Lachenmann: Harmonica / Sound-Shadow

Helmut Lachenmann, who celebrates his milestone birthday in 2025, has composed landmarks of recent music history. Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks dedicate themselves to some of these exceptional works. In his tuba concerto "Harmonica," Helmut Lachenmann explores the boundaries of sound – with music between eruption and silence, which, in its 'strictly constructed refusal' (Lachenmann) and conscious breaking of the familiar, escapes any socially preconceived listening expectation. The soloist is Stefan Tischler, principal tuba of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. The live recording with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen conducted by Sir Simon Rattle dates from March 2025. "Klangschatten – mein Saitenspiel" then deals with the 'reverse side' of sound, its suppressed and 'unwelcome' components. The spectrum here ranges from toneless or choked sounds and variously colored noise to the clear tone. Lachenmann himself described the piece as an 'offer of expressive intensity, which reflects the bourgeois longing for beauty and seeks to fulfill, i.e., overcome it.' The work was performed by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under the direction of Matthias Herrmann on May 23, 2025, in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz. Born in Stuttgart in 1935, Helmut Lachenmann is among the most renowned German composers of contemporary music. He studied piano, music theory, and counterpoint in Stuttgart, as well as composition under Luigi Nono in Venice. He taught composition in Hanover (1976–1981) and Stuttgart (1981–1999) and led numerous masterclasses both at home and abroad. His works are performed by internationally renowned interpreters and orchestras all over the world. Helmut Lachenmann has received numerous awards, most recently the GEMA German Music Authors' Prize for his life's work (2015) and the "Prize of the President of the French Republic" from the Académie Charles Cros for his life's work (2025).