Category: Chamber Music , Organ / Sacred Music
Movements: LUTHER, DEATH AND DEVIL
Four electronic annotations
Annotation 1: Requiem Oscuro
Annotation 2: Satanic thoughts
Annotation 3: Sleepwalking
Annotation 4: Demons behind glass
Duration: 12 minutes (4’ – 3’ – 2’20’’ – 2’40’’)
Instrumentation: Audio transmission (with loadspeakers as far apart as possible). Additional organ sounds (improvisations with particell) ad libitum.
Introduction: Prologue:
The four annotations emerged as interludes in contrast to a performance of an organ arrangement of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's "Reformation Symphony".
Martin Luther saw himself surrounded by demons, devils and evil spirits throughout his life. They were part of the reality of his life and were the reason for many fears. This resulted in many mood fluctuations and depressions. The devil, a "cunning, powerful spirit" was central to him and Luther's "belief in the devil" can be found theologically reflected and represented. "Witches" were rather of distant importance for Luther. While, for example, the courting of the devil was definite to him, he was more reserved in propagating "witches". Nevertheless, he also indulged in the witch-hunting, leaving the happening of burning of witches unchallenged. With his superstition, Luther was a descendant of the medieval thought:
The experience of poltergeists on the Wartburg, sleepwalking or appearances of the devil are clearly described and are parts of Luther's emotional world. - The Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer portrayed Martin Luther as someone blown by the devil; there is also his illustration "Knight, Death and Devil". The title of the present work is inspired by this title. In the electronic annotations this unspeakable intermediate world is made perceptible by means of electronic and denatured noises. - Bass bordunes and organ sounds can be enhanced improvisational ad libitum or be sparely added to own layers.
Dedication: To Hansjörg Albrecht
