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- Bernd Franke
Wild Land
(for nonett and string orchestra)- Henry Litolff’s Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (World)
- fl,ob,cl,bn,hn,vn,va,vc,db + str
- Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
- 16 min
Programme Note
My composition WILD LAND was commissioned and inspired by Prof Rudens Turku and made possible by the generous support of Mrs Ursula Heinsberg.
The title WILD LAND was inspired by the book and photo book of the same name by the photographer couple Beverly and Peter Pickford from South Africa. I met them both in South Africa in February 2020; the Pickfords live near Paternoster in the Cape region. In four years, Beverly and Peter Pickford travelled to seven continents, photographing and searching exclusively for untouched landscapes, wilderness, nature not yet destroyed by man. I have been interested in their work since this encounter, especially the photo book WILD LAND, but also the thinking and actions that are reflected in and behind this project.
From this preoccupation and through my own relationship with nature, I found inspiration for a composition for nonet and string orchestra.
The three-movement work is extremely virtuosic and repeatedly plays with the smallest motif or interval cells; the minor third is a central interval.
The Bach chorale ‘Es ist genug’ is quoted in the final section of the coda in the third movement.
Bernd Franke 2025
Scores
Reviews
The commissioned composition “Wild Land” for nonet and string orchestra by Bernd Franke (born 1959) proved to be an absolute highlight. A pure adventure in which the evening's soloists [...] were given the opportunity to explore subtly colorful regions of sound in instrumental combinations that the old masters hardly dared. In terms of dramaturgy, Franke sent the instrumentalists on a constant rollercoaster ride of expressiveness and emotion. No one could resist such a richly pictorial narration, which made the premiere a great success with the audience.
More Info
- Wild Land by Bernd Franke premieres in Starnberg am See
- 7th April 2025
- The opening concert of the Starnberger Musiktage is featuring the world premiere of Bernd Franke’s Wild Land for nonet and string orchestra on April 13.