Date / Place I

06 September 2024 Pauluskirche

Date / Place II

07 September 2024 Pauluskirche

Series

Phoenix

Title

Vigilia – In Memoriam Wolfgang Rihm

Program

Wolfgang Rihm (1952–2024) “Vigilia” for six voices and ensemble (2001–2006) – 65'

Musicians

Jürg Henneberger
conductor
Ekkehard Windrich
choir direction
Sarah M. Newman
soprano
Julie C. Eggli
alto
Johannes Mayer
tenor
Jörg Deutschewitz
tenor
Ansgar Theis
baritone
Florian Drexel
bass
Toshiko Sakakibara
clarinet
Aurélien Tschopp
horn
Mikael Rudolfsson
trombone
Michael Büttler
trombone
Janne Jakobsson
tuba
Daniel Stalder
percussion
Nicolas Venner
organ
Petra Ackermann
viola
Benedikt Böhlen
cello
Aleksander Gabryś
double bass

Program description

Vigilia – In Memoriam Wolfgang Rihm (13.3.1952–27.7.2024)

Concert in collaboration with the “SCHOLA HEIDELBERG” (director: Ekkehard Windrich)

The oeuvre of the German composer and musicologist Wolfgang Rihm, who died at the end of July this year after a serious illness, is immense. In addition to three symphonies, nine operas and a large number of solo and chamber music works, “Vigilia” occupies a very special place as one of the most impressive compositions in his oeuvre. This music manages to be directly accessible to both connoisseurs and less accustomed listeners of new music. Vigils are night watches in the Catholic liturgy, which are spent in scripture readings or prayers and, in the concentration of darkness, are intended to prepare for special church festivals, especially Easter. Rihm refers to this custom and the old music-historical tradition of the responsorial cycle, as shaped by Carlo Gesualdo (1560-1613), for example. Wolfgang Rihm used seven Passion texts as a textual basis, which are sung a capella by a six-part vocal ensemble. These motets are each interrupted by instrumental interludes (Sonata I-VII). In the most extensive final part (Miserere), the instrumental and vocal ensembles perform together.

For the concert introduction and a short tribute to Wolfgang Rihm, we were able to win the Berlin-based composer Nico Sauer, who was a student of Wolfgang Rihm at the Karlsruhe University of Music from 2010 to 2015.