Arvo Part’s Resonant Texts: Choral and Organ Music 1956-2015

Statistically the most performed and listened to contemporary composer in the world, Arvo Part is a musical and cultural phenomenon. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in his extraordinarily innovative and uniquely appealing music. Andrew Shenton surveys the full scope of Part’s oeuvre, providing context and chronological continuity while concentrating in particular on his text-based music, analysing and describing individual pieces and techniques such as tintinnabulation. The book also explores the spiritual and theological contexts of Part’s creativity, and the challenges of performing his work. This volume is the definitive guide for readers looking to engage with the form, content, and context of Part’s compositions, as Shenton situates Part in the narrative of metamodernism and suggests new ways of understanding this unique and beautiful music.