Cambridge Companions Online

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The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt

Edited by Andrew Shenton

Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CCOL9781107009899

Online ISBN: 9780511842566

Hardback ISBN: 9781107009899

Paperback ISBN: 9780521279109

Chapter

Appendix E - Acceptance speech for the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2008

pp. 202-202

Chapter DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CCOL9781107009899.016

Cambridge University Press

 Appendix E
Acceptance speech for the L éonie Sonning Music
Prize 2008

May 22, 2008, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Distinguished members of the Award Committee, dear friends,

We have to admit: Human beings are imperfect. There is no other knowledge that
people have a harder time accepting. Maybe some people think a composer is the
exception. I have to tell you: no, he isn’t … unfortunately.
In allusion to Pontius Pilate’s famous question we ask: But what is perfection?
What if we actually knew the answer, would it help us? At first, at least, it might seem
that the idea of perfection has no place in our daily life. Somehow it is not current,
not relevant. In an artist’s creative process, however, this eternal question turns up to
its fullest extent. It doesn’t leave the creative person in peace. It worries and plagues
him, because he strives for perfection with his whole physical and mental being. He
searches for it almost to the point of desperation.
Yet very often his goals by far surmount his possibilities, and the huge gap
between them painfully shows him his limits. These extreme efforts sometimes lead
to a result that exceeds the author’s measure and the limits of his potential. And there
something happens that does not adhere to the laws of logic: A work of art liberates
itself from its intrinsically unfavorable preconditions.
So, in a slightly simplified way, one could say that, in such a case, a successful
work of art can be much better than its creator. It overtakes him, and outperforms
him and his mundane faultiness. The new dimension of his work – even as it is still
far from perfection – is able to transcend its author’s imperfection.
A comparable phenomenon can sometimes be observed with top athletes. A
record! Even though this doesn’t happen every day, and although it might one day be
beaten by someone else, or by the same athlete himself: A magic moment has hap-
pened, something enduring has been created.
Don’t awards mark such magic moments? At least that is how I see it today, in
my case. In my opinion, the prize, this great prize honors the music, which has out-
classed me as a composer and as the person standing before you here today. And
thus, please allow me to thank the Léonie Sonning music prize committee in the
name of some of my works. Both of us, my music and I, are very proud to be allowed
to call ourselves Léonie Sonning music prize laureates.

Thank you very much!

Arvo Pärt

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