Almost forty years stand between the first and last work in this double volume which the NEOS-BBVA Foundation Collection devotes to German composer Peter Ruzicka (Düsseldorf, 1948). Four decades in which the ideas underpinning his creative output have undergone a notable transformation.

Trained as a pianist and oboist at Hamburg Conservatory and subsequently a composition student under Hans Werner Henze, Ruzicka’s name has been associated with the twin worlds of music and arts management since he earned his doctorate in law in 1977. Among the posts he has held are managing director of the Hamburg State Opera, and artistic director of the Munich Biennale and the Festival of Salzburg. A series of intellectual influences are patent in Ruzicka’s work, in particular the writings of Paul Celan and Friedrich Hölderlin. These have inspired the poetic content of his music to the extent that he has at times called on vocal reinforcements to give it full expression. It is Celan who was his early master, as evidenced by the ‘Twelve Poems from “Zeitgehöft”’ on which Ruzicka himself appears as speaker. As of 2002, however, the balance swings towards Hölderlin. The poet’s influence can be heard in the last two pieces on the second CD. Especially in the voice part of his 2008 composition ‘String Quartet No. 6‘, in the charge of Mojca Erdmann, one of the emerging sopranos with the finest registers for both the classical and contemporary repertoire. In this case, the piece is inspired by a poem of the Romantic author who also lent his name, that same year, to Ruzicka’s second opera.

Performances by:
Minguet Quartett

Content:

CD Audio:

SACD 1
1. Introspezione (10:43)
2-6. … FRAGMENT… (08:03)
7. Paul Celan:12 poems from “Zeitgehöft” (06:43)
8. KLANGSCHATTEN (01:52)
9. … ÜBER EIN VERSCHWINDEN (22:51)

Total time: 50:34

SACD 2
1. “…SICH VERLIEREND” (22:54)
2. STURZ (13:44)
3-9. ERINNERUNG UND VERGESSEN (31:34)

Total time: 68:26