On November 22, the world premiere of my REQUIEM took place before over 1200 people in the sold old Berlin Cathedral. Almost two years of hard work –composing, planning, rehearsing, presenting first parts in pre-concerts– came to a greatly performed culmination. The Berlin press called it an overwhelming world premiere, angel-like sung, a music almost from heaven. The comments of the audience were in no way inferior to that: Beyond all we might have guessed, A wonderful experience,
A great work. Out of this world. truly unique, almost impossible to put into words.
Equally almost impossible to put into words is my gratitude to the conductors Nils Jensen and Hans-Joachim Lustig, to Alexander Lust and Kilian Dumann, the other two members of our production management, to the six members of Lyhrus Ensemble (who were the starting point of it all), to the members of the Bessiner Kammerchor, Cantus Berlin, Kammerchor Canzoneo, Kammerchor ChorWerk Potsdam, and Kammerchor I Vocalisti, to the drummer Sebastian Trimolt as well as to the people at the Berliner Ensemble. All of them made this premiere and this great success possible. I could not be more humble and grateful.
(photo © Bernd Blome)
