SWR Sinfonieorchester & Lothar Zagrosek, MaerzMusik 2012

About the Event

Under the direction of Lothar Zagrosek, the SWR Baden‐Baden and Freiburg Symphony Orchestra and outstanding contemporary music soloists contrast earlier and more recent works by Wolfgang Rihm with those of Morton Feldman and Christian Wolff. In addition to John Cage, they are counted among the most important representatives of the American avant‐garde.

MaerzMusik is the annual Festival of Contemporary Music organised by the Berliner Festspiele. Established artists and young newcomers from all over the world come to Berlin each March to present a full programme with many world premieres and new productions, many of which are commissioned by MaerzMusik.

MaerzMusik is a direct reaction to new relations between sound and society today. The festival for contemporary music transcends the borders between tradition and innovation. With its broad range of orchestral and chamber music, innovative musical theatre, experimental works and media art it provides a fascinating and rich panorama of contemporary music.

In Magma (1973), the large symphonic sound apparatus is savoured. With a desire towards the anarchic, Rihm devoted himself to a multifaceted, differentiated and auratic sound composition. The 3. Doppelgesang (2004), performed by Rihm student Jörg Widmann and French violist Antoine Tamestit, is inspired by the poet Francesco Petrarca’s sonnets.
Coptic Light (1986) is Morton Feldman’s final work for a large orchestra. This unusual late work surprises with its polytonal, polyrhythmic richness and with the density of its textures. As a relatively short work, Coptic Light works with the complete twelve‐tone chromatic total from the very first beat on. Patterns occurring in rare Middle Eastern weavings provided the source of inspiration.
John, David (1998) by Christian Wolff began as a present for John Cage’s 80th birthday and became a work in memoriam. It contains songs (without words) and a four‐part compositional treatment of the songs’ material in the form of solos, duets and other chamber music constellations within the orchestra.

SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden‐Baden und Freiburg

Lothar Zagrosek, conductor
Jörg Widmann, clarinet
Antoine Tamestit, viola
Robyn Schulkowsky, percussion
Christoph Grund, piano