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Jörg Widmann Awarded the Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

Jun. 23, 2023

Jörg Widmann was awarded the Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on June 5. Widmann received the award during a performance of his full-length oratorio ARCHE at the Elbphilharmonie conducted by Kent Nagano, who received the honorary conductorship of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra that evening.


Jörg Widmann/ARCHE - 5. Dona nobis pacem/Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg/Kent Nagano, conductor

Three days later, on June 8, the composer returned the favor to the award's namesake, so to speak, with the world premiere of his Kantate at the opening concert of the Leipzig Bach Festival. Andreas Reize conducted the Thomaschor and the Gewandhausorchester in that performance, held in Leipzig's Thomaskirche.

Additionally, Widmann's 50th birthday on June 19 is the occasion for numerous other events: On June 22, the Munich Chamber Orchestra honored its "Associated Conductor" with a birthday concert in the Prinzregententheater. In addition to his own pieces, such as the Beethoven homage Con brio and the Kinderreime und Nonsensverse performed by the vocal ensemble Amarcord, Widmann conducted the premiere of a previously unpublished early work (1948) by György Ligeti, Mifiso la sodo.


Jörg Widmann/Con brio/Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor

Earlier this month, the Heidelberg Spring Festival highlighted Widmann's music on June 17-18: together with scholarship holders from the Lied Academy, Widmann held a public workshop on his song cycle Das heiße Herz, with the 40-minute work being performed in full. Another birthday concert is planned for Berlin's Pierre Boulez Saal: the Boulez Ensemble has invited Widmann to perform a selection of his chamber music and ensemble pieces with them on July 7.

To learn more about Jörg Widmann, visit schott-music.com.

Jörg Widmann
ARCHE (2016)
an oratorio for soloists, chorus, organ, and orchestra
Texts (Ger, Lat) by Claudius, Klabund, Heine, Sloterdijk, Andersen, Brentano, Schiller, Franz von Assisi, Nietzsche, Schimmelpfennig, Thomas von Celano, Michelangelo, and from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, the Bible, and the Mass
100'

Kantate (2023)
for soloists, choir, organ, and orchestra
2(2.pic).2(2.eh).2(2.bcl & ad lib. cbcl).2(2.cbn)-2.3(1. in B).1.0-timp-2perc-org-str(6.6.4.3.2)
35'

Con brio (2008)
for orchestra
2(2.pic).2.2.2-2.2.0.0-timp-str(14.12.10.8.6)
12'

Kinderreime und Nonsensverse (2017)
for five male singers and orchestra
2(2.pic).2(2.eh).2(2.bcl).2(2cbn)-2.2.3.0-timp-2perc-hp.cel-str(8.7.5.4.3, min. 6.5.4.4.2)
20'

Das helße Herz (2013/2015)
song cycle for baritone and piano
based on poems by Klabund, Clemens Brentano, Peter Härtling, Heinrich Heine and from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
40'

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