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Works

The Book

2015

Scored for

children's choir and instrumental ensemble or children's choir and piano

Duration

1.53

Short description

At the beginning of his path as a composer, in 1950s and 1960s, Pärt wrote many children’s songs, piano pieces, and music for plays and animated films. During those years he was involved with several children’s studios and theatres, being the piano accompanist and musical designer.

The Book is written for Erika Tatsch’s children’s play The Lost Picture Book. Taking the stage in the play (emerging from the pages of a book that fell out of Santa Claus’ sack and into the woods) are well-known fairy-tale figures, including Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, the wicked witch, and many others.

Both the play The Lost Picture Book and Pärt’s music composed for it were published in the 1962 collection Christmas Selection I, …

At the beginning of his path as a composer, in 1950s and 1960s, Pärt wrote many children’s songs, piano pieces, and music for plays and animated films. During those years he was involved with several children’s studios and theatres, being the piano accompanist and musical designer.

The Book is written for Erika Tatsch’s children’s play The Lost Picture Book. Taking the stage in the play (emerging from the pages of a book that fell out of Santa Claus’ sack and into the woods) are well-known fairy-tale figures, including Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, the wicked witch, and many others.

Both the play The Lost Picture Book and Pärt’s music composed for it were published in the 1962 collection Christmas Selection I, and were afterwards frequently performed on stage, primarily as a part of school and theatre club New Year and Christmas party programmes. For Pärt’s 2015 collection Songs from Childhood, Leelo Tungal – one of Estonia’s most beloved children’s poets, wrote new lyrics for the play’s final song.

World premiere

06.10.2015
Center of Russian Culture, Tallinn, Estonia

Composer's recital: Arvo Pärt "Lapsepõlvelood" / "Songs from Childhood" CD promotional concert

Johanna Vahermägi (viola), Madis Metsamart (percussion), Kadri Hunt (conductor), Katariina Maria Kits (violin), Mari Poll (violin), Children's Music Studio of Estonian Radio , Andreas Lend (cello), Kataleena Muzaffarov (soloist)

Completion year

2015

Original version

1959

Dedication

"to my mother"

Scored for

children's choir and instrumental ensemble or children's choir and piano

Arranger

Tauno Aints

Duration

1.53

Publishers

Arvo Pärt Centre , Universal Edition

Language

Estonian, English, German

Instrumentation details

instrumental ensemble: vibraphone, triangle, piano, I violin, II violin, viola, cello, double bass

Vocal text

THE BOOK
Lyrics by Leelo Tungal
Translation by Paul Hillier

Ev’ryone knows that computers are fun,
No need to say it ain’t so.
But if a friend for life is what you want,
Books are the way to go.

So hello, book! What a fine book!
Full of magical trails,
And the glories of the stories
From the tellers of tales.

When you were little and helpless and small,
Pictures were story enough.
Now you can read and can understand all,
Words are the right sort of stuff.

So hello, book! What a fine book!


When you are sad and the bad never mends
Endlessly, poor little you!
Open a book, let the words be your friends,
Making the world fresh and new.

So hello, book! What a fine book!



TERE, RAAMAT!
Sõnad Leelo Tungal

Kes see siis arvuteist lugu ei peaks –
THE BOOK
Lyrics by Leelo Tungal
Translation by Paul Hillier

Ev’ryone knows that computers are fun,
No need to say it ain’t so.
But if a friend for life is what you want,
Books are the way to go.

So hello, book! What a fine book!
Full of magical trails,
And the glories of the stories
From the tellers of tales.

When you were little and helpless and small,
Pictures were story enough.
Now you can read and can understand all,
Words are the right sort of stuff.

So hello, book! What a fine book!


When you are sad and the bad never mends
Endlessly, poor little you!
Open a book, let the words be your friends,
Making the world fresh and new.

So hello, book! What a fine book!



TERE, RAAMAT!
Sõnad Leelo Tungal

Kes see siis arvuteist lugu ei peaks –
kõigile kasu on neist.
Siiski ka raamatut kaaslaseks heaks
nimetab enamus meist.

Tere, raamat! Tore raamat!
Aardeid peitub su sees!
Neil, kes sulle sõbraks saavad,
maailm avardub ees!

Kui olid väike ja saamatu veel,
aru vaid piltidest said,
teadmisi kogusid raamatu teel –
mõndagi mõista nüüd võid.

Tere, raamat! Tore raamat!


Vahel, kui valus ja nukker on hing,
raamatust leiad siis toe.
Lugedes kasvab su teadmiste ring –
raamat tee lahti ja loe!

Tere, raamat! Tore raamat!



LIEBES BÜCHLEIN!
Text von Leelo Tungal
Übersetzt von Cornelius Hasselblatt

Computer lieben wir alle doch wohl,
jeder hat Nutzen davon.
Aber auch Bücher, die finden wir toll,
viel von uns denken das schon.

Liebes Büchlein! Tolles Büchlein!
Schätze birgst du in dir!
Die, die dich zum Freunde haben,
finden Welten in dir!

Als du noch klein warst und ganz ungeschickt,
hast du nur Bilder kapiert,
Weisheiten hast du aus Büchern gepickt,
darum verstehst du jetzt mehr.

Liebes Büchlein! Tolles Büchlein!


Manchmal, wenn Trauer die Seele betrübt,
Büchlein springt gern für dich ein.
Lesend hast Wissen und Trost du gekriegt.
Mach das Buch auf und schau rein!

Liebes Büchlein! Tolles Büchlein!

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