(SW 1071)

The composer has compiled some autumn poems by his Silesian compatriot Monika Taubitz into a five-part cycle for mixed choir. The individual texts have different characters, which also leads to attractive contrasts in the musical implementation.

There are passages in the lyrics that are characterized by metaphors of decay and transience, which is expressed musically in a harsh, linear style. In places, parallel fifths and other compositional peculiarities are deliberately used as a means of expression. Then there are sections with an almost heroic mood of optimism, where rhythms and meters sometimes change in the middle of the text and with them the musical material. At one point, the upper choir recites the jagged staccato of the text syllabically over a bass pedal point in a whisper, and then reaches the fortissimo ending in a continuous musical progression.

But Ridil, as we know from his vocal music, always penetrates the interpretation of the texts intensively and musically deeply. With enviable originality and an unerring feeling, the composition is not simply based on the text, but rather the metaphysical regions between the lines are repeatedly achieved.

In any case, this cycle represents a significant addition to the repertoire of modern secular choral music.

Martin Schmeck

Please log in or register to get full access to the download pages of the sheet music.