Helmut Lachenmann 80

In a highly differentiated sound spectrum, loudspeakers hiss and thunderboards explode tempestuously: Helmut Lachenmann’s music probes the outer limits of sound. Oscillating between eruption and silence, his music is an antithesis of comfortable listening. Few composers have had such an influence on the second half of the 20th century as Helmut Lachenmann with his "musique concrète instrumentale", with which he expanded the expressive spectrum of New Music decisively. On the day of his 80th birthday, the two ensembles dedicate a celebratory concert to the composer: the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra performs the rarely-heard tuba concerto "Harmonica", while Ensemble Modern Orchestra offers "Schwankungen am Rand" and the world premiere of "Air" in a new version for large ensemble. The fact that Lachenmann revised this "music for large orchestra and solo percussion" points to the beginnings of his "concrete instrumental sound composition" and simultaneously opens a new, contemporary perspective on it – an approach which also expresses his self-concept as an artist, always looking forward without ignoring the history of music.

With generous the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. The participation of fellows and graduates of the International Ensemble Modern Academy (IEMA) in the Ensemble Modern Orchestra (EMO) is supported by the Federal Foundation for Culture.