Abstract
Arvo Pärt is one of the most popular contemporary composers, known for his highly original tintinnabuli style. Works in this style are typically composed according to precise procedures and have even been described as algorithmic compositions. To understand how algorithmic Pärt's music exactly is, this paper presents an analysis by synthesis: it proposes an algorithm that almost completely reconstructs the score of Summa, his "most strictly constructed and most encrypted work," according to Pärt himself in 1994. The piece is analyzed and then formalized using so-called tintinnabuli processes. An implementation of the resulting algorithm generates a musical score matching Summa in over 93% of the notes. Due to interdependencies between the voices, only half of the mistakes (3.5%) need to be corrected to reproduce the original score faithfully. This study shows that Summa is a largely algorithmic composition and offers new perspectives on the music of Arvo Pärt.
Abstract (translated)
阿尔沃·帕尔特是当代最受欢迎的作曲家之一，以其高度原创的钟鸣风格著称。该风格的作品通常依据精确的程序创作，甚至被称为算法作曲。为探究帕尔特音乐的算法性究竟如何，本文采用分析性合成方法：提出一种算法，据帕尔特1994年所言，该算法几乎完整重构了他"结构最严格、加密最深"的作品《总和》的乐谱。研究首先分析该作品，继而运用所谓钟鸣过程进行形式化建模。所生成算法的实现结果可产出与《总和》超过93%音符匹配的乐谱。由于声部间的相互关联，仅需修正半数错误（3.5%）即可忠实再现原谱。本研究证明《总和》本质上是算法作曲，并为理解阿尔沃·帕尔特的音乐提供了新视角。
URL
https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.26989
