Wolfgang Rihm

Continuing the series of recordings devoted to the music of Wolfgang Rihm, which includes two world premiere recordings. The musicians of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart play with the utmost virtuosity and this is surely a disc no fan of contemporary music will want to be without.

Wolfgang Rihm (b 1952) is one of Germany’s most well known and influential living composers. His compositions range from large scale orchestral works and opera to intimate instrumental pieces, as presented on this release.

Markus Bellheim, a staunch advocate of these daring compositions, plays with all the technical mastery and musicality required from the pianist by this music.

13 pianists from around the world are presented on this 3 CD set, recorded live at the Ruhr Piano Festival in 2007. The first CD presents music by Beethoven including the Sonata No.4 in E flat minor and the Sonata No.10 in G major. The second CD is entitled ‘Haydn to Medtner’ and features music by Haydn, Schumann, Chopin and Medtner. And finally, CD No. 3 presents a collection of contemporary piano pieces by Chen Yi, Jan Muller-Wieland and Wolfgang Rihm. As always with this series there are some delightful surprises. A very enjoyable series.

Wolfgang Rihm says he is one of the most performed, most discussed and most successful living composers. And one of the most productive, as well: word has it that his opus numbers would already be far above four hundred, were he to assign such, while his expositors and commentators have already identified three distinct "creative periods". Presumably, more will be added, since

Rihm's oeuvre is growing as continually and fluidly. The current programs features three important orchestral scores from the 1970s - and reveal the composer's musical thought in transition. This CD also includes detailed booklet notes by the composer.

This 3 disc set features performances by the Dutch quartet, the Doelen Quartet. Their repertoire is possibly one of the most diverse of any string quartet. It is not unusual for them to play music by Rihm along side a piece by Beethoven.

This release clearly shows why the quartet is regarded as one of the most outstanding quartets around today.

3 CD's for price of 2

Wolfgang Rihm says he is one of the most performed, most discussed and most successful living composers. And one of the most productive, as well: word has it that his opus numbers would already be far above four hundred, were he to assign such, while his expositors and commentators have already identified three distinct "creative periods". Presumably, more will be added, since

Rihm's oeuvre is growing as continually and fluidly as his five (so far) "Symphonies fleuves". As his friend, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, characterizes him, "Plenitude is his credo, and the stream which arises anew in flowing is his element." Rihm's confession, his "Donaueschingen Creed" of 1974, so bold for that time, has since lost none of its authority: "Music must be full of emotion, the emotion full of complexity."