Rakvere
How Arvo Pärt biking in circles in the winter gave music history a new twist.
Year of Composition
2016
Instrumentation
Recitalist, eight-part mixed choir and bicycle bell
Duration
4'30
Commissioned by
Aquarius
Text
On the square of Rakvere a boy
rides his bike. His bike.
He is biking until he only,
only.
His left in the lowland deep,
his right in the highland and he bikes.
He rides his bike past the Soviets
and he rides it past the money.
Away from tarblack carriages.
From violence and honey.
The sun will not burn him by day,
nor the moon by night.
It is a squadron of bells
waiting by his side.
He drills for what you hear within.
The winterdreamsymphonies under the skin.
In his ears the snow is melting, in his eyes
the world is turning still and white.
On the square of Rakvere a boy
rides his bike, his bike.
He is biking until
there is, there is just music.
Peter Theunynck (translation Machteld Hardy), written after reading ‘Tabula rasa. In search of Arvo Pärt’, the 12th chapter of Jan Brokken’s book Baltic Souls.
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Lyrics by
Peter Theunynck -
Language spoken words
Dutch, English or French
Language sung lyrics
Sounds from the words ‘Kanon Pokajanen’
PREMIÈRE
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Date
25 June 2016 -
Place
GC Het Marca, Maarkedal (Belgium) -
Performers
Aquarius -
Narrator
Peter Theunynck -
Conductor
Marc Michael De Smet
SCORE
Audio
SoundCloud
Aquarius in HasseltPhoto © Gerda De Bast