Event

KlangForum Heidelberg has maintained close artistic ties with the Prinzhorn Collection for many years. This extraordinary collaboration has resulted in numerous composition commissions that engage deeply with the works and documents in the collection.

This collaboration continues with the world premiere of a new composition by Korean composer Eun-Hwa Cho. Drawing on the works in the Prinzhorn Collection, she develops a musical perspective on borderline experiences, individual forms of expression, and the multifaceted relationships between art and the reality of life.

Also on the program is Michael Maierhof’s “Exit D.” The work takes as its starting point a sentence written by Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, which has become nearly illegible due to circular overpainting. Maierhof transposes this intervention in language onto music by preparing the voices and altering their usual timbre. This creates a new level of expression that does not obscure the original text but rather expands upon it in a striking way.

With Solage’s enigmatic rondeau "Fumeux fume par fumée," the program takes us back to the late 14th century. The work is considered one of the most extraordinary examples of medieval polyphony and plays with musical and linguistic allusions to confusion and ecstasy. Robert Schumann’s works bridge the gap to the Romantic era. They reflect the composer’s intense engagement with existential questions and already reveal that focus on the vulnerable human psyche that would later shape modern art.

The program concludes with Sebastian Clarens’ "Der Adler," based on fragments of a poem by Friedrich Hölderlin. In a highly nuanced musical setting, language and music are continually redefined in relation to one another. The work navigates the boundaries of what can be expressed and opens up a multi-layered sonic space in which meaning, memory, and expression are constantly being redefined.

The concert brings together music from seven centuries into an impressive program exploring perception, language, creativity, and the subtle transitions between artistic inspiration and experiences at the limits of human existence.

Further information here.