Performances DEUTSCH HOMEPAGE

Von der schwarzen Erde dieser Welt (From this World's Black Earth)
Concert cycle of 17 pieces for 2 recorders, chitarrone, viola da gamba, and harpsichord and 16 poems about exile
(ca. 85 Min.; comp. & FP 1992)

Poems of: Zafer Senoçak, Erich Fried, Mazisi Kunene, Odia Ofeimun, BahadurTejani, Suleman Taufiq, René Schwachhofer, Ferreira Gullar, Martin Gumpert, Nelly Sachs, Hasan Dewran, Noémia de Sousa, Nicolás Guillén, Alberto Vanasco, Siir Eroglu and one poem of the Yoruba

composed for the camerata moderna

The pieces No. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 are composed in commission for the town Oldenburg for the awarding the Carl von Ossietzky-Preis 1992. They were first put together with the title „Sechs Stücke mit Lesetexten“ (“Six Pieces with Words to Read“) and edited in the documentation for the Carl von Ossietzky-Preis, Edit. of the Stadt Oldenburg, Kulturdezernat: Bemmann, Helga: Kurt Tucholsky - Ein Lebensbild. Sassin, Horst: Die Robinsohn-Strassmann-Gruppe 1934-42. Charakterinseln im Schlammsee des Dritten Reiches. Holzberg, Oldenburg 1993.

The pieces of music are to be performend allone. If the cycle is performed comletely the poems should be spoken between the pieces.

The individual pieces

1. bodenlos in Erwartung (bottomless in expectation)
for 2 recorders (c-sopr, f-alto), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 8 Min. 20 Sec.)

Poem of Zafer Senoçak; b. 1961 in Turkey, lives since 1970 in Germany

2. flüchtige Rückbeziehung (fleeting reflexive relation)
for recorder (c-tenor) (ca. 1 Min. 10 Sec.)

Poem of Erich Fried; b. 1921 in Vienna, since 1938 exile in Great Britain

3. inständige Entgegnung (fervent retort)
for chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 1 Min. 50 Sec.)

Poem of Mazisi Kunene; b. 1930 in Azania (South Afrika), lives nowadays (at the end of the 80s) in Great Britain

4. bitterer Bodensatz (bitter sediments)
for 2 recorders (Voice-flutes) (ca. 10 Min. 30 Sec.)

And how can I sing
when they stuff cobwebs in my mouth
spit the rheum of their blank sense
of direction in my eyes
- who will open the portals of
my hope in this desultory walk?

Odia Ofeimun; b. in Benin, nowadays in Great Britain

5. zueinander verstört (Distraught Towards One Another)
for 2 recorders (g-alto, voice-flute), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 1 Min. 30 Sec.)

Poem of Bahadur Tejani; b. in Tansania, nowadays in exile in Kenia

6. Augenlid offen aus der Tiefe (Eyelid Open Up From The Depth)
for viola da gamba (ca. 45 Sec.)

squashed
like an insect
sent
into exile
they make him into
a refugee
they are looking for him

Suleman Taufiq; b. 1953 in Syria, lives since 1973 in Germany

7. steinerne Wurzeln (Stone Roots)
for 2 recorders (c-tenor) and chitarrone (ca. 1 Min. 30 Sec.)

Poem of René Schwachhofer; b. 1904 in Stuttgart, 1933 Ban of Publication, after 1945 Leipzig and Berlin

8. Frühlingsmalmen (Spring crush)
for viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 2 Min.)

Poem of Ferreira Gullar; b. 1930 in Brasil, exile in Peru and Argentina

9. der Rose Salz (The Rose's Salt)
for chitarrone (ca. 1 Min.)

Poem of Martin Gumpert; b. 1897 in Berlin, since 1936 exile in the USA, died 1955 in New York

10. wohin innehalten? (Where To Pause?)
for 2 recorders (g-alto), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 13 Min. 15 Sec.)

We are so sore
that we believe we are dying
when the gutter curses us.
The gutter doesn't know it,
but it cannot bear
such a burden,
is not used to seeing
a volcano of pain
erupting in it.

Nelly Sachs; b. 1891 in Berlin, deprivation of citizenship, since 1940 exile in Sweden, died 1970

11. in die Träume gesickert (Trickled In The Dreams)
for 2 recorders (f-alto), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 5 Min. 30 Sec.)

Poem of Nicolás Guillén; b. 1902 in Cuba, 1951-59 exile in Argentina

14. ins Herz geritzt (carved into the heart)
for 2 recorders (f-alto, voice-flute), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 3 Min. 30 Sec.)

Poem of Alberto Vanasco; b. 1925 in Argentina

15. mögliche Folge (possible succession)
for recorder (c-soprano) (ca. 40 Sec.)

Poem of Siir Eroglu; b. 1961 in Istanbul, since 1965 in Germany

16. bedeutlichkeitshalber (untranslateble: bedeuten = mean, deutlichkeitshalber = for the sake of clarity)
for chitarrone and harpsichord (ca. 4 Min. 20 Sec.)

Poem from the Yoruba tradition: The Yoruba are an african people, which lives in the region of Southwestern Nigeria up to Dahomé.

17. bis eine Stimme eine andere erreicht (Until One Voice Reaches An Other One)
for 2 recorders (c-soprano, g-alto), chitarrone, viola da gamba and harpsichord (ca. 11 Min. 10 Sec.)

Performances

First performance:
of th pieces No. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 with the title „Sechs Stücke mit Lesetexten“
(“Sechs Pieces with Words to Read“)
1992 May 4th: Stadtmuseum Oldenburg, Award Ceremony
of the Carl von Ossietzky-Preis 1992 of the Stadt Oldenburg;
camerata moderna: Ulrike Volkhardt - rec, Ulrike Nitz - rec,
Ulrich Wedemeier - chit, Simone Eckert - viola da gamba, Karl-Ernst Went - harps.

Further performances of these pieces by the camerata moderna:
1992 October 2nd: St. Michaelskirche Waldkirch/Brsg,
1992 October 3rd: Kaufhaussaal Freiburg;
1992 October 4th: St. Marthakirche Nürnberg,
1992 October 10th: Eisfabrik Foro Artistico Hannover

First Performance of the whole cycle:
1992 November 20th: cultural centre Peter-Friedrich-Ludwig Oldenburg;
camerata moderna: Ulrike Volkhardt - rec, Ulrike Nitz - rec, Ulrich Wedemeier - chit,
Simone Eckert - viola da gamba and Karl-Ernst Went - harps.; Christina Böckler - Speaker

Further perfomances of the whole cycle:
1992 November 29th: Kunsthalle Bremerhaven, concert of Unerhört - Verein für Neue Musik; camerata moderna: as 1992 October 20th
1996 June 8th: Im Gießhaus Kassel, concert of the ERTA-congress;
camerata moderna with Eckart Kuper - harps.

further performances of single pieces:
1994 May 31st: „Maske und Kristall“ - Performance of the camerata moderna, Sprengel-Museum Hannover, concert of the Hannoversche Gesellschaft für Neue Musik; camerata moderna, No. 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14
1994 June: repeat of 1994 May 31th in Nürnberg
1995 January 20th (Premiere): „Wartesaal“ after „Texte um Nichts“ of Samuel Beckett,
Tanz-Theater im Hof, Hannover; camerata moderna;
16 Repet. from 1995 Jan. 21. to Febr. 26., No. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
1998 Juli 4th: International Festival Recorder and Elektronics, Amsterdam,
camerata moderna, unknown selection

Recordings and broadcasts:
CD-produktion of the camerata moderna:
1992 May 9th: „Palimpsest“ R & M Digital Music Nürnberg, 2-1023, LC 6887, No. 5, 8 and 9
Recording of the concert at 1992 Nov. 29th in Bremerhaven: Unerhört - Jens Carstensen 1992
1993 October 27th: broadcast at Radio Bremen 2, No. 5, 8, 9, 13 and 14

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