Programme & Tickets

Wolfgang Rihm's death in the summer of 2024 not only caused consternation and deep sadness in the music world, it also left an immense gap. The composer's almost incomprehensible productivity, his simultaneously sensual and intellectually sharp approach to everything aesthetic and, last but not least, the sheer spiritual and physical presence of Rihm the man: all of this is now missing. Far and wide, there are no recognizable instances that could satisfy the longing for such forces.

As prominent as Rihm was for decades in the cultural life not only of the Federal Republic of Germany, so suddenly quiet it has now become around him. The Heidelberger Frühling, with which Wolfgang Rihm has been closely associated for decades—as recently as January 2022, all of his string quartets were performed there—is now honoring the master with a day of celebration: “A Celebration of Wolfgang Rihm” features top-notch performances of his works and insightful spoken contributions. The audience and the composer’s many companions are invited to come together and share memories.

In the second event of the Celebration of Wolfgang Rihm, Prof. Ulrich Mosch pays tribute to the composer. Among other things, he is the editor of Rihm's writings and was head of the musicology department at the Université de Genève until his retirement in 2020. Igor Levit and his student Dongping Wang will frame the lecture with two early piano pieces from the 1970s and "Auf einem anderen Blatt" from 2000. Concise excerpts from Rihm's speeches and essays will also make the unmistakable tone of this profound musical thinker audible.

18:00 – 19:30

Also bookable in the Rihm Pass (includes all three events of the day)