since the basses double

what the altos sing (one major 6th below), their voice is mathematically pre-conceived. The only

concern now lays within the two tintinnabulating voices, which are as they were in the Kyrie, the

soprano and tenor voices.

The opening measures give a clear indication of how Prt is using a pitch-axis to move

smoothly through chord clusters, utilizing the two tintinnabulating lines as dissonant and consonant

tones. The tintinnabulating voices are much more free here than in the Kyrie, utilizing pivot notes

much more frequently to both follow along with the alto/bass voices, and to create more unique

voicing combinations.

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Example 14a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, mm.1-12

The alto voice, in the opening two lines, creates a melody as follows (referencing measures 1-

4):

4-3-2-1-(1)-6-7-1-3-2-1.

The pivot note, G4, is reinforced on all single-beat measures, as well as all cadential

material at the end of any phrase (which seemingly end before any organ passage.) Interesting to

note would be the fact that, the greater the size of the measure (which often directly correlate to the

number of syllables in the text, with the exception of stressed syllables receiving a longer rhythmic

value), the larger the distance that the outside interval between the axis note G4 and the beginning

of the phrase is. Take measures 7, 9, and 11 as examples. Each measure reinforces its ultimate goal

towards axis note G4 by re-stating it as the very last note of the measure. Each note prior to this note

proceeds stepwise towards it, either from above or below. Depending on the number of syllables in

the text, and whether or not Prt desired to stress a particular voicing or syllable, the outside interval

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(in measure 11, D5 to G4) expands in size. Prts inflection of stressed syllables in the melodic and

rhythmic writing aids to break up the monotony of the text, and this slight tearing away from the

steady quarter-note pulsation helps the listener achieve a feeling of cadence. Prt will further develop

this method of expansion and contraction of a melodic gesture in the Veni Sancte Spiritus, however

in a much different method.

The organ plays a special role in the Gloria, as from first glance, it does not seem to be as

intricately involved in the motion of the tintinnabulating line as it was in the Kyrie. The organ plays

the following passages:

Example 14b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Gloria, Organ Passages

The organ, as it did in the Kyrie, has two voices moving in parallel and oblique motion.

Upon further inspection, we will see that there are tintinnabulating lines built into these two voices,

crossing paths between themselves to create intricate clusters. I have connected the tintinnabulating

voices, and labeled the notes (in their cipher notation) beneath the voicings. It is clearly visible that

the organ passage makes use of both possible tintinnabulating voicings, H153 being used in measures

60 and 68, and H135 being used in measures 12 and 35. It is also worth noting that the other voice is

moving in a fashion similar to the alto voices axis/centricity concept; in measures 12 and 35, the

stepwise voice is moving as 5-6-7-1-2, and in measures 60 and 68, it is moving as 6-5-4. This

may not seem to have much connection, until we visit the measures following each passage, and see

that these stepwise lines are intricately connected with the alto voice, reusing motivic patterns. The

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5-6-7-1-2 motif is then followed by 1-7-6-5-1-2 in the alto, reincorporating the 1-2 as a

means of creating what feels akin to a post-tonal half-cadence. Interestingly enough, this happens

to be a section where Prt breaks away from the centric concept he was using up until now, and

instead inverts the concept. The 1-7-6-5 motif moves away from G4 instead of towards it, as we

have seen so commonly before (and will see afterwards.) Likewise, the 1-2 motif is unique in that

it has been reinforced in our ears before that it should be the other way around, 2-1. Prt then

creates development by bringing back the original axis-centric concept as before, and then reversing

it, and bringing it back once more, all the while adding and subtracting extra pitches to compensate

for the syllables.

Lastly, Prt introduces a concept into the Gloria that we did not hear in the Kyrie; the

leading-tone. Prt incorporates the leading-tone (F#) sparingly, so as not to stray too far from the

modality of the music. One may hear this leading-tone and consider that Prt is looking backward to

his previous periods (or perhaps forward in time!), however, the leading-tone does not conflict with

the processes involved in the Glorias overall scheme (such as the pitch-axis concept), but instead

offer a foreshadowing of what is to come in the movements of the Berliner Messe. Prt is not

breaking away from modality, but embracing it, by using the leading tone as a means to branch out

to other modalities that involve G as a pitch center.

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3. Erster and Zweiter Alleluiavers

Prts Erster Alleluiavers and Zweiter Alleluiavers are two of the most significant sections of

the Berliner Messe. While being the shortest (recorded versions of these two sections often happen to

be only about 1 minute each in length), they encompass all aspects of Prts mysterious, enchanting

sound, not to mention all of his techniques of compositional approach that are recycled throughout

the Mass. They also serve as the turning point in the overall key scheme of the mass. Whereas the

Kyrie and Gloria were set in what we perceive as a G Aeolian area, Prts usage of the leading-tone

in the Gloria sets the stage for the listener to move to the G Ionian realm in the Erster Alleluiavers.

This tonality is later moved to an E Aeolian area in the Zweiter Alleluiavers (or G major moving to

the relative E minor.) This gives the listener a sense of spiritual uplifting, only to coincide with the

text:

Alleluia. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur et renovabis faciem terrae. Alleluia.

In English translation:

Alleluia. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the

earth. Alleluia.

The liturgical text in the Erster Alleluiavers alludes to the sense of a renewal (in the text

itself, a renewal of the face of the Earth.) A correlation can be made between the textual

description of renewal, and the movement to a new modal area that had previously not been

explored in the Berliner Messe.

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Example 15a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Erster Alleluiavers, Full Score

The Erster Alleluiavers, depicted above, utilizes homorhythmic passages of 4-part writing for

the Alleluia text. In the alto voice, the motif heard consists of 3-2-1-7-1, which is then referred

to in the solo tenor passage. The solo tenor passage happens to be unique in several ways, in that it is

no longer functioning as a tintinnabulating voice. In fact, it functions as the opposite; the tenor

voice is now moving in a stepwise, diatonic manner, a role similar to the one played by the alto and

bass voices in the previous two sections. There is a sonorous, chant-like quality to Prts single voice

writing, hovering around a centric G pitch, but not functioning as an axis as it did in the Gloria;

this writing is much more focused on the concept of recycling motivic ideas. For the text et

creabuntur, Prt re-uses the 3-2-1-7-1 motif heard in the altos, and foreshadows the sopranos

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motif of 3-4-5-6-5, heard in the last measure. Perhaps there can be a connection made between

the texts creabuntur (creation) and renovabis (renewal) and the shift of harmonic design that Prt

happens to create in the very last measure: By reassigning the tintinnabulating roles to the alto and

bass voices, and giving the stepwise, diatonic lines to the soprano and tenor voices. It is, in fact, a

renewal of Prts signature melodic writing.

The Zweiter Alleluiavers functions quite similar to the Erster Alleluiavers, only that it serves an

equally opposite role: by the end of the Zweiter Alleluiavers, Prt returns the assigned roles of

stepwise motion or tintinnabulating lines to their original voices. He accomplishes this flawlessly by

reusing the 3-4-5-6-5 and 3-2-1-7-1 motifs, by transposition, in the soprano and tenor voices.

Prt also visits E Aeolian, a new modal area not previously explored yet in the Berliner Messe,

however directly linked to G Ionian, as it is the relative minor scale.

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Example 15b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Zweiter Alleluiavers, Full Score

The latin text of the Zweiter Alleluiavers is as follows:

Alleluia. Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium: et tui amoris in ei ignem accende.

Alleluia.

In English translation:

Alleluia. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful: and kindle in them the fire of Thy

love. Alleluia.

Prt makes use of the 3-4-5-6-5 and 3-2-1-7-1 motifs, however mostly in truncated

form. The only exception to this is the completion of the 3-4-5-6-5 motif is over the text

fidelium. There might be a connection between the inferred faithfulness of completing the 3-4-

5-6-5 motif, and the text itself, but this is more subjective than objective, and may be more related

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to text setting and creating a feeling of cadence by ending on a note of the tintinnabulating triad, as

opposed to a less strong note. Prt does begin to end phrases on weaker notes, such as the constant

use of 7 as a cadential note (Spiritus and accende both end on 7), and the lingering feeling of

irresolution with the final Alleluia.

In both of the Erster and Zweiter passages, Prt incorporates a new approach to the

tintinnabulation technique not seen previously in the Mass. In the 2nd and 3rd Alleluias of each

section, Prt breaks away from the H135 / H153 tintinnabulation, and reaches for the threshold

technique as described earlier. This creates a specific scale of dyads (if we are looking at only two

voices; 3 or 4 voices would create other options), which Prt uses to create stressed and unstressed

syllables, or tension and release.

Example 15c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Erster Alleluiavers, Threshold Tintinnabulation, Alto/Soprano Voices

This creates tension upon the stressed 2nd note of the syllable lu in Alleluia, as the listener

hears the F in the altos against the G in the sopranos (or in the final Alleluia, the D against

the E respectively.) If the harmony of all 4 voices is fleshed out, we find that this particular voicing

yields (from bottom to top): A/B/F/G (which resolves to B/D/G/B in the second Alleluia), or

D/G/D/E to D/F/B/D in the 3rd and final Alleluia. These stressed voicings, in the realm of

post-tonal analysis, can be analyzed as having a tonal function by voice leading (or perhaps added

notes to dominant and tonic chords), but it is far more important to interpret them from a broader,

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psychological tension/release perspective. In that sense, they are merely clusters of particular notes,

derivative of a given process, that resolve according to this process, and create a feeling of cadence.

Prt re-uses this technique in the Zweiter Alleluiavers, however due to the modal change and

the octave displacement and re-voicing of the SATB voices, the process yields completely different

harmonies.

Example 15d, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Zweiter Alleluiavers, Threshold Tintinnabulation, Alto/Soprano Voices

This new approach to tintinnabulation sets the stage for the next sections of the Berliner

Messe to explore. From a broader scope, one could say that both the H135 / H153 approach and the

threshold approach are simply different processes of a larger minimalist stream of thought, but this

is arguable, and subjectively, one may feel that Prt is much more detailed than that in his line of

thinking. However, Prt is not nave to this principle, and perhaps has considered it on a much more

grand scale of compositional technique. Regardless, the results are unbelievably beautiful to hear.

4. Veni Sancte Spiritus

The Veni Sancte Spiritus continues in the E Aeolian modality. Prt, now having introduced

his cadenza-like approach to single-voice writing, reuses this rhythmic and melodic concept to open

the movement, using the bass voices to outline the E minor triad, with the exception of some upper

and lower neighbor tones. Upon first viewing the score, one would see that the writing is far

35

different from where we began in the Kyrie: It is much more sparse, and focuses upon pairings of two

voices (tintinnabulation at its purest form.) However, it appears that Prt is utilizing the second

voice (which only uses notes of the tintinnabulating triad) far more sparsely, and as a means to create

emphasis on particular words of the liturgical text. Although this seems simple in approach, and

rather random, we should not dismiss it as so. As we have seen before, what appear to be the simplest

concepts in his music often are the most complex.

The liturgical text of the Veni Sancte Spiritus in latin is as follows (with the bold text being

that which has been emphasized):

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium. Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum,

veni, lumen cordium. Consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium. In labore requies, in

aestu temperies in fletu solatium.

O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium. Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est

innoxium. Lava quod est sordidum, riga quod est arium, sana quod est saucium. Flecte quod est

rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium. Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum

septenarium. Da virtutis meritum, da salutis exitum, da perenne gaudium, Amen, Alleluia.

In English translation:

Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light. Come, father of the poor,

come giver of gifts, come, light of the heart. Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation. In

labor, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace. O most blessed light,

fill the inmost heart of your faithful. Without your divine will, there is nothing in man,

nothing is harmless. Wash that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded.

Bend that which is inflexible, warm that which is chilled, make right that which is wrong. Give to your

faithful, who rely on you, the sevenfold gifts. Give reward to virtue,

give salvation at our passing on, give eternal joy. Amen. Alleluia.

36

By analyzing Prts interpretation of the text, it is clear that his emphasis lies on the key

words of each phrase. He places a great emphasis on such things as poor in father of the poor, or

the superlative adjective inmost in fill the inmost heart of your faithful. In addition, by placing the

emphasis on that which, it is clear that the unknown that the liturgical text refers to (e.g., the

unclean, wounded, and inflexible) matters a great deal to Prt in reference to text-setting.

In regards to the pairings of voices, each pair of voices is preceded by a solo passage of

whichever voice takes the dominant role. For example, the piece opens with a solo bass voice, which

leads into a passage where the bass takes the dominant role, and the sopranos outline the

tintinnabulating chord using the threshold technique discussed in the Erster and Zweiter

Alleluiavers.

Example 16a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Threshold Technique

Prt now incorporates a new compositional method: the concept of row design, which may

perhaps be a reference back to his past relationship involving serialism. Prt develops a row,

beginning in the bass voice, which extends from mm.1-14.

Example 16b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Row Design mm.1-14, Bass voice

37

Prt develops a melodic idea based around a centric note. The row can be divided into two

halves; One half with a pitch axis based around B, and the other half based around the pitch axis

E, the two outer notes of the prime form of the tintinnabulating triad. The inner 3rd of this triad,

which is an extremely important note, is not taken for granted; In both halves of the row, it is

reinforced through repetition. These two halves are connected by a pivot note (D), which moves

stepwise to the nearest tintinnabulating note, E. Likewise, at the end of the row, we find ourselves

with another pivot note (C), that brings us back to the B that we began the row with.

Interestingly enough, this row, when repeated, is rhythmically displaced a certain growing

number of beats. The chart below explains the re-statements of the row and their relative

displacement.

Statement # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Displacement 2 3 5 6 8 10 13 13 15 Inc.

Example 16c, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Row Displacement

Statement #10 reads Inc., as it is an incomplete statement. However, if we derive the 5-3-

5-3 from quod (est) devium in the tenor voice (mm.101-104), we find that this can complete the

fragment at the end of the piece.

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Example 16d, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Veni Sancte Spiritus, mm.131-143, completion of incompleted row by derivative of mm.101-104

5. Credo

The Credo follows shortly after where the Veni Sancte Spiritus left off. In the row that Prt

used in the Veni, we examined how he pivoted around the D to move to E in the second half.

Take into consideration how Prt ends the Veni Sancte Spiritus; He ends on a lingering D note, in

a unison, homorhythmic texture utilizing the full SATB choir. This D is, in fact, the pivot note

that will move us into the opening E found in the bass voice of the Credo. However, Prt, in the

interest of changing the color of the Credo, decides to move into the parallel major mode, E Ionian.

As another link between the Veni and the Credo, Prt decides to reinterpret his row to fit around the

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new modality. The example below is the row design for the Credo, the bottom numbers showing the

cipher notation, and the top numbers showing the ordered pitch intervals (coinciding with the set-

class theory analysis used by Straus, 2005.) Motifs and their development in the row are labeled, and

shown with brackets.

Example 17a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, Row Design

As notated in the example 17a above, the row of the Credo is made up of 3 separate motivic

ideas, developed through retrograde and inversion. The 26-note row concludes with a low B that

falls outside of the motivic analysis, but instead serves as a linking note to begin the row once more.

Unlike the use of a repeating row in the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Prt creates development in the

composition by dropping notes out of the row systematically, and adding them to the end of the

row. For instance, the 1st and 2nd statements of the row, in cipher notation, are as follows:

1-2-3-4-3-2-1-5-4-1-3-2-1-5-7-6-5-6-7-1-4-5-6-7-1-5 Statement 1

1-4-3-2-1-5-4-1-3-2-1-5-7-6-5-6-7-1-4-5-6-7-1-5-2-3 Statement 2

The unique approach to Prts canonic writing in the Credo is his method of restating the

row in the same voice that finishes last. In the first row, Prt begins the Credo in the tenor and bass

voices, with the tenors tintinnabulating and the basses singing the melodic line (in this case, the

row.) The altos and sopranos enter 9 beats later, in strict canonic writing at the octave, however

slightly changing rhythmically so that the rests at the end of each phrase happen simultaneously. He

creates this by changing where the augmented rhythms are in the text. Continuing on, the tenor/bass

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canon ends at mm.10, while the soprano/alto canon ends 2 measures later. Unlike some canonic

writing, where the tenor and bass voices wouldve began the next motivic gesture while the

soprano/alto voices were still singing (to create a constant stream of ideas), Prt places the next

installment of the row directly after the first row in the soprano/alto voices end. This allows him to

reverse the leader/follower roles in the canon, and now the truncated row (with the added notes at

the end) begins in the soprano/alto voices, with the tenor/bass following 9 beats afterwards.

The melodic row is stated 12 times, with 2 pitches dropping each time (in the appropriate

order of the row) and reappearing at the very end of the row. The first and last statements of the row

are complete statements, with zero notes dropped, which leads even the most astute listener to

believe the piece has come to a close. Prt ends the Credo with a restatement of 1-2-3-4-3-2-1. (It

is important to note that, while Prt adheres very strictly to the compositional processes in the Credo,

he does drop some notes from the row that are not coinciding with the 2-note rule. The notes that

he does drop, however, are tintinnabuli notes, which may be related to the idea that the notes that

we clearly hear are those that are not of the underlying triad.)

The Credo makes an interesting use of silence and pause: similar to Prts other pieces, all 4

voices will pause at the same moment in time, to create these sonic gaps where the harmonics

(usually created by the reverberation in the performance hall) has a chance to breathe. It is not

complete silence, but the sound that exists within this gap in and of itself that creates such a

dramatic effect. The sounds that exist around these pauses are much more pronounced as a result,

and the outcome is a very musical silence, not to be disregarded. However, Prt does sacrifice some

canonic rule for the sake of these pauses in the music. In the second statement of the row, between

notes 5-4-1 and 3-2-1, there exists a pause in the soprano/alto voices. This same pause,

41

regardless of augmentations in rhythm or stressed syllabification, does not exist at the same position

in the row in the tenor/bass voices.

Example 17b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Credo, mm.13-20, Canonic Writing

He instead moves this pause in between notes 1-5-7 and 6-5-6 of the row, so that the

pause in the tenor/bass voices happens to land exactly with the pause in the soprano/alto voices, who

are at a later point in the row from the canon. Had he placed the pause where it would have been

according to canonic rule, the harmonic vocabulary of the composition would completely change

due to a displacement of melodic and rhythmic figures.

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6. Sanctus

The Sanctus of the Roman Catholic Mass is as follows:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus

Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.

Hosanna in excelsis.

In English translation:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

In the Sanctus of the Berliner Messe, Prt completely drops the soprano voice from the

texture. This leaves the three lower voices, with the altos singing in their lower register, allowing for a

greater amount of voice exchange between the tenor and alto voices, and therefore a tighter sense of

chord structure and harmony. Prt, similar to the Kyrie, uses the H135/H153 classes to outline the

melodic voice, which is broken up into fragments with a centricity that leans towards C-sharp (the

perceived key is C-sharp minor, or Aeolian.)

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Example 18a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Sanctus, mm.1-7

Pitch centricity plays a key role in the melodic setting of the text. Phrases such as 5-6-7-1-1-

(1)-4-3-2-1 (the cipher notation used for Hosanna in excelsis, mm.16-18) show a rising and falling

tendency towards C# as a gravitational constant. However, to create tension and motion in the

development of the Sanctus, Prt will occasionally invert the gestures to move away from the target

note, as the Gloria had earlier done. The Sanctus is of considerably shorter length than the previous

texts, and the somber harmonic language, lower registers of each voice, and more sparse feel give the

listener a feeling of calm tranquility. The organ, similar to how it had served a purpose in the Kyrie,

outlines the H-classes in a similar function.

Although the highest pitch in the Sanctus is found in the text Benedictus qui venit in nomine

Domini, it should be noted that, in performance practice, many quality recordings of the Berliner

Messe feature the line Hosanna in excelsis as the loudest in volume and intensity (mm.16-18,

directly preceding the Benedictus.)16 Although dynamics are not marked in the piece, from a

performance perspective, there is an inclination to follow the text Hosanna in the highest in a literal

translation of dynamics.

16 Example recordings may be found by Noel Edison with the Elora Festival Orchestra (Naxos), a recording with Tonu Kaljuste and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra (ECM Records), and Stephen Layton with Polyphony (Hyperion UK).

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Another interesting aspect of Prts organ writing in the Sanctus is its relation to historical

and practical purpose in the Roman church. In a ceremonial setting, the Sanctus bells (tiny handheld

bells, derivative of their earlier, larger counterparts) are rung as a way to create a joyful noise for the

Lord during the Mass.17 It is known that the Sanctus bells, originally larger in size (for practical

purposes), became handheld over time out of convenience. The organ writing (which will be

replaced with string passages in the 2002 revision of the Berliner Messe) is written 8va, in the right

hand and upper register. There is almost a peaceful incongruity between the bell-like, high passages

of the organ, and the low harmonies of the alto/tenor/bass voices that has not been previously

explored to this extreme in the Berliner Messe.

In a ceremonial Sanctus of the Tridentine Mass, the priest, upon reaching the passage

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, will make the sign of the cross upon himself. While Prt

does not incorporate the Canon of the Mass into the Sanctus, the unique 4-note motif repeated in

the organ is reminiscent of the sign of the cross. Although it does not bear a direct resemblance (e.g.,

as in a falling gesture that the priest would make from his forehead to his heart), and there has been

no confirmed evidence that this has an intentional connection, it is interesting to note that the first

two organ passages leading to the Benedictus passage are rising figures, whereas the last two organ

passages surrounding the Benedictus passage are falling figures, similar to the gesture one would

make with the hand when completing the sign of the cross.

17 "Sanctus Bells Their History and Use in the Catholic Church by Matthew D. Herrera." Adoremus Home Page. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. .

45

Example 18b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Sanctus, Organ Passages

7. Agnus Dei

The text of the Agnus Dei is as follows:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

In English translation:

Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

The last section of the Berliner Messe serves as a zenith of Prts compositional style; time

signatures, used throughout Prts Mass so far, are now completely missing, as are any starting

dynamics that we have previously seen (aside from the Erster and Zweiter Alleluiavers). The chorus is

broken up into 2 interlocking pairs, with the soprano and tenor voices singing in a responsorial

manner, and the alto and bass voices doing so in a similar fashion. An extremely noteworthy aspect

of the Agnus Dei is the use of barlines: Even between pairs of voices, they do not line up. There is a

slightly fragmented approach to the physical look of the page. The only information that shows the

performer where time lies in the music happens to be how the voices line up on particular dyads.

This visual property of the score leaves much of the realization of the music to the performer, and

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from a performance practice, this translates into the free, almost otherworldly sonority of the Agnus

Dei.

Prt combines his both lines of tintinnabulation into a single melodic voice: The single voice,

in this case, sings two interwoven lines, one being the tintinnabulating triad, and the other being a

diatonic, falling melodic gesture. Of course, the appropriate threshold notes are assigned to each note

of the scale, so every note serves a complete purpose. Prt also combines his method of pitch

centricity into the melodic gestures of the voices by developing a pitch center around B, further

reinforcing the modal characteristic of his compositional style. Paired voices sing in canonic

imitation by inversion, at a 4 beat distance from one another and an interval of a perfect fourth

between voices. At the second repetition of the Agnus Dei, this interval expands to a fifth between

the soprano and tenor voices, as the distance closes to 2 beats between canonic voices.

Example 19a, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Agnus Dei, page 1

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In the third and last repetition of the Agnus Dei, they reach the point where they are exactly

one beat apart. At this point, all 4 voices are brought in, however are paired quite differently

(soprano/alto, and tenor/bass) than before. The two pairs are in strict canon at the octave, acting as

mirror images of one another, both voices singing a combination of melodic and tintinnabulating

notes. This is also the first time that Prt explicitly uses contrary motion between voices, whereas in

the past he distinctly used oblique and parallel motion. This creates a new sense of harmony, much

more uplifting and not so heavy in spirit, almost serving as redemption of the listeners sins. We are,

at last, granted peace through a juxtaposition of tintinnabulation, falling and rising melodic

gestures, and mirrored canonic writing all happening simultaneously.

Example 19b, Arvo Prt, Berliner Messe, Agnus Dei, dona nobis pacem (contrary motion)

VII. The Berliner Messe, Arvo Prt and Minimalism

The Berliner Messe, when viewed as sectional pieces, contains a multitude of approaches to

Prts tintinnabuli style. However, there are other aspects to the work that are on a much more grand

scale.

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The Berliner Messe makes great use of form in its music. Several sections are more structured

from a musical standpoint, whereas others are products of the process by which Arvo Prt creates his

harmonic and melodic language. This leads to an interesting debate that Prt has been the subject of

for quite a while now: does Prts music fall under the realm of minimalism? Hillier mentions that

American minimal music was originally characterized by the repetition of sound modules within a

constant environment of pulsed rhythms and unchanging tonality Musical material is thus

reduced to its elemental essence, very often having a single tempo, a single timbre, a single dynamic,

so that the ear focuses uniquely on the process of change, which becomes the only identity the music

is left with.18 Although Hillier does go on to argue the pedantic that theorists and musicians alike

have objected Prts music to (and he argues in the favor of both parties, to some degree!), Prts

music, in lieu of his careful regard to form and structure, dissuades any evidence that it is purely

minimal. Prts overtly minimalist voice is characterized by his simplification of harmony to the

bare minimum: two voices co-existing, almost as a yin and yang of one another, sounding and

reacting to one another in a methodical fashion that is reminiscent of early Euro-centric music, yet

entirely post-tonal in the sense that common-practice tonality is not observed in Prts music.

Process, in the sense that it exists within the realm of minimalism and pulsitive music of the likes

of such composers as Reich or Andriessen19 is an oversimplification of Prts compositional

technique. For instance, as observed in the Credo, Prt takes a specific collection of notes (in this

case, a 26-note melody), and through a process of repetition and a dropping out of pairs of notes, he

creates the foundation by which he develops canon and harmony. However, it is important to view

the Credo from a much more large scale, as it is directly linked to the previous and following sections 18 Hillier, Paul. "Sounding Icons." Arvo Prt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997. 15. Print. 19 See example works: Andriessen Hoketus, Reich Clapping Music. These pieces are not intended to generalize these two composers, but rather give an insight into the inner workings of minimalist, or pulsitive music, named after the distinct pulsation in music that is a common thread throughout minimalist thought.

49

of the mass, through key, melodic contour (e.g., the connection between the Veni Sancte Spiritus and

the Credo), and practical use (its role in the ceremonial Mass setting.)

VIII. Final Notes on the Berliner Messe

In regards to the performance practice of the Berliner Messe, it is important to note the text,

the key and pitch center, and the overall mood that Prt is conveying in the harmony. Although

the quarter note is set at a constant throughout the piece, and there are no markings in regards to the

tempi or feel, historical knowledge of early Church music relates to how a modern chorus would

perform such a work as the Berliner Messe.

Hesychasm, Greek for stillness or quiet, is the process of retiring inward by ceasing to

register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God.20 Byzantine chant, often

prescribed to in the Russian Orthodox Church (as the Orthodox Church can be traced back to the

Byzantine rite as early as St. Paul and the Apostles), relates to a practice of inner prayer, where one

would experience complete silence of the senses (figuratively), and focus entirely on silent prayer. Of

course, as the most insightful music in prayer is often slow, and the most profound moments in

prayer are often in silence, Prts combination of carefully predicted silence and slow, moving music

results in an amalgamation of the past and present; an exaltation of the human spirit that transcends

above and beyond the material being, beyond functional harmony or musical genre, to serve one

purpose: A closer relationship to God through music.

20 "Hesychasm." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. .

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Prt, similar to other sacred composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, have returned to a

traditionalist view of icon painting in music.21 In the Berliner Messe, as well as many other of his

works, he has returned to a timeless voice that had been previously silent for hundreds of years.

Through his contemplative periods and study of early western music, he has not only materialized

once again the eternal sounds of chant music, but also become part of them in a way that is more

than just a manifestation of their harmonic, melodic and rhythmic values.

More specifically, in the Berliner Messe, Prt distinctly planned the key-scheme and overall

structure with the intention for it to be performed in a liturgical setting (while it is often performed

as a concert work). His use of lyrical, stepwise melodies is reminiscent of those that existed in

Gregorian chant, and while his sense of harmony, through his technique, is extremely modern, his

consideration of the text is very traditional. He recreates the timbres of liturgical bells through his

sparse interpretation of the church organ (or strings), and references religious icons through melodic

gestures, such as the sign of the cross found in the Sanctus.

Prts musical voice does not exist without his faith, nor can the astute listener appreciate the

compositional prowess or disciplined skill that Prt incorporates into his music without at least a

rudimentary knowledge of his religious and personal life. There is an obvious impetus behind Prts

methodical writing that somehow surpasses our expectations as listeners, and to dismiss the facets of

Prt that exist alongside of his compositional voice would be to disregard half of the mystery that

surrounds him. Prts music, regardless of the listeners religious preference, has reached an

international audience, and brought him to the forefront of concert music in the world today.

Whether it is the objectivity of his harmonic language, or the subjectivity of his introspective silence

21 See Henryk Gorecki and John Tavener, with whom Prt is commonly grouped (as holy minimalists.) Goreckis Totus Tuus, or Taveners Funeral Ikon or the Whale.

51

that captures the heart and soul of the listener, Prt has made it clear that his tintinnabulation

technique is a timeless consideration of western harmony, absent of categorization, and to be treated

with distinct care and reverence.

a

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arvo Prt, 24 Preludes for a Fugue, Juxtapositions, 2005.

Cowgill, Rachel E. "'Sacred Music in Secular Times'; Arvo Prt, an Anachronism in the Twentieth

Century?" Diss. 1989. Print.

Davison III, Joseph F. "Ancient Texts, New Voices." Diss. University of California, 2002. Diss. 26.

Print.

"Hesychasm." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

.

Hillier, Paul. Arvo Prt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997. Print.

Hillier, Paul. "Sounding Icons." Arvo Prt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997. 15. Print.

Langager, Graeme. "The Tintinnabuli Compositional Style of Arvo Prt." Diss. California State

University, 1997. Print.

Prt, Arvo. Berliner Messe.1990. Rev 2002. Universal Edition, 2007. Print.

b

Prt, Arvo. Fur Alina.1976. Universal Edition, 2007. Print.

Pinkerton II, David E. "Discovering the Music of Estonian Composer Arvo Prt." Choral Journal

(1993). Print.

Roman, Hierodeacon. "The Phenomenon of Russian Church Bell Ringing /zvon/ / Returning of the

Bells." Returning of the Bells. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

.

"Russian Orthodox Bell Ringing." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

.

"Sanctus Bells Their History and Use in the Catholic Church by Matthew D. Herrera." Adoremus

Home Page. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. .

"Tintinnabulation." David Pinkerton's Arvo Prt Information Archive. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

.

c

REFERENCE TEXTS

Kyrie (Latin):

Kyrie Eleison / Christe Eleison / Kyrie Eleison.

Kyrie (English):

Lord, have mercy. / Christ, have mercy. / Lord, have mercy.

Gloria (Latin):

Glria in exclsis Deo, et in terra pax homnibus bonae volunttis. Laudmus te, benedcimus te,

adormus te, glorificmus te, grtias gimus tibi propter magnam glriam tuam, Dmine Deus, Rex

clstis, Deus Pater