[1] Für Alina was first performed in Tallinn in 1976, along with six other works, after a long preparatory period in Pärt's life as a composer.

While the identity of the dedicatee of Beethoven's work is unclear, Für Alina was dedicated to a family friend's eighteen-year-old daughter.

The piece does not have a time signature and is marked Ruhig, erhaben, in sich hineinhorchend, which roughly translates as peacefully, in an elevated and introspective manner.

The physicist Carlo Rovelli in speaking of his interest in the piece, describes the experience of listening as time appearing to have stopped.

The entire harmonic structure, with one exception, is constructed so that the left-hand part outlines a B-minor triad directly below the right-hand melody.

According to the liner notes, the two versions, somewhat like “mood improvisations,” were handpicked by Pärt from a recording that was originally hours long.

There are also versions by Pat Metheny (On his 42 string guitar), David Arden, Jeroen van Veen, and Olga Jegunova.