Lapsepõlve lood / Songs From Childhood

Released in 2015, Lapsepõlve lood (Songs From Childhood) is a collection of songs Arvo Pärt originally composed for children's plays and animated films in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. These pieces were largely forgotten or unavailable until Pärt's wife, Nora, rediscovered the manuscripts. The album features new arrangements for children's choir and piano, performed by the Estonian Radio Children's Choir. Historically, it serves as a bridge between Pärt's early neoclassical period and the development of his signature tintinnabuli style. While the songs are structurally simple, they contain the seeds of his later obsession with melodic purity and rhythmic precision. The recording is notable for its warmth and domestic intimacy, contrasting sharply with the ascetic, sacred character of his most famous works. It was received by critics as a charming, essential addition to his discography that humanizes one of the most enigmatic figures in contemporary classical music.