The Sound—and Hearing—of Arvo Pärt

This chapter addresses two questions. The first—what is the sound of Pärt?—is an occasion to dismantle and then reassemble the notion that there is a “Pärt sound.” Attention is called to the radical sonic diversity within Pärt’s oeuvre, as well as to the galvanizing factors within it. The second question—what are we hearing when we listen to Pärt?—examines the importance of sacred text in Pärt’s compositions, and asks what (if anything) of the text might find its way to secular listeners. Is it enough that the text is meaningful to the composer?