Spiegel im Spiegel (“Mirror in the Mirror”)

• Spiegel im Spiegel was commissioned by Russian violinist Vladimir Spivakov. It premiered at the Moscow Conservatory with pianist Boris Bekhterev in 1978.

“Everything redundant must be left aside. Just like the composer has to reduce his ego when writing the music, the musician too must put his ego aside when performing the piece.”

Arvo Pärt

• Originally composed for violin and piano, this piece currently exists in 12 versions for various instruments, including alto flute and piano, bassoon and piano, and double bass and piano.¹
• Like many of Pärt’s works, Spiegel im Spiegel is deceptively challenging to perform. It requires the pianist to maintain an utterly steady pace with equal weight given to each individually placed note, while the soloist must maintain an unwavering tone over the course of each phrase.²

1. Andrew Shenton, “Pärt, Arvo,” Grove Music Online (2021), accessed August 1, 2022, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000380161.
2. Betsy Schwarm, “Spiegel im Spiegel,” Encyclopedia Britannica (2015), accessed August 1, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Spiegel-im-Spiegel.