Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

Germany

Birth

:

March 13, 1952 in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Wolfgang Rihm is a German composer who was born on March 13, 1952, in Karlsruhe, Germany. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a musicologist and his mother a pianist. Rihm began playing the piano at a young age and later studied composition with Eugen Werner Velte and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Rihm's early works were heavily influenced by the avant-garde music of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the works of Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. However, he soon began to develop his own unique style, which combined elements of modernism with traditional tonality and a strong sense of lyricism. One of Rihm's earliest works to gain attention was his 1974 composition "Morphonie," which was performed at the Donaueschingen Festival. The piece was notable for its use of extended techniques and unconventional instrumentation, including the use of a vacuum cleaner and a typewriter. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Rihm continued to compose a wide range of works, including operas, orchestral pieces, chamber music, and solo works. One of his most famous works from this period is his 1983 opera "Jakob Lenz," which is based on the life of the German writer Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz. The opera is notable for its intense emotional content and its use of extended vocal techniques. Another notable work from this period is Rihm's 1991 orchestral piece "In-Schrift," which was commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The piece is notable for its use of complex rhythms and its exploration of the relationship between sound and silence. In the 2000s, Rihm continued to compose a wide range of works, including several operas, orchestral pieces, and chamber music works. One of his most famous works from this period is his 2002 opera "Das Gehege," which is based on a play by the Austrian writer Botho Strauss. The opera is notable for its exploration of themes of isolation and alienation. Another notable work from this period is Rihm's 2008 orchestral piece "Dionysos," which was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival. The piece is notable for its use of a large orchestra and its exploration of themes of ecstasy and transcendence. Overall, Wolfgang Rihm is one of the most important and influential composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His works are notable for their combination of modernist techniques with traditional tonality and their exploration of complex emotional and philosophical themes.

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