/ Ensemble De Guitares
SKU: BR.DV-6140
ISBN 9790200460230. 13.5 x 10.5 inches.
Translation : Engl. (S. Wadsworth) (1988) / (Norbert Rubesaat) (1993); French (Jean-Pierre Wurtz) (1997) Place and time: Jail Munchen-Stadelheim, in the hour before the execution on 22nd February 1943 Characters: Sophie Scholl (soprano) / Hans Scholl (baritone or tenor) >>Weisse Rose<< (White Rose) was the name of the resistance group to which Hans and Sophie Scholl belonged. Udo Zimmermann's composition is characterized by the varying structure of its scenes: dramatic, visionary scenes, e.g. the remembered wartime experiences on the front, Sophie's anxiety about the removal of the children and the wish to see her parents one last time, contrast with contemplative monologues that are intended to provide insights into the individual's particular situation. The composer interweaves into the structure of the piece dream sequences with sudden bursts of anxiety that are not triggered by the execution that is about to take place but by the consequences of one's own actions. The result is a deliberate fusion of the various parts into one another. More than 100 different productions prove that the topic is as important as ever and that the work is both artistically rewarding and practicable. Udo Zimmermann About the piece Two young people, the siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl, are in a prison cell, one hour before they are to be put to death by their fascist executioners. Their christian convictions and sense of responsibility gave them the courage to put up resistance, resistance against the lies, the contempt for humanity and all human values. Sophie and Hans Scholl took their stand in the full knowledge that they were taking a deadly risk. They would simply not have been able to live with their feelings of shame had they not grasped the chance of fighting for what they believed in, even though it was a dangerous thing to do. Memories of past events, doubts, hopes and fears, justification of deeds and an acceptance of death, all these things happen and move in, and between, these two people during this representation of the hour before death. The orchestra provides a psycho-physical shorthand of their inner mental state. Musical effects and gestures search for their identity in human behaviour. The moments of stillness and silence provide moments of musical tension, which are just as powerful as the eruptions of fear and desperation. CDs: Gabriele Fontana (soprano), Lutz-Michael Harder (tenor), Instrumentalensemble, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD Orfeo C 162 871 Grazyna Szklarecka (soprano), Frank Schiller (tenor), musica viva-ensemble dresden, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD Berlin Classics Eterna BC 0120 060-2 CD (excerpts): Gabriele Fontana (soprano), Lutz-Michael Harder (tenor), Ein Instrumentalensemble, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD BMG 74321 73628 2 Bibliography : Kornel , Attila: ,,Tief unter uns nur Schweigen - Die Asthetik der Stille in Udo Zimmermanns Kammeroper ,,Weisse Rose, in: Die Tonkunst 11 (2017), pp. 368-377. Rheinlander , Matthias: Im Osten nichts Neues? Ostalgie ohne Kitsch am Beispiel von Udo Zimmermanns Oper Die weisse Rose, in: Musik und Unterricht, Heft 73 (2003), pp. 34-40.World premiere: Hamburg, February 27, 1986DV 1140 Awarded the German Music Edition Prize.
SKU: PR.41641513L
UPC: 680160621347.
This movement is, in turns, both lighthearted and serious. The music depicts a young, naive Pandora who, while dancing around her house, spies a mysterious box. She tries to resist opening it, but her curiosity ultimately gets the best of her. When she cracks the lid open and looks inside, all evils escape into the world. Dismayed by what she has done, she looks inside the box once more. She discovers hope still in the box and releases it to temper the escaped evils and assuage mankind's new burden.This movement is, in turns, both lighthearted and serious. The music depicts a young, naïve Pandora who, while dancing around her house, spies a mysterious box. She tries to resist opening it, but her curiosity ultimately gets the best of her. When she cracks the lid open and looks inside, all evils escape into the world. Dismayed by what she has done, she looks inside the box once more. She discovers hope still in the box and releases it to temper the escaped evils and assuage mankind's new burden.
SKU: PR.41641512L
UPC: 680160621323.
SKU: PR.416415120
UPC: 680160621316.
SKU: PR.416415130
UPC: 680160621330.
SKU: PR.11540241S
UPC: 680160680177.
Pando ra Undone is, in turns, both lighthearted and serious. The music depicts a young, naive Pandora who, while dancing around her house, spies a mysterious box. She tries to resist opening it, but her curiosity ultimately gets the best of her. When she cracks the lid open and looks inside, all evils escape into the world. Dismayed by what she has done, she looks inside the box once more. She discovers hope still in the box and releases it to temper the escaped evils and assuage mankind's new burden.Pandora Undone is, in turns, both lighthearted and serious. The music depicts a young, naïve Pandora who, while dancing around her house, spies a mysterious box. She tries to resist opening it, but her curiosity ultimately gets the best of her. When she cracks the lid open and looks inside, all evils escape into the world. Dismayed by what she has done, she looks inside the box once more. She discovers hope still in the box and releases it to temper the escaped evils and assuage mankind's new burden.
SKU: BT.DHP-1115057-140
9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.
Pierius Magnus is a historical figure from the Friesland area of Holland. He was a farmer who became a resistance fighter against Dutch oppressors in around 1500. Whether Magnus was a hero or barbarian is still debatable, but composer Jan de Haan was fascinated by the exciting story and let it fuel his imagination. The protagonist is introduced with a capricious theme which is followed by “De Arumer Swarte Heap,“ the troops who took to the battlefields against the Dutch. An eerie calm takes over moments before Pier and his troops let their battle cries sound. The work ends as the disillusioned Pier retreats. A concert work overflowing with excitement!Pieriu s Magnus is een historisch figuur uit Friesland. Hij was boer én opstandeling tegen de Hollandse onderdrukkers, zo rond het jaar 1500. Was hij een held? Was hij een barbaar? Hoe we hem ook willen zien, Jan de Haan zag in GruttePier ieder geval een spannende bron van inspiratie in voor een compositie. Hij stelt de nationale held direct in het begin aan ons voor met een grillig capricciothema. Daarna volgt: ‘De Arumer Swarte Heap’, zijn bende mannen dieten strijde trok tegen de Hollanders. Een moment van rust valt in. Maar niet voor lang, want de strijd barst in alle hevigheid los! Het werk eindigt met het terugtrekken van een gedesillusioneerde Grutte Pier...Pierius Magnus ist eine historische Figur aus Friesland, ein Bauer und Aufständischer gegen die holländischen Unterdrücker um 1500. Ob Held oder Barbar lässt sich heute einfach nicht zweifelsfrei belegen, aber der Komponist fand die Geschichte einfach zu spannend, um sie nciht als Inspirationsquelle zu nutzen. In Pierius Magnus wird der Nationalheld gleich zu Beginn des Werkes mit einem kapriziösen Thema vorgestellt, gefolgt von seinem Haufen De Arumer Swarte Heap. Dann- bevor der Kampf beginnt- tritt ein Moment der Ruhe ein, bevor Pier und seine Truppe in den Kampf ziehen. Das Werk endet mit dem Rücken des desillusionierten Pierius.Pier Gerlofs Donia est l’un des personnages les plus célèbres de l’histoire de la Frise au cours des années 1500. L’Histoire ne nous permet pas de discerner les réelles intentions de cet homme surnommé le grand Pier de par son imposante stature. Était-il un combattant de la liberté ou un authentique barbare ? Le compositeur a trouvé toutefois en cette emblématique figure, une source d’inspiration fascinante. Pierius Grelofs Donia è una delle più celebri figure della storia della regione olandese della Frisia nel corso del 1500. La storia non ci permette di discernere le reali intenzioni di quest’uomo soprannominato Grutte Pier (il grande Pier) per la sua statura imponente. Fu un paladino della libert o un semplice barbaro? Il compositore ha trovato in questa emblematica figura un’affascinante fonte d’ispirazione. Le prime misure di Pierius Magnus descrivono l’eroe nazionale attraverso un tema capriccioso. Un secondo tema dipinge la brigata nera di Arum, pronta ad affrontare gli olandesi. Un breve momento di calma fa da preludio al combattimento, prima che Pier Grelofsentri in azione. Disilluso, il grande Pier si ritira; la fine dell’opera sancisce anche la fine del combattimento.
SKU: HL.14010207
ISBN 9780711924925. UPC: 196288152422. 9.0x12.0x0.306 inches.
Elias: I first came across Irina Ratushinskaya's poetry when the collection 'No, I'm Not Afraid' was published in England in early May 1986. The poems, the various circumstances in which they were written and the poet's integrity, commitment and appalling situation (she was still imprisoned) all had a tremendous impact upon me. I was drawn inexorably into the world she describes so vividly. The powerful imagery of resistance, the acceptance of shattering realities and the fantasies of different kinds of escape made poetry of truly universal significance and urgency, and the idea of a setting for voice and large orchestra followed immediately. Each of the settings (in Russian) is self-contained and quite different in mood and orchestration. However, I consider the songs as one piece, and the whole cycle is performed without a break. All the basic musical material, themes and motifs for the entire work are stated in the first few pages, and the order of the poems was chosen to provide an overall musical and dramatic shape that attempts to link them together and to reflect more than the immediate meaning of the individual poems.
SKU: BT.DHP-1115057-010
SKU: PR.416415760
UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.
The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.
