Modernism and the spirituality of the Orthodox Church may seem to be polar opposites, the one innovating and fragmenting, the other rooted in an unchanging tradition. As this groundbreaking book shows, however, the reality is more complex. Composers from traditionally Orthodox societies such as Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and Serbia have found fruitful artistic meeting points between these two poles, rooting the one and refreshing the other, even in the darkest times of political oppression. In addtion, much of the work of such composers as Arvo Pärt, Einojuhani Rautavaara and John Tavener has arisen precisely from this meeting point. It is this paradox that is investigated here.

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