“In principio. The Word in Arvo Pärt’s Music“ selected among the 25 most beautiful Estonian books

Last night the winners of the “25 Best Designed Estonian Books 2015” were announced at the Estonian National Library. The jury’s unanimous favourite was the Arvo Pärt Centre’s first publication “In principio. The Word in Arvo Pärt’s Music”, designed by Angelika Schneider and edited by Hedi Rosma, Kristina Kõrver and Kai Kutman (printed by Tallinna Raamatutrükikoda).
“In principio”, published in January 2015, sheds light on a significant aspect in Arvo Pärt’s work – the texts – the choice of texts and also on the Word in its broader and deeper sense. This book brings together 81 texts in nine languages, complete with English translations. Handwritten material has been used in the design of the book, including illustrations in the middle section selected in the composer’s archive – sketches, manuscripts and music diaries.

According to the jury, the design of “In principio”, selected from among the 163 entries, is “Sensitive, majestic, and refined. Noble form for noble content. The minimalist cover reveals an exquisite volume full of surprises. Every single detail, from the paper and the fonts, to the layout and illustrations, support the overall design concept. The Jury’s unanimous favourite!”
Other books designed by Angelika Schneider and highlighted in the competition were “Romaanivõistlus 2015”, from a series published by Tänapäev, which was commended for its original design, and in the children’s book category Tiia Toomet’s “Mailill ja ülane” published by Tammerraamat.

You can see the best designed books until 7 March at the Estonian National Library in the 5th floor exhibition hall. Readers can vote for their favourite at the main Rahva Raamat and Apollo bookshops and the exhibition at the Estonian National Library. Voting is open from 12 – 28 February.

See all the winning books here
Read more about “In principio” here
Order the book from the centre’s online shop here