Alle Tage. Symphony for baritone and orchestra (2010–2015)

43′
Texts by Ingeborg Bachmann
commissioned by ZaterdagMatinee/Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Gewandhaus orchestra Leipzig, National Symphony Orchestra Washington
WP: 11.04.2015, Amsterdam, Concertgebouw (NL) | Matthias Goerne (baritone), Jaap van Zweden (conductor), Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, NTR ZaterdagMatinee (organizer) (performance of songs only); 26.11.2015, Leipzig, Gewandhaus (DE) | Matthias Goerne (baritone), Christoph Eschenbach (conductor), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

I Introduction
II Anrufung des großen Bären
III Mein Vogel
IV Heimweg
V (Remembrance)
VI (Storm, War)
VII Alle Tage

Orchestra instrumentation
4 (3&4.pic).4 (4.ca).4 (2.Ebcl,3.bcl, cbcl).4 (3.cbsn)-6.4 (1.fluglehn).4 (ATTB).1-timp.4perc (2glsp, 2vib, 2xyl, 4mar, tri, 4sus cym, crotales, sizz cym, 2Chinese cym, hi-hat, 2tub bells, 2tam-t, water gong, 6cow bell, steel pans, metal chimes, bamboo chimes, bongo/tabla, s.d., ten drum, b.d., Indian drum, sm frame drum, 2wdblck, sandblocks, flexatone, 2thunder sheet, 3milk pan, hammer, paper/cellophane, metal foil, beat-board)-acc.cel.pno.hp-str (16.14.12.10.8)

Programme note
While composing this work, I wanted to create a balance between orchestral sections and sections with baritone. The tonal structure and development in my opinion make it a symphony: there is an orchestral introduction, a big first movement (‘song’ one), a more intimate second movement (‘song’ 2) and a Scherzo (‘song’ 3), followed by a slow movement and Finale for orchestra. After there is an epilogue – the fourth ‘song’. The structure is influenced in part by Ingeborg Bachmann’s poems. The first three come from the same cycleAnrufung des Grossen Bären, while the epilogue uses Alle Tage from an earlier and much more politically outspoken cycle, Die gestundete Zeit.
Thomas Larcher