Kremer premièred the piece in Tallinn, Estonia, on 30 September 1977, with Tatjana Grindenko, on solo second violin, Alfred Schnittke on the prepared piano, and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Eri Klas. The piece is dedicated to violinist Gidon Kremer.

Tabula Rasa was composed at the request of Eri Klas, a friend and conductor, who asked Pärt to write a piece to accompany Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso, which was scored for two violins, prepared piano, harpsichord, and string chamber ensemble, for an upcoming concert. Tabula Rasa is one of these earliest tintinnabuli pieces, and holds the distinction of being one of the first compositions of Pärt's to reach Western listeners outside of Estonia and the Soviet States. Pärt emerged from this period of innovation in 1976, and composed many of his most well known works, including Fratres, Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, and Summa, all written in the tintinnabuli style. In 1968, Arvo Pärt fell publicly silent and entered a period of “artistic reorientation.” During this period, he developed his tintinnabuli style of composition, which pairs two voices, one playing the notes of a scale (Melodic Voice), and the other playing notes of a triad (Tintinnabuli Voice). The piece contains two movements, 'Ludus' and 'Silentium,' and is a double concerto for two solo violins, prepared piano, and chamber orchestra.

Tabula Rasa is a musical composition written in 1977 by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

Gidon Kremer, Tatjana Grindenko, Alfred Schnittke, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra

Tabula rasa meaning