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Symphony No. 4 "Los Angeles"

2008

Scored for

string orchestra, harp, timpani and percussion

Duration

34 min

© Universal Edition AG, Wien

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 th…

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

© ECM Records

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

Instrumentation details

symphony orchestra: 0000, 0000, percussion, harp, strings

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…
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 Божий, хранителю мой, моли Бога о мне.

аз же своею леностию и своим злым обычаем прогневах твою пречистую светлость и отгнах тя от себе всеми студными делы: лжами, клеветами, завистию, осуждением, презорством, непокорством, братоненавидением, и злопомнением,

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

сребролюбием, прелюбодеянием, яростию, скупостию, объядением без сытости и опивством, многоглаголанием, злыми помыслы и лукавыми,

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

гордым обычаем и блудным возбешением, имый самохотение на всякое плотское вожделение. О, злое мое произволение, егоже и скоти безсловеснии не творят! Да како возможеши воззрети на мя, или приступити ко мне, аки псу смердящему? Которыма очима, ангеле Христов, воззриши на мя, оплетшася зле во гнусных делех? Да како уже возмогу отпущения просити горьким и злым моим и лукавым деянием, в няже впадаю по вся дни и нощи и на всяк час?

III
Но молюся ти припадая, хранителю мой святый, умилосердися на мя грешнаго и недостойнаго раба твоего, буди ми помощник и заступник на злаго моего сопротивника, святыми твоими молитвами, и Царствия Божия причастника мя сотвори со всеми святыми, всегда, и ныне и присно и во веки веков. Аминь.

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



Canon to the Holy Guardian Angel

I
O Angel of God, my holy Guardian, keep my life in the fear of Christ God, strengthen my mind in the true way and wound my soul with heavenly love, so that guided by Thee, I may obtain the great mercy of Christ God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

O holy Lady, Mother of our God, thou didst amazingly bear the Creator of all: with my Guardian Angel always pray His kindness to save my soul inhibited and bound by pas¬sions, and grant me remission of sins.


Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

II
Holy Angel, my Guardian, pray for me.

Holy Angel of Christ, I fall down and pray to thee, my holy Guardian, given me from holy Baptism for the protection of my sinful body and soul.

Holy Angel, my Guardian, pray for me.

By my laziness and bad habits, I have angered thy most pure light, and have driven thee away from me by all my shameful deeds, lies, slanders, envy, condemnation, scorn, disobedience, brotherly-hatred, grudges,

Holy Angel, my Guardian, pray for me.
love of money, adultery, anger, meanness, greed, excess, talkativeness, negative and evil thoughts,
Holy Angel, my Guardian, pray for me.
proud ways, dissolute madness, having self-will in all the desires of the flesh.
O my evil will, which even the dumb animals do not follow! How canst thou look at me or approach me who am like a stinking dog? With what eyes, O Angel of Christ, wilt thou look at me so badly snared in evil deeds? How can I ask forgiveness for my bitter, evil and wicked deeds, into which I fall every day and night, and every hour?

III
But I fall down and pray, O my holy Guardian: pity me, thy sinful and unworthy servant. Be my helper and protector against my wicked enemy, by thy holy prayers, and make me a partaker of the Kingdom of God with all the Saints, always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
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