Ralf Yusuf Gawlick: Kollwitz-Konnex (...im Frieden seiner Hände), Op. 19 [Audio Version]
9/4/2015, 10 Tracks, 54:57
Featuring
Anne Harley
Eliot Fisk
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick
Did you know?
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Composition History
Ralf Yusuf Gawlick's song cycle, Kollwitz-Konnex, was inspired by the life and work of Käthe Kollwitz, a German artist known for her eighty-four self-portraits.
Interpretation
Anne Harley, the soprano, developed an expressionist vocal palette for this work, embracing sounds that are broken, otherworldly, rough, and tender, challenging traditional notions of vocal beauty.
Recording & Production
The recording is dedicated to Arne Andreas Kollwitz, the grandson of Käthe Kollwitz and executor of her estate, in friendship and gratitude.
Compositional Technique
The texts for the song cycle are drawn exclusively from Käthe Kollwitz's diary and letters, which often express themes like premonitions, reflections, and memories, swirling together as in circular time.
Compositional Technique
The song cycle is structured into six musical chapters and nine movements, with each chapter representing a decade in Käthe Kollwitz's creative life and each profile corresponding to a specific self-portrait.
Performer Biography
Eliot Fisk, the guitarist on this recording, is the last heir of the great romantic tradition represented by his mentor Andres Segovia, and is known for his adventurous, virtuosic, and vast repertoire.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The song cycle Kollwitz-Konnex is a multifaceted connection between self-portraits, past and present, the artist and society, and the composer's personal and musical influence from Käthe Kollwitz.
