22 MELODIES IN A BOTTLE “In my view, the highest virtue of music lies beyond sound itself. The particular timbre of an instrument is part of music, but it is not the most important element. If it were, I would be surrendering to the essence of music, which must exist in and of itself… Two, three notes… The essence must be there, independent of the instruments.” - Arvo Pärt. There exist several arrangements of one of his most famous works, Fratres, composed in 1977. The present version for string quartet recreates a sense of timeless music, in the spirit of Satie’s works. Pärt devised what he called “the new simplicity,” which gradually emerged as a refinement of musical writing and the revelation of a spiritual dimension within his themes. During the Soviet era, the composer was attacked by the Union of Composers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, he was placed “under quarantine,” and his works were no longer performed. In 1980, he emigrated to Vienna before settling in Berlin. For the composer, this rupture was not only physical but also aesthetic. He asserted his independence of mind, remaining less attached to his roots than to his uniquely individual creative path.
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