Wolfgang Rihm is one of the most important contemporary composers of our time. The musician, professor of composition and author from Karlsruhe, Germany is a larger-than-life personality, and the contemporary music scene is impossible to imagine without him. His knowledge of music is all-encompassing, as is his mastery of the arts, literature and philosophy - all of which serve as sources of inspiration for his composing. With more than 400 compositions, he has created a universe that cannot easily be defined. Rihm has written New Music - the titles of his compositions have come to symbolize the musical history of recent decades. Other works by him refer to music history – they include, for example, oratorios inspired by Bach, orchestral works based on Brahms, or chamber music inspired by Schumann.
With this release and a further one of instrumental and vocal chamber music, BR-Klassik and "musica viva" are celebrating the 70th birthday of this influential composer. The album features the large-scale symphonic work Jagden und Formen (2008), which received its world premiere in November 2001 in Basel by the Ensemble Modern. Of the original version, which was created between 1995 and 2001, Rihm composed a new version between 2007 and 2008 that was staged for the first time with a choreography by Sasha Waltz at the Schauspiel Frankfurt, again with the Ensemble Modern playing.
Rihm's orchestral work is so instantly gripping in its urgency and relentlessly motor-like power that it already ranks as a modern classic. In its 2008 state, the "work in progress" that grew over the years reached its final form. What begins as a courtship dance between two violins soon escalates into breathless music that is irresistibly captivating: virtuosic, intoxicating and overflowing with ideas, without ever losing its tension and urgency. © BR-Klassik