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Tabula Rasa is a piece of music composed by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in 1977, scored for two violins, string orchestra, and prepared piano. Tabula rasa, a philosophical concept, is Latin, roughly translating to "clean slate". The first movement, called "Ludus", revolves around a theme that is repeated throughout the movement, each time longer and more elaborated, building up to a climax at the end. The second movement, called "Silentium", consists of a somber and ethereal part played on the violins, systematically growing higher, lower, and longer with a single haunting chord on the prepared piano marking the beginning of every varied repetition. The movement gradually thins out and fades eventually into silence. The entire piece is approximately twenty-six minutes in length.
The piece was written for and dedicated to Gidon Kremer, who premiered it in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1977, with Tatjana Grindenko playing second violin and Eri Klas playing prepared piano. The piece remains a cornerstone of Pärt’s repertoire.
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