Composer Oliver Waespi (above) has just enjoyed hearing the German premiere of his latest composition at the prestigious Grosses Haus des Staatstheaters in Meiningen.
Out of the shadows
'Aus Schatten ('Out of Shadows') — for Four Horns and Symphony Orchestra' was commissioned by the International Horn Festival in Sarnen and premiered to widespread critical acclaim earlier this year in Switzerland.
It has now been performed in Germany featuring renowned horn soloists, Lukas Christinat, Florian Abacherli, Tobias Huber and Radovan Vlatkovic, accompanied by the Meininger Hofkapelle under the baton of conductor Philippe Bach.
The concert celebrated the 500 years since the religious Reformation and also featured works by Edvard Grieg and Carl Heinrich Hubler, as well as the famous 'Symphony Nr. 5 in D minor' — Opus 107, 'Reformationssinfonie' by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
Political mystic
Oliver told 4BR: "'Aus Schatten' was composed to celebrate the 600 year anniversary of the birth of the political mystic and Patron Saint of Switzerland, Niklaus von Flue.
His thinking had a considerable impact on the spiritual, social and political reality of his time and he's considered by many as one of the precursors of the Reformation."
'Aus Schatten' was composed to celebrate the 600 year anniversary of the birth of the political mystic and Patron Saint of Switzerland, Niklaus von FlueOliver Waespi
Core ideas
He added: "The work explores von Flue's emotional and spiritual quest. In the course of the work, the musical material is mirrored, enhanced and developed by the four solo horns that create a spatial grid around the core ideas of the piece."
