Book Review
Mar. 20th, 2026 08:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariSounds Beyond: Arvo Pärt and the 1970s Soviet Underground
by Kevin C. Karnes
This book looks at a pivotal point in Arvo Part's career and how that point intersected with the underground music scene in Soviet Estonia and Latvia. In particular, Karnes looks at underground festivals and discotheques in Riga and Estonia and their role as important venues for the performance of Part's emerging tintinnabulaton and religious works.
I am a huge fan of Part's music and found this book fascinating. It looks at a particular moment in Part's career and compositional development and the role of a set of underground musicians and presenters in that moment. I loved seeing that slice of musical life and what it meant for Part and his contemporaries. I loved getting another glimpse into Part's compositional activities and methods. Plus, it's always heartneing to see how artistic expression finds a way even under oppressive regimes.
by Kevin C. Karnes
This book looks at a pivotal point in Arvo Part's career and how that point intersected with the underground music scene in Soviet Estonia and Latvia. In particular, Karnes looks at underground festivals and discotheques in Riga and Estonia and their role as important venues for the performance of Part's emerging tintinnabulaton and religious works.
I am a huge fan of Part's music and found this book fascinating. It looks at a particular moment in Part's career and compositional development and the role of a set of underground musicians and presenters in that moment. I loved seeing that slice of musical life and what it meant for Part and his contemporaries. I loved getting another glimpse into Part's compositional activities and methods. Plus, it's always heartneing to see how artistic expression finds a way even under oppressive regimes.
