Death of Germany’s leading composer, 72

Death of Germany’s leading composer, 72

RIP

norman lebrecht

July 27, 2024

The prolific German composer Wolfgang Rihm died today in Ettlingen after an illness, his family announced.

He was 72.

His output included eight operas, at least two dozen works for orchestra and 13 string quartets. In all, he leaves more than 400 published scores.

Rihm was composer in residence in both Salzburg and Lucerne and the receipient of repeated festival retrospectives. He was designated composer in residence in the coming season at the Berlin Philharmonic. His successful pupils included Rebecca Saunders and Jorg Widmann.

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    Rihm: the only German composer I know who courageously ventured beyond the ugly, neo-expressionistic angst style so prevalent in the country, towards something much more musical, like his violin concerto ‘Lichtes Spiel’:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu-lado4QRg

  • J Barcelo says:

    Damn, so young. I wonder was the illness was? RIP.

  • Mikhail says:

    A great composer, marvelous works for piano and voice. Rest in peace.

  • Matthew Vine says:

    Et Lux his own requiem a noteworthy piece of vocal music RIP

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