Das Schweigen der Sirenen (Riehm)
| Das Schweigen der Sirenen | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Rolf Riehm | |
| Language | German |
| Based on | Kafka's short story "Das Schweigen der Sirenen" |
| Premiere | 9 October 1994 |
| Das Schweigen der Sirenen | |
|---|---|
| Symphonic work with voices | |
| Scoring |
|
| Premiere | |
| Date | 9 October 1994 |
| Location | Frankfurt |
Das Schweigen der Sirenen (The Silence of the Sirens) is the title of two compositions by Rolf Riehm, based on Kafka's short story "Das Schweigen der Sirenen" which relates to the Greek myth of Odysseus, Circe and the Sirens.
Riehm composed a symphonic work with voices, premiered in Frankfurt on 9 February 1991, and an opera, premiered in Stuttgart on 9 October 1994. Both compositions were published by Casa Ricordi.
History
Background
The composer Rolf Riehm used ancient myths in several of his compositions. The Greek myth of Odysseus, Circe and the Sirens is a frequent topic in his works, including the 2002 Fremdling rede - Ballade Furor Odysseus and the 2014 opera Sirenen.[1] He used the text of Kafka's 1917 short story "Das Schweigen der Sirenen" in two works, a symphonic work with voices and an opera.[2][1]
Symphonic work
Riehm composed Das Schweigen der Sirenen in 1987, a symphonic work with voices on a commission by the Alban Berg Foundation.[3] It was published by Ricordi, dedicated to Thomas Jahn. The work of about 40 minutes was premiered on 9 February 1991[3] by Christine Whittlesey, Christer Bladin and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt, conducted by Lothar Zagrosek.[4]
Opera
Riehm wrote an opera Das Schweigen der Sirenen, based on Kafka's short story. It was published by Ricordi, dedicated to Hilde Riehm. premiered by the Staatsoper Stuttgart on 9 October 1994.[5] It was staged by Christof Nel and conducted by Bernhard Kontarsky, with singers and actors including Susan Roberts, Urszula Koszut, Armin Dallapiccola, Gogo Hübner and Ulrich Mühe.[6]
Recording
The symponic work Das Schweigen der Sirenen was recorded by Christine Whittlesey, Christer Bladin and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt, conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, taken from live recordings from the 1991 premiere and 1998, released in 2012.[7]
References
- ^ a b Griffiths, Paul (16 November 2025). "Rolf Riehm reads the Odyssey and takes a coffee in a Venetian piazza". Musiktexte. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ Hans-Klaus, Jungheinrich (15 June 2017). "in anderen Räumen / Der Komponist Rolf Riehm" (preface). Casa Ricordi. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Das Schweigen der Sirenen". Casa Ricordi. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ "Uraufführungen (Auswahl)". Frankfurt Radio Symphony (in German). 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ "Das Schweigen der Sirenen". Casa Ricordi. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ "Das Schweigen der Sirenen". Programmhefte 24 (in German). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
- ^ "Das Schweigen der Sirenen". Muziekweb. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
External links
- Riehm, Rolf: zu einzelnen Kompositionen (in German) 2026