On February 9, 80 years after the destruction of Dresden in the Second World War and its end later in May, Requiem A for choir, bass and orchestra by Sven Helbig will be premiered at Kreuzkirche Dresden. Dresdner Kreuzchor, Sächsische Staatskapelle and bass René Pape will be conducted by cantor Martin Lehmann. The composer himself will perform live-electronics.
The A in Requiem A stands for “Anfang” (beginning), other key words are “Asche” (ash), “Aufbruch” (setting off), and “Atmen” (breathing). The text is a combination of liturgical and new texts, similar to a “destroyed and partially rebuild city”, Helbig says. He continues: “Kreuzkirche in Dresden withstood the bombing, but the Altmarkt around it was destroyed and not historically rebuilt. … This is exactly how Requiem A was created on a ground plan. Kyrie and Agnus Dei are, so to speak, the old monuments on it.“
The concert will be visually accompanied by the work of Icelandic film artist Máni M. Sigfusson.
For more information, please see the website of Sven Helbig: Requiem A.
Sven Helbig is a German composer based in Dresden. His works are performed internationally at festivals and by renowned ensembles and orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, London Contemporary Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, BBC Singers, and Vocalconsort Berlin. Helbig is the co-founder of Dresdner Sinfoniker, the first German orchestra devoted to just contemporary music. Since 2017, he hosts a weekly radio show “Schöne Töne” with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin that is broadcasted live on Berlin's Radio 1, celebrating music history and contemporary artists.