JAVS Summer 2025

Figure 5. Example of the viola solo chant about the piano’s tintinnabuli triads. Spiegel im Spiegel, Avro Pärt, mm.7-12. © Copyright 1978 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien/ © Copyright 1998 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien / UE31257.

Though the chords remain within the F major scale, Pärt avoids conventional root-position progressions. Instead, he favors second inversions (6/4) and seventh chords in inversion (6/5), often placing dissonant intervals—like the second or seventh—at structurally significant points. These inversions disrupt harmonic stability just enough to create a gentle propulsion through an otherwise rhythmically unchanging texture. In this way, harmonic tension replaces rhythmic momentum. This delicate tension evokes theological resonance. The three-part structure—melody, tintinnabuli triad, and bass—can be read symbolically as a reference to the

Holy Trinity: Father (the deep, anchoring bass), Son (the tintinnabuli harmony moving always in step), and Holy Spirit (the melodic voice, weaving above and within the triad). The harmonic language becomes a theological expression: a unity of three voices moving in peaceful interrelation, mirroring what Pärt once called “a twofold single entity.” 8 The piece also spans an enormous range—from F1 to C8, both played by the piano’s left hand—encompassing seven full octaves. Yet within this breadth, the harmony remains unadorned, consistent, and consonant.

Figure 6. The piano ranges from F1 to C8, played by the left hand. Spiegel im Spiegel, Avro Pärt, mm.109-111. © Copyright 1978 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien/ © Copyright 1998 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien / UE31257.

Figure 7. The piano ranges from F1 to C8, played by the left hand. Spiegel im Spiegel, Avro Pärt, mm.121-122. © Copyright 1978 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien/ © Copyright 1998 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien / UE31257.

24

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 41, Summer 2025 Online Issue