Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles"

2008

Scored for

string orchestra, harp, timpani and percussion

Duration

34 min

Short description

Symphony No. 4 was a joint commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Canberra International Music Festival, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. At the time of the commission in 2007, Pärt was working on the Orthodox Canon to the Guardian Angel, which also provided inspiration for his 2008 orchestra piece These Words… The title of the symphony refers to the theme of Guardian Angel, and to the city of Los Angeles, whose name literally translates from Spanish to “The Angels.”

Though Symphony No. 4 is an instrumental composition, its musical structure strictly follows the text structure of the Orthodox canon in Church Slavonic. However, the text of the canon has not been used in full. The first movement consists of three passages. Its musical material is based on the troparion of the Guardian Angel, a short praise of the Holy Trinity: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit …” and the song to the Holy Mother of God. The second movement draws on the majority of the final prayer of the Canon of the Guardian Angel, featuring a simple interlude “Holy Angel, my Guardian …” like a refrain between its phrases. The prayer continues in the third movement. The composition concludes with a coda, again featuring a short praise of the Holy Trinity.

The theme of the Guardian Angel is frequently manifested in a strict musical texture following the rules of tintinnabuli. Running through the entire symphony, both in the string instruments and crotales, is a descending scale which turns into an ascending one at the end of the composition. The pizzicato motif of triplets played by string instruments – a prayer to God, “Holy Angel, my Guardian, pray for me” – runs like a refrain through the entire second movement and can be also heard in other two movements of the symphony. The second and third movements feature occasional polytonal chords which include both major and minor tonalities. It has been suggested by the composer that hidden in these harmonies is a counterbalance to the tritone intervals of the second movement which represent the list of the sins of man. The violin solo in the third movement, with a performance instruction con intimo sentimento (intimately), is based on the words “Be my helper and protector against my wicked enemy, by thy holy prayers” and can be heard as a personal prayer to the Guardian Angel.

The symphony is dedicated to Mikhail Khodorkovsky who was imprisoned in 2003 on largely political grounds. In addition to its political context, Pärt has indicated that the dedication is also an expression of great respect for a man who has found moral triumph amid personal tragedy. The tragic tone of the symphony is not a lament for Khodorkovsky, but a bow to the great power of the human spirit and human dignity.

Symphony No. 4 was premiered on 10 January 2009 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under Esa-Pekka Salonen and was soon after released on CD. The ECM recording of Symphony No. 4 received high acknowledgement, and in 2011 Arvo Pärt was awarded the annual award of the British Phonographic Industry, the Classic Brit Award in the category of Composer of the Year for this recording. The release was nominated for the Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

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Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). CD Symphony No. 4. ECM New Series 2160

World premiere

10.01.2009

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, United States

Concert: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen

Los Angeles Philharmonic , Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)

Parts

I Con sublimità – Marcando con maestà – Pacato
II Affannoso – Un poco più affannato

III Insistentemente – Con intimo sentimento – Deciso

Completion year

2008

Dedication

to Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Commissioned by

Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Music Director and the Canberra International Music Festival / Ars Musica Australis and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for its 100th Anniversary, Kim Walker Dean

Scored for

string orchestra, harp, timpani and percussion

Duration

34 min

Publishers

Universal Edition

Source text

From the Canon to the Holy Guardian Angel
from the Orthodox prayer tradition

Канон Ангелу Хранителю

I
Тропарь, глас 6-й: Ангеле Божий, хранителю мой святый, живот мой соблюди во страсе Христа Бога, ум мой утверди во истиннем пути, и к любви горней уязви душу мою, да тобою направляемь, получу от Христа Бога велию милость.

Слава Отцу и Сыну и Святому Духу. И ныне и присно и во веки веков. Аминь.

Богородичен: Святая Владычице, Христа Бога нашего Мати, яко всех Творца недоуменно рождшая, моли благость Его всегда, со хранителем моим ангелом, спасти душу мою, страстьми одержимую, и оставление грехов даровати ми.

II
Молитва к Aнгелу Xранителю

Святый Aнгеле Божий, хранителю мой, моли Бога о мне.

Ангеле Христов святый, к тебе припадая молюся, хранителю мой святый, приданный мне на соблюдение души и телу моему грешному от святаго крещения,

Святый Aнгеле Бож…

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