Between Two Sounds

Between Two Sounds is wonderfully stylish, inviting, and a great use of the comics form. I appreciated both the design and narrative in this book.

Between Two Sounds was a nice introduction to the life of Estonian composer
Arvo Pärt. I enjoyed the minimalist drawing style approach to the graphic novel. Not knowing anything about the composer going in, this book is a good starting point to learning more about the composer.

A really beautiful graphic biography of Arvo Pärt and his exploration of Christianity. The musical theme is translated visually in fun ways, including simple colors and the repeated visual dot theme. I am so glad that this translation from Estonian to English has made it accessible to me. Now excuse me while I go listen to some of his music...

I know very little about Estonia or the majority of composers out there. Between Two Sounds introduces you to a bit of both in a simple yet engaging way. Being a graphic novel allows it to focus more on how events shaped and affected Arvo Pärt rather than his trajectory as a composer getting lost within the historical events (WWII, Soviet rule). I paired reading this with listening to some of his pieces which I felt enhanced both the writing and the music.

i have never heard of arvo pärt before this arc but i always like learning about new things and people , so getting this arc (thank you netgalley and publisher) was so much fun! it’s like!a history lesson! with a sound track! me encanta! and the fact that it’s illustrated too the art is incredible! i loved every second of reading this!

Between Two Sounds is a graphic novel that tells the story of renowned Estonian Composer Arvo Part. Part is the 2nd most performed contemporary classical music composer behind John Williams. Readers don’t need to be classical music aficionados to leave this graphic novel with a deeper sense of the music and cultural zeitgeists which swept mid-20th century art. The book revolves around Part’s musical, artistic, and spiritual passage to the development of a new, classical music sound- tintinnabula. Part’s development of a compositional and performance style, with is based on minimalist compositions. Readers are introduced to music rooted in early Christian/religious music, particularly Gregorian Chants. His development of this style was based on his mystical journey-which mirror the journeys of early Eastern Orthodox Christian mystics. comprised of 3 stages=purgative, illuminative, unitive. The last step requires a “leap of faith” where the mystic sojourner, trusting in God and the universe, gathers his faith and casts himself into the “musical” and artistic abyss. The book charts his journey to this style and his “sound” through personal and professional trials-which include a physical illness which requires a restrictive diet and is physically painful and exhausting. Professionally, he can’t get on board with Soviet Orthodoxy or take “god” out of his compositions. He’s unable to comply with the Soviet Block’s artistic stylistic preferences-nationalistic, sufficiently “of the people”, and martial. Eventually, tiring of his continued antics, the Soviet Union expels him to Israel-his wife is ethnically Jewish. After living abroad, Part is finally invited back to his beloved Estonia, and his style is celebrated. Slidre uses the graphic novel format to deal with complex ideas and themes including cultural pride, love of country, religion-mystic journeys, cultural impact of socialism and Soviet consolidation. The format is perfect to develop the framework-use of deft illustration explores these ideas (with, ironically minimal text at key junctures). Excellent not only as a reference source for younger readers, but as an overview of the importance of culture ways and religion. The historical changes brought by the Soviet Bloc are a bonus by product of this approach. Teaching institutions, libraries, cultural centers, collections focused on Spiritual journeys would benefit from the inclusion of this book.

Between Two Sounds by Joonas Sildre, 224 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, BIOGRAPHY. Plough Publishing House, 2024. $26.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Arvo Pärt, world-famous Estonian composer, studied and wrote in a Soviet environment. Those circumstances hindered his ability to be heard, but did not change his ability to compose according to the ways he felt inspired. Ignoring those who would silence him, Pärt continued to chase his dreams to create.
In this graphic novel biography, readers get to see the sounds that affected Pärt and how his compositions affected his audiences in a way that teased my eyes into hearing the music throughout the book. The illustrations and overall message are inspiring, though the story itself feels choppy as readers jump through scenes of highs and lows in Pärt’s life.
Most of the characters are Estonian. The violence rating is for mentions of war and bombs.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The narrative is a bit choppy, but the art more than makes up for it; Sildre's use of line to evoke music is exquisite.

Received via NetGalley.

Although we are learning about the life of a composer, he speaks in a more general way about the creative process. We experience the lows and the highs, we see the birth of inspiration. And for reading, it is recommended that we listen to his music, which makes this already gripping comic even more atmospheric.
I really liked the visual world, the drape colour gives it a kind of sepia tone. Only the portrayal of the music was more captivating. The notes, the five lines and the melody rush across the page in places, while in others the harmony makes a big impression. As a musician, I particularly liked these parts.

Interesting graphic approach to a musical biography. The art is effective in giving a sense of the minimalistic composer's style, though listening to the music is also highly recommended! Pärt's spiritual journey and brave standing up for his beliefs was also movingly portrayed. Recommended as a unique window into history and into music.

Pro
* Introduction of a brilliant musician to English-language readers
* Blending of biography and history and philosophy
* Whimsical artistic illustrations
Con
* Time moves very quickly. Some chapters seem underdeveloped

Thank you to Joonas Sildre, Adam Cullen (translator), Plough Publishing House, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of the awkward things with doing a graphic novel about a musical person is portraying music. Here, too, you have a kind of religious epiphany to get on the page. Well, the music in this look at Estonian Part (can't do accents) is like a weight on a pendulum, but horizontal – like a ball of mystical energy guiding its stave-like line across the scene. It's always over people's heads, but it gets to touch them. And when an early Part piece is performed by the orchestra concerned the balls are clearly weaponised – this before he matures, finds Gregorian plainchant, researches early church music as much as he can in an officially atheist state, and sees the intervals between the notes of as much import as the notes themselves.

Reading this is like seeing a movie with mute on, for you never really get that much semblance of what his sounds are like, even if it's 'personified' very well with the fluid stave-like things I mentioned. But at least we can google such stuff, and at least we don't have a Basil Exposition to tell his fellow concert-goer, in lieu of telling us, what he'd just heard. This is a fuller biography than just the works, though – all the illuminating tutors, all the set-backs and resulting cartoon soundtracks, all the influences from those ahead of him in Estonian musical hierarchy – this is all there too. He asks a street worker (not that kind, a snow-shoveller) how to compose. A girl suggests he thank God for the times his creativity does not work.

It's pretty readable stuff, mind, and never once seemed wordy. I would hazard a guess that, even with it being about a rarefied subject, the general stereotypical Clapham Omnibus reader would gain something from a browse. Fans will have a greater chance of recognising the text as his quoted words or otherwise, and all will see this as a story of a man who had to battle his state's religion, his expected place in musical society and his own self to get to where he has been these last few decades. This could have been a verbose plod, but instead is a lively study of a man, and whether you know every note of his or none the quality here is quite evident. A strong four stars.

From a very young age, Arvo Part showed a propensity for music, and while he didn't do well in most classes, he excelled at music and soon rose to prominence at his music schools. He served in the military for a time and experienced some setbacks with his health. Eventually, he began work composing pieces that were both novel and true to what he really wanted to say, despite negative feedback from the political and cultural gatekeepers.

This story is easy to read and told well in graphic novel format. While it was quite impossible to keep all the characters straight (despite the convenient cast of characters in the back of the book), it was not difficult to understand the undercurrent of need that drove Arvo to continue to create and compose. The story is biased, of course, but it also feels very open to differing viewpoints. I was left curious about a few things, but I felt satisfied with the ending. The religious references felt essential and not overpowering, showing the link between faith and inspiration in Part's work. Overall, this isn't a terribly exciting novel, but it does a satisfactory job showing historical fact and creating an authentic mood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I didn't know who Arvo Pärt was before reading this book. In fact, I didn't know any Estonian composers. This graphic novel goes through his life, his thoughts and his way of understanding music. In the context of the Soviet Union, it also portrays the censorship that most artists suffered during that time. I found this to be quite an interesting read, since I love learning about topics I don't know much about. Still, I also found it a little bit dense sometimes, and I maybe would have enjoyed knowing more about his personal life (how he felt about his children, etc.). One thing I really appreciated is how music and sounds are graphically included in the book.

Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language (2024) by Joonas Sildre, is a wonderful graphic biography of an quietly astonishing minimalist classical composer. In a world of increasing (maximalist) noise and terror, he calls us forth to get small, listen, be still. I am familiar with his story and music thanks to a friend, T, so I especially enjoyed it. I also am a proponent of less is more, except in my long reviews, of course.

Arvo Pärt is a (formerly Soviet) Estonian composer who, because of restrictions by the Soviet government, was discouraged from composing and performing what were perceived to be “modernist” (non-conformist) (classical) music, and religious music, so he also composed music for film and the stage. He was born in 1935 and is as of today 88 years old. This graphics biography highlights a turning point in the seventies when Pärt’s work turned more minimalist, his music focusing on the production of sound, or more pointedly, the moment a note is played, when there is that silence “between two sounds” which I take to be a constructivist principle, where the listener co-constructs the music. He was inspired by his secret exploration of early music from the Renaissance.

You never heard of him? From 2011 to 2018, and again in 2022, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world, and the second most performed in 2019, after John Williams. The Arvo Pärt Centre, in Laulasmaa, was opened to the public in 2018.
The challenge in a musician biography is of course that the artist must convey the sound on the page, and Sildre does this playfully, attempting to capture the passionate intensity of Part’s experience with sound and music. He leaves a lot of space on the page, in keeping with Pärt ‘s minimalism, for us to breathe and reflect with him.

“You must treat every sound as if it were a human soul.”
“Sound exists. Man is a mediator, not a creator.”
“Wisdom lies in reduction.”
“You work on yourself and the composition follows.”

Renunciation, order, purity. Pärt heard the Gregorian chants for the first time and it opened up avenues for him compositionally and spiritually. He was exiled for many years but was not really a dissident, and when Soviet rule finally ended, he and his wife returned to Estonia to live. I connect his minimalism with Thomas Merton’s Trappist vow of silence. And his creative impulse in a leap of faith to Kierkegaard.

“Words are a relatively poor means of expression. I believe I have within me that which can conduct deeper matters.”
“I know a great secret. But I only know it through music.”

Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ6Mzvh3XCc

Thanks to NetGalley, Plough Publishing, and the author Joonas Sildre, for an early look at this ms, due out September 2024.

The world’s greatest living composer, born into an Estonia that is absorbed into the Soviet Union. This book covers Arvo Part’s struggle under the communist regime as he transitions from avant garde iconoclast into a purveyor of music that elevates holiness and has a through line to the world’s oldest existing Christian music. Eventually morphing these two polar opposites into a style of music all his own. While he pursues these dreams he must contend with a government and an academy that has little appreciation for his developing sound.

Following Arvo Pärt's journey thought life and music.

This graphic novel is easy to follow, beautifully illustrated and so worth a read.

Thank you Plough Publishing House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#BetweenTwoSounds #NetGalley.

I had heard some of Arvo Part's choral music before reading this book, but knew very little about this composer or his work. So, I pulled up the music mentioned in this lovely graphic biography and listened as I read, an experience I highly recommend. The artwork in this book is clever and does a great job of telling this story, even conveying a sense of the music and sounds the story is in part about. I really enjoyed this book, and the excuse to explore music by this excellent composer.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The art was well suited to the story it was telling and I really liked the way the whole book was formatted. I’d never heard of Arvo Pärt prior to reading this and knew very little about Estonia other than its geographical location so everything was new. I found this didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, there’s enough information that I felt informed without being overwhelmed. I’m listening to Für Alina as I write this review and it’s cool to know the backstory for it. Overall highly recommend! I am counting this as Country #43 for Read Around the World challenge :)

I am not usually that much into fiction that discusses religion extensively and surprisingly this was one of those books, as this was a key element in Arvo Pärt’s life. Despite that, the execution of the book is outstanding, in my opinion, as it's a great source when it comes to learning about the history, the artist and the process of creating art.

The book has amazing artwork, not through the style itself, but due to the representation of musical elements. I would say that it is very creative and it really places the reader inside the story - and it's even more exciting if paired with the pieces of the composer.

There are also many great quotes that are really inspirational - about art:

"In truth, art is nothing more than the shaping of ideas or intellectual values into an artistic form; their expression by artistic means."

"If a composer wants to create music, then he must love every sound."

"Man is not a creator of sounds, but their mediator."

"The human voice is one of the most perfect musical instruments on Earth. And that instrument must be tuned... Man's soul is what must be tuned!"

"It is a need to concentrate on each sound... just like on every blade of grass... so that every blade of grass becomes as important as a flower."

- and about life in general:

"Conscience is, perhaps, a person's greatest teacher. The way you see yourself. What you are not, but what you would like to be."

"To be born to peace, you must die to disquiet."

Reading and reviewing a graphic novel about the life of Arvo Pärt was not on my NetGalley bingo card, but here we are. This fascinating book was written by Jones Sildre - who I assume also illustrated because there is no separate artist listed - and originally published by the Arvo Pärt Centre. It is now being released by Plough Publishing House in an English translation by Adam Cullen. I found it interesting that the original Estonian version was published in 2018, the same year the Pärt Centre opened to the public. This indicates to me how important to Pärt this book was (and is), and how much the composer felt it reflected his life.

In Between Two Sounds, we learn about Pärt's early call to music, his struggles with conformity, and his musical training. Initially, his career focused on film and recorded music, but throughout his life he continued to experiment with a style and form of music that pleased him. He found what he was looking for when he discovered the Russian Orthodox Church, and traced Christian musical expression down to what he felt was its essence, as found in Gregorian Chant. This led him to eventually develop his unique tintinnabuli style.

His life was also shaped by his relationship to the Soviet Union, which conquered Estonia in 1944. Refusing to give in to Soviet demands for nationalistic music composed under strict rules, he eventually was forced to emigrate to Austria, eventually returning to Estonia when its independence was restored in 2010.

The story is fascinating, but the book is even more interesting than a simple narrative would have been. The illustrations serve to illustrate Pärt's experimentation and composition in creative ways. Throughout, Pärt's thought process is central in a way that could only have been possible with the composer's intense collaboration.

Arvo Part, now in his late 80s, has been through most of the 2000s the most performed living composer in the world (surpassed in 2019 by John Williams). I had been familiar with his work, but this wonderful book gave me new insights. Many thanks to Plough and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Between Two Sounds is interesting both in terms of content and visually but I am not sure I really understood some of the musical ideas and elements.

The publishers description, however, is spot on: "paints an atmospheric portrait of a restless artist who does not shy away from confronting state control or his own internal contradictions." And that is really what came through to me, the sense that this remarkable artist was being smothered by the authoritarian politics and culture the Soviet Union imposed on Estonia. He was not free in his music, his faith, in the way he saw himself and the world, and so the travails of any artist pushing the boundaries was compounded by the pressure of living under the weight of authoritarianism.

This eventually led to Part being forced to leave his country, his friends and the world he knew for an unknown future in exile. That he was able to find such a future and become one of the most impactful musicians of his time is remarkable. And it is gratifying to know that he was eventually able to return home to Estonia. The story is likely most powerful for those interested in Estonia and/or music during this time but it is a reminder of the power of art and human creativity to break through the ugliness of tyranny.

Between Two Sounds by Joonas Sildre was a wonderful telling of part of Arvo Pärt’s life. The story was well written and easy to follow. From the beginning of his life to when he was sent out of Soviet controlled Estonia to him finally being allowed to return home, the story follows the arc of his music technique and personal religious philosophy. The depictions of the music, how he wanted it heard, and to some extent how he notated it were excellent. The author did a great job expressing the philosophy that Pärt wanted to express in his music.The illustrations overall are delightful and tell the story nicely. I highly recommend this book for all classical music lovers.

3.75 stars
🌕🌕🌕🌖

🎯 Target Audience
- People who are open to know more about Northern European musician
- Folks who are curious about the political environment in Estonia back in the days

🧠 My thoughts
Thanks to this graphic novel, I now know Arvo Pärt and his music. The artwork was amazing, it was easy to read and creative. Through the artwork, the author delivered the messages more comprehensively. It made the book more lyrical, poetic, and artistic.

There were not so many things I could complain about. Maybe the pace was too steady and there was quite a lot of information to digest, it lost my attention once in a while.

Thanks NetGalley, Plough Publising publisher, and the authors for a great advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

Between Two Sounds is a very innovative graphic novel. I loved the way the illustrations were laid out and how they cut across the page in creative ways. The art style was very nice as well.

This was interesting because it wasn't just about this guy, but Estonia and its history. I enjoy learning history by focusing on how events affected one person, and this was an interesting story. The artwork has an odd monochromatic style, and it's just as interesting as the words. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I got an ARC of this book.

I have read almost every other book put out by this publisher. I was ready. This is by far my favorite. Not only is the art more approachable, the text is easier to read. It just worked so much better as a graphic novel than the others have. That alone made me devour this book.

The story was easy to follow, which is a huge plus in a biography. I will admit I have no idea who the composer was before I started reading. I was just excited to see another graphic novel from this publisher. I feel like I know a lot more and am very interested in his music. I ended up putting on youtube compilations of some of his work so I can maybe hear what was being described. It is still way beyond me, but the story did not suffer for my lack of musical knowledge.

I just really liked this book. It felt approachable. It felt well done. It really just worked as a graphic novel and as a biography. It was a wonderful read and I am glad I got a chance to read it. I will be recommending this to my people like like biographies or want to try non-fiction graphic novels.

It was interesting learning the composer. I enjoyed the set up of the novel. I enjoyed how the graphics displaying the music.

This graphic novels takes you into the life of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, this was my introduction to his music which some I've heard prior unbeknownst to me. The graphic novel takes you through his life, on how he came to love music, his ups and downs with life, illness, social issues and communism and escaping from it, all while also being a true artist and a revolutionary to his own beat. In the few pages a lot was said and felt, not only did it educate me on part of world history I had no knowledge of but introduced me to a new wave of sounds that I'll be adding to my playlists, his music is an experience, a tale told and this graphic novel did an excellent job at translating that. I was given the chance to read this thanks to NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Between Two Sounds is an illustrated book about the life of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and his musical journey from childhood into adulthood. It is not a traditional biography and not necessarily what I would recommend to someone completely new to the composer, but it was interesting to read and visually beautiful. I have long been a fan of Pärt's work and knew little of his life, his experience in Soviet Estonia or his musical journey and evolution. Seeing his defiant character described so vividly was interesting and enlightening.

I think ultimately the book would be hard for me to recommend cause the subject and the presentation is so niche. If you were visiting Estonia I could see this being a nice souvenir but due to the format it doesn't go into detail into his life and moves fairly quick. The illustrations do a great job of showing the effects of his music, how his compositions fill the space and the audience reaction - which is really impressive.

I was intrigued to hear more about his spiritual approach to music and the book made me want to look further for answers, because unfortunately it didn't have them all for me. I think if I was an Estonian reader who was already familiar with his life and Estonia's history the book wouldn't feel as lacking but it does feel like there are some things that slip through the cracks when you don't walk into this book with much prior context.

In this graphic biography for YA and adults, Sildre managed two very difficult tasks: he presented the life of a composer I wasn't familiar with in a way that kept me wanting to know more, and he found ways to represent music and interior thoughts graphically. Pärt may be one of the least known, most played composers in the world. While I had never listened to Pärt's music before, this book had me searching for him online. Recommended both to music lovers and to those interested in Estonian artistic life during the Communist era.

My knowledge about composers and Estonia are both nil, which is rather disappointing considering this wonderful book I had the privilege of reading. I was given an early copy of Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt's Journey To His Musical Language by Joonas Sildre and translated by Adam Cullen. Then again, my ignorance turned out to be for the best, because I was able to learn so much about a talented composer and his life's story, which made for an exciting reading adventure.

So, why did I fall in love with this book? Well, first off, I loved the title of the book - it immediately intrigued me. Secondly, the books' cover - oh, my! I loved it! It had me wanting to grab a copy of the book straightaway. And, third, it was a graphic novel - I love graphic novels! How could I resist reading this book, right? Plus, it was about a new-to-me topic, the composer, Arvo Pärt. I love learning new things and learning about a composer sounded like fun. It really did, especially given that it would be in graphic novel form - anything with illustrations will make learning a thrill. Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - it was eye-opening and fascinating. Learning about Arvo Pärt's journey is amazing - you can't help but get carried away in his story and the history - plus, the visuals add a layer of depth. Oh, and his music - what he composed was just brilliant! I found myself looking it up and listening to it as I read his story. Talk about an excellent soundtrack!

All in all, Between Two Sounds is a definite must- read! I enjoyed every second I spent with this book and would definitely recommend it to everyone - make sure to check it out!

I usually read children’s graphic novels, so I thought I would try and enjoy an adult one. I have also played the violin for over 30 years, so I thought I would enjoy this book with my huge interest in music. This book was interesting. The pictures were wonderful and showed much emotion. The story was about a famous composer. The only set back was some of the words were not English. I also do not know all the background of the Soviets and Russian conflicts that have happened.
This would not be a book that I would share with my students. I work in a really small rural school. If I were in a bigger district this would be something I would use in my teaching.

This is one of my first times reading a graphic novel, and I found this format to be perfect for conveying intricate details about the life of this musician I knew nothing about until now.

I honestly would not have sought out a lengthy book about this person, nor would it have probably kept my attention, just based on the genres I normally read. However, the format of this lent itself so well to drawing me in to learn about someone new.

The illustrations and text provided a nuanced depiction of life as a creative behind the Soviet regime’s grip on the populace. Well worth reading and a pleasant way to learn about and appreciate a life story.

A friend introduced me to Arvo Part’s music several years ago. I was (and am) enchanted, but have known nothing of the man other than that he is Estonian. This graphic biography more than fills in the essential facts. For me the graphic form brings a dynamic representation of Part’s intellectual and emotional growth to finding his ‘sound’. Although it can’t be close to what Part actually experienced the reader is given an indication of his complexity and drive, as well as the complications of living under the Soviet system while staying true to himself.

Even if you are unfamiliar with modern classical music, Sildre does a fantastic job representing it, with both words and images. As a result, this might be one of the best biographical graphic novels in quite some time. It holds a great deal of visual power, while capturing the artistry and humility of its subject. Full review here: https://www.jbspins.com/2024/09/between-two-sounds-arvo-part-graphic.html

One of the things I love about Plough Publishing is that they have such a variety of books. I was invited to read this graphic novel. I had never heard of Arvo Part, but now I have and I have listened to his music. It is brilliant!

The story of his life and composing was done via a graphic novel and in black and white. I think its starkness also brought a richness to the story. I loved the format of the book. This was after all a Soviet run country. Estonia is no longer a part of Russia . They declared their independence in 1991, but from 1940 on, they had been annexed by Russia. Communism was a force and even upon music.

I enjoyed the story of Arvo Part and his struggle with music and the State and his genius. This book has sparked my interest in Arvo Parks music and the country he came from.

Thank you Plough Publishing and NetGalley for this early read.

I requested an advanced copy of this book because I enjoy both graphic novels and biographies, so I love when the genres are combined. I had never heard of the composer Arvo Part and was curious to learn about his life. It was interesting to read about his life in the soviet Union and how his art was affected by politics. Part tried a variety of styles throughout his life, and this book led me to investigate his music which I quite enjoyed. The illustrations are completely in black and white. This may have been intentional, as it appropriately reflect black and white piano keys as well as the black and white expected behavior in the strict regime. The art also interprets the music itself graphically and expresses Parts feelings and philosophy. However, I was not prepared for all the philosophy that the main character expresses. It was interesting but seemed to bog down the book. Had I already known anything about the man, this may not have come as a surprise.
I recommend this to graphic novel lovers who are also music aficionados or enjoy philosophy. It would also make an excellent addition to schools and libraries.

I knew nothing about Arvo Part going into this and now I'm quite fascinated with his music. The book gave a very detailed accounting of Part's early career. Some of the technical aspects of composing were lost on me, but the sparse art really reflected the composer's style and passion.

A haunting silence between two sounds spanning a decade vividly shaped world-famous composer, Arvo Pärt’s journey to discovering his unique musical language and distinctive style, nonconformist and religious in nature. In this graphic novel, aptly titled “Between Two Sounds,” Joonas Sildre describes the cultural, political and spiritual upheavals that transformed the famous Estonian into the most performed living composer in the world. This is an inspiring, atmospheric portrait of a brilliant artist who stormed the 1960’s music scene. Then he mysteriously fell silent, unable to express himself in music. A decade later, he surfaced, finding in that silence between two sounds, a unique musical language inspired by ancient sacred music. This graphic novel appeals to everyone who has known the struggle of what it means to remain true to oneself, in spite of all odds, whatever the cost. This thought-provoking graphic novel makes one think deeply about issues that are of the utmost significance. It inspires us to aspire to reach out for the highest and best. I encourage you to get your own copy of a graphic novel that will stay on your bookshelf forever.

Due to this file being unreadable, I had to wait for this to be available from a library or on sale online; thankfully it came in to one of my libraries [FLP OverDrive] quickly and I was able to finally read it. My review is below.

I have glimmers of memory of my former in-laws, aunt-in-law, and ex talking about this man, his music [I may have even heard it but that I don't remember, but it wouldn't surprise me], and his mark on Estonia and its music [which they loved and played often] and culture. I found it very interesting that while many Estonians left/fled during the war [including my in-laws; those stories still haunt me], Mr. Pärt chose to stay [along with many other brave souls], especially how that ended up affecting both him and his music.

This is a very well-done graphic novel [that has been meticulously researched, with the help of Mr. Arvo Pärt himself] about a time, place and person that few know about [outside the music world, and even there he is more obscure than most], and I really enjoyed reading his story and getting another glimpse of Estonian life, the music that Mr. Pärt has created, and learning about his often complicated life.

I will admit here that while I was reading this, I kept hearing this story being told by Tadi Helmy [my ex's aunt] and Maami's [my former MIL] voice as they were the storytellers of the family and they would have loved this book, especially Tadi Helmy; everyone in the family loved music, but Helmy was very musical and she would have really felt this book. I think they all would have loved this book and how glad they would have been that more of Estonia's history is being brought to the world, especially in a very accessible way.

This book was so intriguing, the way Mr. Pärt looks at, feels, and sees music, and being musical myself, I know I will be looking for his music to experience it for myself.

If I ever get to visit Estonia, I know that the Arvo Pärt Centre will be a must see destination.

Very well done!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Joonas Sildre, Aile Tooming - Editor, Adam Cullen - Translator, and Plough Publishing House for providing the ARC [and to the Free Library of Philadelphia for acquiring the eBook for their library, so I could actually read it] in exchange for an honest review.

VERDICT: Masterful chronicle of Arvo Pärt’s journey, through meticulous research and striking monochromatic illustrations.

I discovered Arvo Pärt a few decades ago and have been mesmerized by his music ever since. All the more so actually since I became Orthodox myself.

I have already read a book on this Estonian musician, the excellent Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence, by Peter C. Bouteneff.
So when I discovered a new book on him was out, and available through Netgalley, I didn’t hesitate a second. Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language is absolutely a must for all of Pärt’s afficionados, and for readers eager to discover something different.

Between Two Sounds is a biography, presented in a chronological order.
It was neat to know better Arvo as a boy and young man, his education, his struggles and his gifts.
Later in life, he went through a ten year music desert, trying to find his own style – this major part of this life, alluded to in the title, is extremely well presented.

There’s also the whole context of the Communist regime and what he had to do to go through the censure. And all the consequences for his career, and his family life, leading to his exile in 1980 – which is actually where the book ends.

Please Sildre, could we now have another book on Pärt after these years?

The book is the fruit of many years of research and collaboration with the musician and his family.
You can really feel the excellency of the author’s work. It translates in many quotations by Pärt himself, but also in a gorgeous simplified illustration style, utilizing only black, gray and white color, that for me captures really well the musician’s inner world and his art.
It is a feat to translate music into art. Sildre did it!
This might be the most successful graphic “novel” biography I have ever read.

The beautiful trailer will give you an idea. The publisher has also put together a great playlist, for you to discover Arvo Pärt or just enjoy his art again and again.

This book was so good that I’m planning on buying it as a gift for a friend who also enjoys a lot Arvo Pärt.

Now a word to the publisher and to the Netgalley team:
It took me a while to read this book, obviously not because of the content, but because of the format. This is a biography presented as a “graphic novel”, something I’m always keen to read. But the e-version was only available as a pdf. And for some reason, I was only able to read it through the Netgalley app, not even on my computer!
I read all my ebooks on my phone. For a regular ebook, it works great, as you can choose your font size. But reading a pdf on a phone is nasty. I had to expand and move the pictures so much, to be able to read all the texts. It was annoying and exhausting for my eyes, so I gave up for a while.
So please publishers, if you have no other option than pdf, please allow at least the reviewer to download the book on his/her computer! Or please use epub. Or ask Netgalley to have a user friendly interface for graphic novels. Hoopla has one, and it works perfectly, so please upgrade!

NOTE: I am a librarian and I received a paperback ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.

A graphic novel is an interesting medium to tell the story of one of the foremost composers of the late 20th Century, but Joonas Sildre's art and storytelling give the life and music of Arvo Pärt a sensitive and captivating treatment. "Between Two Sounds" is marked by subtlety at every turn, from its color scheme to its pacing, allowing key events in Pärt's life to unfold gradually, as if in a musical composition. By zooming in on the trials and challenges Pärt and his family faced in USSR-occupied Estonia, Sildre reveals Pärt's musical and personal philosophies and how they shaped his compositional output even in the shadow of an authoritarian regime. The tension of that era in history manifests itself in unexpected ways, making the general mood ominous and pensive but never horrific. A little wry humor every now and then adds an additional dimension to this composer and his life. For anyone interested in music history or Eastern European history, "Between Two Sounds" is a breathtaking read.

It was 1939. Pärt discovered an old, broken piano in his family’s new apartment. He developed his skills and musical philosophy despite the challenges of World War II, Soviet censorship, health problems, and an institutional tradition of music. Then, after developing a reputation as a modernist composer, he heard a Gregorian chant, which led to the development of his signature technique, tintinnabuli, in which two voices interact, sometimes merging to form an inseparable whole. In time, Pärt’s musical works made him the “most performed living composer in the world

The author has written a graphic novel of the composer’s life and work. The development of Pärt’s compositional style is covered through conversations with his music teachers and through his reactions and observations which I found fascinating.

BETWEEN TWO SOUNDS Arvo Part’s Journey to His Musical Language
By Joonas Sildre, Translated by Adam Cullen
This graphic account of Arvo Part, one of the greatest living composers, is multi layered. His journey from political oppression in Soviet Estonia to freedom in the West is interwoven with his artistic and spiritual journey. The technicalities of his development as a composer will be clear perhaps only to trained musicians. But to the rest of us, it speaks to the role of creativity and intention in all of the arts. In Tallinn, Estonia, a creative psychologist tells Arvo Part that “for a change, one must try out a field in which one is a complete novice.”

Part’s personal musical journey is not a road map for all artists but a sign of how creativity depends on an inner vision and response to the world, physical and spiritual. His compositions that unite melody and triad into one “inseparable ensemble” have a special relationship to silence. Part discovers “a need to concentrate on each sound…just like on every blade of grass.” His creation of Tintinnabuli, or little bells, is “a quest for truth, beauty and purity” that speaks in each sound.

In his composition For Alina, two voices are like two people whose paths sometimes cross or don’t. His search for meaning in composing and his religious search are two strands that do meet when he is on the grounds of Puht Convent in Estonia. “Why do you look so sad?” asks a young woman who happens to cross his path. He replies, “I’m a composer and I’m trying to write music. But it just won’t work.” She replies, “Have you thanked God for it not working?” He comes to realize that “the heart lives perpetually in music, just as in prayer.”

He finds that words are not his medium. “I know a great secret, but only in music can I express it.” For him, his music is a “narrow path” as he mediates the music to “treat a simple sound like a human soul.” His thinking expands to other arts, such as sculpture, in which the artist is also mediator. This engages the reader to consider the role of silence in drama, painting, and in writing, such as Philip Gross’s poem The Musical Cottage. Here a boy is listening to a music box, where “The final note hangs frozen at the tip of being. Thirty years. It will not drop.” (nawe.co.uk).

The reader is encouraged to meditate on Part’s musical vision that “you must begin with what is most important—with practicing love for all creation, and of course for the Creator above all.” It is “astounding” he says, that “evil itself is destroyed when it encounters love.“