Wolfgang Rihm
"Dämmrung senkte sich von oben"
Short instrumentation: 2 2 2 2 - 4 0 0 0, str
Duration: 4'
Text von: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute (+picc)
oboe
cor anglais
clarinet in A
bass clarinet in Bb
bassoon
contrabassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
double bass
Rihm - "Dämmrung senkte sich von oben" for baritone and orchestra
Translation, reprints and more
Wolfgang Rihm
Rihm: "Dämmrung senkte sich von oben"Orchestration: für Bariton und Orchester
Type: Studienpartitur (Sonderanfertigung)
Language: Deutsch
Sample pages
Work introduction
Goethe’s poem had already inspired Johannes Brahms and Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn; Rihm turned his attention to it in 2004. Responding to the request of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra to compose four short pieces to be paired with each of the Brahms symphonies, he chose a quote from the second line of the poem for his title - Schon ist alle Nähe fern [“Everything close is already distant”] – also returning to his own setting, scoring Goethe’s words for baritone and orchestra. The piece premiered on 20 August 2012 as part of the first performance of Rihm’s symphony Nähe fern.
Translation: Grant Chorley