Aribert Reimann

Aribert Reimann (born 4 March, 1936 in Berlin) is a German opera composer, pianist and accompanist. His version of "King Lear" was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau who sang the title role.

Biography

After studying composition, counterpoint and piano (under, among others, Boris Blacher) at Berlin's "Hochschule für Musik", Reimann took a job as a repetiteur at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. His first appearances as a pianist and accompanist were towards the end of the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he became a member of the Berlin Academy of the Arts, and held a professorship in contemporary song at Berlin's "Hochschule der Künste" from 1983 to 1998.

Reimann's reputation as a composer has increased greatly with several great literary operas, including "Lear" and "Das Schloss" ("The Castle"). Besides these, he has written chamber music, orchestral works and songs. He has been honoured repeatedly, including the "Großen Verdienstkreuz mit Stern der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" ("Great German Cross of Merit, with Star") and the "Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin" ("Berlin Order of Merit").

His most recently commissioned work, "Cantus for Clarinet and Orchestra", dedicated to the clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann, premiered on January 13, 2006, in the WDR's Large Broadcasting Hall in Cologne, Germany, in the presence of the composer, who claims the work was inspired by Claude Debussy's compositions for clarinet.

Awards

* 1962 "Berliner Kunstpreis für Musik (Junge Generation)" - Berlin Art Prize for Music (Young Generation)
* 1963 "Rompreis mit Villa Massimo-Stipendium" - Rome Prize, with Villa Massimo scholarship
* 1965 "Robert-Schumann-Preis der Stadt Düsseldorf" - Robert Schumann Prize of Düsseldorf City
* 1966 "Förderungspreis der Stadt Stuttgart" - Progress Prize of Stuttgart City
* 1985 "Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz" - The Great Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
* 1985 "Braunschweiger Ludwig-Spohr-Preis" - The Braunschweig Ludwig Spohr Preis
* 1986 "Prix de composition musicale de la Fondation Prince Pierre de Monaco" - Prize for musical composition, from the Prince Pierre of Monaco Foundation
* 1987 "Bach-Preis der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg" - Bach Prize of Hamburg
* 1991 "Frankfurter Musikpreis" - Frankfurt Music Prize
* 1993 "zum Officier de „L’Ordre du Mérite Culturel“ de la Principauté de Monaco" - Officer, of the Order of Cultural Merit, of the Pricipality of Monaco
* 1995 "Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" - Great Cross of Merit, with the Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
* 1999 "Ernennung zum Commandeur de „L’Ordre du Mérite Culturel“ de la Principauté de Monaco" - Commander, of the Order of Cultural Merit, of the Pricipality of Monaco
* 1999 "Verleihung der Goldenen Nadel der Dramatiker Union" - Award of the Golden Needle of the Dramatic Union
* 2002 "Preis der Kulturstiftung Dortmund" - Cultural Foundation of Dortmund Prize
* 2002 "Kunstpreis Berlin" - Berlin Art Prize
* 2006 "Arnold-Schönberg-Preis" - Arnold Schönberg Prize

Works

tage Works

*"Ein Traumspiel" ("A Dream Game", after August Strindberg) (1965)
*"Melusine" (after Yvan Goll) (1971)
*"Lear" (after William Shakespeare) (1978)
*"Die Gespenstersonate" ("The Ghost Sonata", after August Strindberg) (1984)
*"Troades" (after Euripides) (1986)
*"Das Schloss" ("The Castle", after Franz Kafka) (1992)
*"Bernarda Albas Haus" ("Bernarda Alba's House", after Federico García Lorca)

Orchestral Works

*"Variations for Orchestra"
*"Nahe Ferne" ("Near Distance")
*"Cantus für Klarinette und Orchester" ("Cantus for Clarinet and Orchestra")
*"Sieben Fragmente für Orchester in memoriam Robert Schumann" ("Seven Fragments for Orchestra, in memoriam Robert Schumann") (1988)

Vocal music

*"Zyklus nach Gedichten von Paul Celan für Bariton und Klavier" ("Cycle based on the poetry of Paul Celan for baritone and piano") (1956)
*"Eingedunkelt für Alt-Solo" ("Eingedunkelt for Alto Solo") (1992)
*"Fünf Lieder nach Gedichten von Paul Celan für Countertenor und Klavier" ("Five Songs based on the poetry of Paul Celan for countertenor and piano") (2001)
*"Entsorgt für Bariton-Solo" ("Disposed" for baritone solo)

ources

Much of the content of this article comes from [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aribert_Reimann the equivalent German-language wikipedia article] (retrieved June 25, 2007).

External links

* [http://www.avantgardeproject.org/AGP11/index.htm Reimann's "Requiem" at the Avant Garde Project] has FLAC files made from a high-quality LP transcription available for free download.
* [http://www.avantgardeproject.org/AGP12/index.htm Aribert Reimann at the Avant Garde Project] has FLAC files made from high-quality LP transcriptions of out-of-print vocal and orchestral works available for free download.