Rihm's Sieben Passions-texte are deeply embedded in the historical literature of Passion music, directly inspired by Gesualdo's dark palette and expressive disjunction, and echoing Bruckner's harmonic style.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Luigi Nono, a composer of the Darmstadt generation, believed all his works stemmed from a human impulse, aiming to bear testimony to incidents, experiences, or texts from life.
Composition History
Wolfgang Rihm's Sieben Passions-texte were commissioned by the German ensemble Singer Pur and are part of his hour-long vocal-instrumental work Vigilia.
Performer Biography
EXAUDI, a London-based vocal ensemble founded in 2002 by James Weeks (director) and Juliet Fraser (soprano), is known for its commitment to radical contemporary music.
Composer Biography
Luigi Nono, born in Venice in 1924, studied composition and law, and was a member of the Italian Communist Party.
Compositional Technique
Wolfgang Rihm's Quo me rapis, completed shortly before Nono's death, uses a pattern of sound events separated by vast silences, similar to late Nono's style, but with a more 'earthy' vision.
Composer Biography
Wolfgang Rihm, born in 1952, is a prolific German composer with over 400 works, and is also a composition professor and music writer.
You might also enjoy...
Where to From
Ronnefeld: Miracles / Sextet / Sonatine
Cage: A Cage of Saxophones, Vol. 1
Johnston, Beverly: Alternate Currents
Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel / For Frank O'Hara / The King of Denmark
Toshio Hosokawa: Quintets and Solos
20 Years, for the Record
Toshio Hosokawa: Landscapes
Earthworks
Åsmund Feidje: Chamber Works
Crumb: Madrigals / Music For A Summer Evening (Makrokosmos Iii)
