Note: Maurizio Roca, a film and music lover who resides in Brooklyn is the newest writer on the WitD staff, and this appraisal is his first official review for the site.
by Maurizio Roca
This review is geared more towards those that have never heard this album before. Anyone that owns or has listened to Tabula Rasa is free to ignore it!
Modern Classical dwells in the shadows of the contemporary musical world. It is a genre that suffers for obvious reasons. Its very name poses a problem for all future artists: How can one compete with the ghosts of history? Most Modern Classical composers toil in the same obscurity as modern-day jazz artists. The few recognizable names, like Max Richter and Johann Johannsson, are successful primarily because they fuse electronic and overt melodic elements with their rather simplistic compositions. And while they are respected by a younger audience, they are shunned by actual classical fans. The more traditional older composers—Morton Feldman, Gyorgy Ligeti, and Iannis Xenakis—are revered by the classical establishment albeit relatively unknown to the Pitchfork/Popmatters crowd.
The one artist who seems to transcend all of this is none other than Estonian Arvo Part (although Steve Reich and Philip Glass come very close).
The best version of Tabula Rasa was released in 1984 for the ECM label. ECM has been responsible for other great releases, like Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich and Natura Renovatur by Giacinto Scelsi. All of these works have been re-released on cd with great cover art and insightful linear notes. Tabula Rasa features only Part’s instrumental music (many of his later works include vocals and Gregorian like chants), including three compositions (4 tracks) as well as minimal cover art. It incorporates his tintinnabuli technique and has a simple but beautiful style dubbed “holy minimalism.” The orchestral nature of what is presented on the ECM release has a clear cinematic feel. In fact, much of his music has been featured in various movies through the years. The cliche post-rock term, “music for an imaginary film,” can easily describe this album. Part boils everything down to its emotional core. You are meant to feel this music as much as think about it. While most twentieth century avant-garde places intellectual and mathematical theory over listening pleasure, Part is all about soul and indescribable beauty. (more…)
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