Wolfgang Rihm

Born in Karlsruhe in 1952, he studied music theory and composition with Eugen Werner Velte at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. In 1970 he attended the Darmstadt Courses for the first time. He continued his studies in composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen (1972/73) and Klaus Huber (1973­74) and in musicology with Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht. In 1973­78 he taught music theory and composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. In 1985 he succeded E.W.Velte as Head of Composition. He has lectured at the Darmstadt Courses since 1978. His honours include the Berliner Kunstpreis, the Reinhold-Schneider-Preis, the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis, the Rolf Liebermann-Preis, the Compositional Award of the Foundation of Prince Pierre de Monaco, the Jacob Burckardt-Preis of the Goethe Foundation and the Bach Prize of the City of Hamburg. In 2001 he received the title of OOfficier dans l1Ordre des Arts et des Lettres1 from the French Foreign Affairs Ministry and an award of the Royal Philharmonic Society for Jagden und Formen. Earlier this year he received the Ernst von Siemens Foundation Award. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Freie Universität in Berlin.
He is a musical advisor of the Deutsche Oper and a board member of the German Music Council and the gema Association.
Wolfgang Rihm1s 50th birthday was celebrated in the 2001­2002 season by a wide range of events featuring of his music, staged by many European festivals and concert organisations.

Selected works: 3 symphonies (1969, 1975, 1976­77), String Quartet No. 1 (1970), Tristesse d1une étoile, string quartet (1971), Paraphrase for cello, percussion and piano (1972), Magma for large orchestra (1973), Dis-Kontur for large orchestra (1974), Sub-Kontur for orchestra (1974­75), Faust und Yorick, chamber opera (1976), String Quartet No. 3 Im Innersten (1976), Jakob Lenz, chamber opera (1977­78), La musique creuse le ciel for two pianos and orchestra (1977­78), Abgesangsszenen I­V for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra (1979­81), String Quartet No. 4 (1979/81), Tutuguri, ballet, text by Antonin Artaud (1981/82), Monodram for cello and orchestra (1982­83), Dies for soloists, choir and orchestra (1984), Aufzeichnung: Dämmerung und Umriß for large orchestra (1985), Die Hamletmaschine, opera, text by Heiner Müller (1983­86), Klangbeschreibung I­III (1982­87), Chiffre I­VIII for chamber ensemble (1982­87), Oedipus, opera according to Sophocles, trans. by Hölderlin (1986­87), Unbenannt I­III for orchestra (1986­88), Die Eroberung von Mexico, opera according to Artaud (1987­91), La Lugubre gondola / Das Eismeer for two orchestral groups and piano (1991), Gesungene Zeit, music for violin and orchestra (1991), String Quartet No. 9 Quartettsatz (1993), Musik in memoriam Luigi Nono, five essays for orchestra (1990­92/94), Séraphin, music theatre (1994), in-schrift for orchestra (1995), Pol-Kolchis-Nucleus for chamber ensemble (1991­96), Maximum est unum for solo voices, choir, organ and orchestra, text by Eckhardt and Nicolaus Cusanus (1996), String Quartet No. 10 (1997), Styx und Lethe for cello and orchestra (1997­98), Sotto voce (Notturno) for piano and orchestra (1999), Spiegel und Fluss for orche-stra (1999), Vers une symphonie fleuve I­V for orchestra (1992­2000), Deus Passus for solo voices, choir and orchestra (1999­2000), Concerto (Dithyrambe) for string quartet and orchestra (2000), Vier Male for clarinet (2000), Rilke: Vier Gedichte for tenor and piano (2000), Auf einem anderen Blatt for piano (2000), Jagden und Formen for orchestra (1995­2001), Die Stücke des Sängers for harp and orchestra (2000­01), Lavant-Gesänge for alto and piano (2000­01), Bonus for chamber ensemble (2001), Astralis (Über die Linie III) for choir, cello and timpani (2001), Sechs Gedichte von Friedrich Nietzsche for baritone and piano (2001), Aria/Ariadne for soprano and instrumental ensemble (2001), Das Lesen der Schrift for orchestra (2001­02), Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano (2003).

The Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano was composed in the spring of 2003. This piece is my attempt to Oharmonize1 the sound of the three instruments having such different types of timbre. The characteristic element of the piece is Ocontinuity1 of its instrumental parts creating
a dense texture of the trio. In terms of its musical material, the trio is based on harmonic dualism, which has a significant impact on the overall shape of this one-movement composition. The piece was commissioned by Verdehr Trio and is dedicated to this ensemble.
Wolfgang Rihm