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Interview Transcript
Robert Fleitz:
Tähe-Lee, thank you so much for joining me. Before we dive into Arvo Pärt, could you start by introducing yourself?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Of course! My name is Tähe-Lee Liiv, I’m 21 years old, from Estonia, and currently in my fourth year of bachelor’s studies. I started playing Pärt’s music when I was around nine or ten — the Butterflies from Four Easy Dances was my first piece, and I remember thinking, “Wow, this is so beautiful.”
Over the years I played more and more of his music. A few years ago, Estonian Record Productions approached me about making a CD, and I immediately thought of recording Pärt’s complete piano works. There hadn’t been a truly complete set before — some were missing the four-hand or early pieces — so it felt like the right and meaningful thing to do.
Early Pärt: From Neoclassicism to Serialism
Robert Fleitz:
Let’s start with his early style, because it’s so different from what most people associate with Pärt today. What did those first pieces sound like?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Pärt was born in 1935 and wrote his first pieces in 1958, five years after Stalin’s death. During that time, neoclassicism and avant-garde styles were once again acceptable. He worked as a sound engineer at Estonian Radio, which gave him rare access to hear Western composers.
His first compositions — two Sonatinas and a Partita — were in a neoclassical style and received great feedback. Even then, he had an incredible sense of structure. Later, he turned toward serialism, writing Necrologue (1960), Estonia’s first twelve-tone work, and Diagrams (1964), also based on twelve-tone technique. His teacher Heino Eller famously told him, “I don’t understand this, but if you like it, you can use it.”
Crisis and Silence
Robert Fleitz:
So he clearly had a strong command of these earlier techniques. Why did he move away from them?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
It all began with the scandal after the premiere of Credo in 1968. The work used collage techniques, quoted Bach, and was based on a religious text — the first time he’d done that. The piece was banned by Soviet officials, and that experience pushed him into a deep creative crisis.
He became disillusioned with his methods of composition and stopped writing almost entirely. Between 1968 and 1976, he entered his “silence period,” though it wasn’t completely silent — he studied Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant, wrote film music like the iconic Ukuaru Waltz, and composed his Third Symphony (1971), where hints of his later style already appear. In 1972, he converted to the Orthodox Church.
Robert Fleitz:
So the spiritual dimension really became a foundation for what came next.
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Very much so.
The Birth of Tintinnabuli
Robert Fleitz:
Let’s talk about Für Alina, the piece that marks that new beginning.
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Yes, Tintinnabuli is the style Pärt developed after his long silence, and Für Alina (1976) was the first work in that new language. It’s just two pages long — but it opened a completely new world.
The term comes from the Latin tintinnabulum, meaning “little bell.” Pärt and his wife Nora chose it for a 1976 concert that included Für Alina among seven pieces. The image of bells connects to the purity of the triad and the sacred atmosphere they wanted to evoke.
In Tintinnabuli music, one voice moves within a scale, the other outlines a triad. The resulting overtones resemble the ringing of bells. It’s not just a compositional technique — it’s a worldview. Amid chaos, Pärt wanted to create something still, pure, and full of meaning.
Two Pages, Infinite Depth
Robert Fleitz:
Why is Für Alina so meaningful to you personally?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
It was Pärt’s breakthrough piece — the start of his new era. Soon after came Fratres, Tabula Rasa, and Spiegel im Spiegel.
For pianists, Für Alina reveals everything: your ability to concentrate, to create atmosphere, to breathe within silence. Every pause matters. Pärt once said, “If every note were a blade of grass, then each should be treated as if it were a flower.”
It looks easy, but every note carries weight. You must be fully present yet somehow detached — aware of every sound while melting into the atmosphere. Structurally, it’s a perfect Tintinnabuli piece, except for one small moment near the end where he writes a C♯ instead of D. In the manuscript, he drew a flower there. It’s the only spot where the pedal changes, and it feels like a bloom.
Working with Pärt Himself
Robert Fleitz:
You actually worked with Arvo Pärt directly. What was that experience like?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
He was incredibly humble. I played Für Alina, Fratres, and Mozart Adagio for him. His feedback was intuitive — often poetic rather than technical.
For example, in Mozart Adagio he said, “This should be like a funeral march, like saying goodbye to a loved one.” About Für Alina, he said it should sound like someone speaking. That changed how I understood phrasing completely — it made me think of the piece as language, with sentences, emphasis, and meaning.
The Challenge of Simplicity
Robert Fleitz:
What makes performing this kind of music different from traditional repertoire?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
You’re playing so few notes, yet you’re hyper-aware of everything. Both hands must be perfectly synchronized to create overtones that make the sound “ring.” You can’t over-practice — it’s more about focus and inner state.
Nora Pärt once told me a story about a pianist who recorded Für Alina for hours. After endless takes, something finally “clicked.” Not because of technical perfection, but because the fatigue brought the right emotional state. It shows how deceptively difficult this music is — it demands a fragile, spiritual balance.
Recording the Complete Works
Robert Fleitz:
Tell me about recording the complete piano works. That’s such a monumental project.
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
We recorded everything chronologically over three days. The first day was the neoclassical works — fast, dense, technically demanding. On the second day, we reached Four Easy Dances. The producer said, “This should be easy now,” but those turned out to be the hardest!
They seem simple, but they require extreme control. I struggled with the beginning for hours. Finally, on the last day, I re-recorded them when I was completely relaxed, and those were the takes we used. Sometimes ease only comes after exhaustion.
Rediscovering Early Pärt
Robert Fleitz:
Was there a piece that surprised you the most?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Definitely Diagrams. It’s Estonia’s first aleatoric piece: the pitches are fixed, but rhythm and dynamics are up to the performer. It became a creative search — avoiding repetition, finding unexpected dynamics. It took the longest to learn but was the easiest to record because, by then, I knew it inside out.
I see great value in all of Pärt’s early styles. The neoclassical works are brilliant and structured, great for recitals, and the Four Easy Dances are perfect for young pianists. Looking at his early works helps us understand how he moved through different idioms before finding something uniquely his own.
Freedom and Trust
Robert Fleitz:
Were you given much artistic freedom during the recording process?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Yes — the Pärt family told me, “You can do whatever you want with the early works.” They were more protective of the later ones.
During Toccata, I suddenly decided to try a gradual accelerando from beginning to end — something I’d never done before. The producer and even Pärt’s son said it was convincing, so we kept it. That freedom to experiment was liberating. I’ve since changed how I play it, but that spontaneity was special.
Looking Ahead
Robert Fleitz:
Hey, before we wrap up — can you tell us what you’re working on these days?
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
I recently came back from abroad after performing in the Building Bridges concert series curated by Sir András Schiff. It’s been an incredible experience performing across Europe, often pairing Nordic composers with standard repertoire.
I’m also recording my second album, dedicated to Finnish music — works by Sibelius, Rautavaara, and Lindberg — which should be released in early 2026.
And you can always check out my YouTube channel, where I recently uploaded a podcast conversation with Sir András Schiff. We had some wonderful discussions about interpretation and Nordic repertoire — so definitely give that a listen.
Robert Fleitz:
That’s fantastic. Tähe-Lee, thank you so much for taking the time to share your insights into Pärt’s music and your own artistic journey.
Tähe-Lee Liiv:
Thank you — it was truly a pleasure.
