Wandlungen

Commissioned by the Camerata vocale Limburg, this piece uses a sacred text from 'Ecclesiastes' in the version of the Zurich Bible of 1931. The text is made up of four different parts and set to music with different musical means. The first movement Wind has been composed for two three-part male-voice choirs. The music closely follows the natural declamation of the text, often in the form of a canon between the two choirs and the different voices. The second movement Licht is written for four parts. The light is presented in a slow tempo (poco rubato), often in high falsetto registers. Except for a forte outburst when darkness comes, the sound is very soft and gentle. The third movement is called Jugend and shall be performed by a young, enthusiastic and carefree tenor soloist. The text is based on many dactyls which gives the rhythm a youthful freshness. The fourth movement Alter tells how age progresses until the end. This is presented musically by a six-part canon which begins deep and soft and eventually culminates in high registers and a fortissimo. The work fades in a hardly audible pianissimo with the words of the preacher 'How everything is null and void! Everything is in vain!' (Robert Sund). Duration: 10 minutes.