Symphonies 1 & 2 Etc.

This Virgin Classics disc brings together some of Arvo Part's prominent orchestral works from the 1960s, performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Jarvi. In this decade, Part was bucking the Soviet authorities by following the international avant-garde, writing works that used atonalism and a sense of conflict to great dramatic effect. This is music worlds removed from the neo-tonal, calm and contemplative pieces he has written from the mid-1970s. Audiences who follow Part because his later work soothes them may well be appalled by the music here. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of contemporary music in all its styles, you'll be surprised at how well Part mastered the avant-garde before leaving it behind.

The first work, the cantata "Our Garden" for children's voices and orchestra (1959), fits within socialist realism and is musically unadventurous. That Part has retained it in his catalogue is probably due more to its support of Estonian culture in the dark days of Soviet occupation. Let's move on.

The Symphony No. 1 "Polyphonic" (1963) is a work of complex lines in vaguely unwholesome rhythms and orchestration. The opening, for example, is all honking brass and hi-hat. It recalls Stravinsky's neo-classical period, which of course might seem tame to audiences today, but was harshly condemned in the Soviet Union. Fast, extroverted passages contrast with slow, shadowy sections. This is a strong work, not at all the sort of immature production you'd expect from a first symphony.

"Perpetuum mobile" (1963) is a 9-minute long crescendo. It gradually grows not only in dynamic, but in harmony and scoring as well, rising to a powerful cloud of sound. If you like Ligeti's micropolyphonic works, this will probably appeal to you as well. While more effect than content, this nonetheless shows a composer with some fresh ideas.

The "Collage ueber B-A-C-H" for oboe, string orchestra, harpsichord, and piano (1964) is a short hommage to Johann Sebastian Bach. Each of its three movements adopts a form used by the great Baroque composer, with the first being a toccata, the second a sarabande, and the third a ricercare. The harmonies, however, stretch common-practice tonality to the breaking point. Eventually pure Baroque serenity is suddenly done in by harsh dissonance. This is a quite Schnittke-esque work, though written years before Schnittke developed his mature style.

With the works that come now, Part's dedication to the avant-garde shows a greater maturity and uncompromising approach. "Pro et contra" for cello and orchestra (1966) is a brief concerto in three movements. It incorporates moments of pure noise, as well as extended techniques like knocking on the body of the cello. The first movement opens with a glorious major chord, before falling into dissonance. The second is a short cadenza for the soloist (~30 seconds), while the third slowly works towards an ending in an early Romantic style. The soloist here is Truls Mork.

The "Symphony No. 2" (1966) is also extremely modernist, though with a more focused application of avant-garde sounds (rubber squeaking toys at one point). Much of the piece is dark, formless, mysterious, with elements of aleatorism a la Lutoslawski. The application of serialism is disrupted by triads played around the tone row, refusing to let the listener find his bearings. This piece too ends in a traditional fashion -- or it seems like it will, for in fact its Romantic glow is then suddently crushed. It's a brutal last word, and one that makes the piece something of a downer. Rarely has a composer applied the techniques of twelve-tone serialism in so clearly "symphonic" dimensions.

Though one might disagree with certain turns that Part took in his later career, based on the generally fine works here one could never accuse him of lacking the skill to write music of great complexity and drama. When I first came across this disc, I thought it would all prove juvenalia that would gather dust after an initial hearing, but in the end I think that I'd rather listen to several of these pieces than most of Part's recent work. Soon after the Second Symphony, however (and his 1968 work "Credo") the composer entered his long hiatus while reevaluating his work completely.