September 2019 WORLDPREMIERE "SPIRITS OF SIBERIA"
The fact that the small and the large coexist simultaneously in this way is entirely to my taste: on September 9 in Bonn/Historischer Saal pianist Susanne Kessel gave the world premiere of my piano piece "DESPAIR & LONGING", dedicated to Beethoven and paraphrasing his song "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, weiß was ich leide" (Only those who know longing know what I suffer). This wonderful song of the Mignon from Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister" has accompanied me all my life... Thank you Susanne for your courageous project "250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven" for the 250th birthday of this genius! –
Four days later, on 13 September, the acclaimed world premiere of "SPIRITS OF SIBERIA" for trumpet, strings & percussion group at the Philharmonie Krasnoyarsk at the festival "Asia-Siberia-Europe" was a huge event. Reinhold Friedrich fascinated and shone on flugelhorn, trumpet and piccolo trumpet. He was accompanied by the festival orchestra under the direction of the Spanish conductor Martín Baeza-Rubio. Almost 40 minutes of crackling concentration, endless tensions and an almost frightening perfection of all participants. Especially to emphasize: the "Siberian Percussion Group", which brought to life the spirit of shamanic rituals, which are so omnipresent in Siberia, with Bullroarer, Waterphone, plastic tubes and a lot of percussion. When, after a magically performed piano concerto by Schostakovitch with Eriko Takezawa (piano) and Reinhold Friedrich (trumpet), the audience was already enraptured to standing ovations, no increase in enchantment through music seemed possible anymore... And yet the increase happened: hypnotic sounds for a listenership abducted into wonderland, who thanked with endless applause for this great hour.
Thanks to festival director Larisa Markosyan and artistic director Michael Benyumov for an unforgettable week on the banks of the Yenissei...
"SPIRITS OF SIBERIA" was also recorded these days for a WERGO-CD “KRASNOYARSK COUNTERPOINTS". This CD will be released in December 2019 and is coupled with "LEPORELLO & GIOVANNI", Double Concerto for Double Bass and Double Bass Balalaika, which premiered here at the TransSiberianArtFestival in April 2019.
News
NEW CDS in the beginning of 2021
Three new CD production let start the year 2021 full of hope: "eine Beethoven-Hommage NUR WER DIE SEHNSUCHT KENNT" (Enjott & Friends, Nomination for the "Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik" 2/2021), MOMENTS OF SILENCE "HACKBRETT IN CONCERT" with intimate settings of instruments, and a r3CD-Set "MUSIK IN DOKUMENTARFILMEN als HÖR-REISEN ZUM FREMDEN UND UNBEKANNTEN"
NEW COMPOSITIONS - early in 2021
In contrast to the performers on stage - singers, soloists or ensembles - who are subject to a real professional ban, the composers can still compose and write their works.... even if the performances are permanently cancelled or have been postponed to a frustrating distance. Self-motivation has become arduous, vital flow is something other than the momentary paralysis of being winged. Nevertheless, twelve works have already been written in this year 2021.....
2 CD-Projects in November 2020
Two CD-Projects in month of November 2020: "JUBILISSIMO" for brass & organ, recorded in June in Essen cathedral is now released nin November. And a new CD "Beethoven 250 Years" was recorded in Great concert Hall of University of Music in Munich....
New Musical Works...published and freshly composed in summer 2020
"Despite Corona!"... some few musical works were composed and published in Summer and Autumn 2020:
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2020 with 4 World Premieres
Despite the Corona Lockdown there took place four world premieres...from the organ composition to the oratorio "Beethovens Schöpfung" für Soli, Chor und Ensemble (Texts: Goethe and Beethoven)
