![Caunes-Minervois, Les Arts Libèrent (14-09-2019) (Torsten Rasch)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Caunes-Minervois%2C_Les_Arts_Lib%C3%A8rent_%2814-09-2019%29_%28Torsten_Rasch%29.jpg)
Torsten Rasch (born 1965 in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
) is a German composer of
contemporary classical music. He lives in Berlin, but has found moderate success in the UK.
Biography
Torsten Rasch was born in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
in 1965 and began piano lessons at the age of six. From 1974-82 he was a member of the renowned
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...
and subsequently went on to study composition and piano at the
Carl Maria von Weber College of Music in Dresden. In 1990, after the fall of the
Berlin Wall, he emigrated to Japan and established himself as a successful composer of film and TV scores, completing over 40 to date. Following an orchestral commission in 1999 from the (Völuspa-Der Seherin Gesicht for narrator and orchestra), Rasch was approached once again by the orchestra in 2002 for a commissioned song-cycle based on music and lyrics by the German industrial metal band
Rammstein
Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, ...
.
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
recorded and released the disc of the resultant 65-minute cycle ''Mein Herz brennt'' with bass
René Pape
René Pape (born 4 September 1964) is a German operatic bass. Pape has received two Grammys, was named "Vocalist of the Year" by Musical America in 2002, "Artist of the Year" by the German opera critics in 2006, and won an ECHO award (the German ...
, voice
Katharina Thalbach
Katharina Thalbach (; actually ''Katharina Joachim genannt Thalbach''; born 19 January 1954) is a German actress and stage director. She played theatre at the Berliner Ensemble and at the Volksbühne Berlin, and was actress in the film ''The T ...
and the Dresden Sinfoniker conducted by John Carewe. This followed premiere performances of the work in Dresden and Berlin in late 2003. In 2004 the disc was released in Japan and the USA, and was awarded Best World Premiere Recording at the Echo Classical Awards in Munich. In March 2006 the work was performed at the Helsinki Musica Nova to great acclaim. Later that same year, Rasch was commissioned by the ICA in London to collaborate with the
Pet Shop Boys on a soundtrack for
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, scree ...
's silent film
Battleship Potemkin
'' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent
drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...
and a live, screened performance took place in London's
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...
.
Meanwhile, interest in his music grew in Great Britain when he was taken up by the publisher Faber Music, London. A Piano Trio commissioned by the BBC for the 2006
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...
received highly appreciative reviews; an orchestral commission for the
London Philharmonic Orchestra and
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 – 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus O ...
produced Wouivres. In May 2009
Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski (; born 4 April 1972) is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Michail Jurowski, and grandson of Soviet film music composer Vladimir Michailovich Jurowski.
Early life
Born in Moscow, Jurowski began h ...
and the LPO introduced ''Mein Herz brennt'' to London, this time with the original cast of René Pape and Katharina Thalbach. In Germany his first opera, ''Rotter'', based on a play by East German dissident
Thomas Brasch
Thomas Brasch (19 February 1945 – 3 November 2001) was a German author, poet and film director.
Life
Born in Westow, Yorkshire, England, Thomas Brasch was the son of German Jewish Communist émigré parents. In 1947, the family returned to Ea ...
, was commissioned by
Cologne Opera
The Cologne Opera (German language, German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company. History of the company
From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in th ...
and received its world premiere in February 2008 in a production directed by Katherina Thalbach. A new short orchestral work, ''Excantare fruges'' was premiered in Dresden by the Dresden Sinfoniker under
Olari Elts
Olari Elts (born April 27, 1971 in Tallinn) is an Estonian conductor. He was the principal conductor of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra from 2001 to 2006. He is the founder and director of the contemporary music ensemble NYYD Ensemble.
...
in September that year. UK performances include two commissions instigated by
Andreas Haefliger for the
Two Moors Festival – which resulted in a setting of
Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980) was an Austrian artist, poet, playwright, and teacher best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes, as well as his theories on vision that influenced the Viennese Expres ...
's poem ''Die Träumenden Knaben'' using a 'Pierrot' group of players, and a String Quartet for the
Kuss Quartet. These took place in September 2009. In 2012, the work was revised and a performing translation into English ("The Dreaming Boys") was produced by Dr Lee Tsang while he was lecturer at University of Hull (he is now Head of Classical Music Performance at University of Liverpool) and published by Faber. The English performing translation was premiered by the Portumnus Ensemble (now Sinfonia UK Collective) at the University.
Rasch’s most recent project was a commission from
English National Opera
English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...
and
Punchdrunk
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse o ...
- a setting of
The Duchess of Malfi
''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, ...
– which was given sold-out performances in July 2010 in a dis-used office block in London’s docklands.
Principal works
* ''Das Haus der Temperamente - Suite based on the opera The Duchess of Malfi ''is a work commissioned by
Städtisches Theater Chemnitz. It was premiered in April 2013 by the Robert Schumann-Philharmonie under conductor
Frank Beermann
Frank Beermann (born 13 March 1965) is a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) at the Chemnitz Opera for several years, and has worked freelance at international opera houses from 2012. He has conducted premieres and recordings of ...
.
* ''was bedeutet die Bewegung... ''is a Mendelssohn Song Cycle for baritone and strings. It was commissioned by the Gewandhausorchester and first performed at Mendelssohn Hall, Leipzig, Germany by
Matthias Goerne
Matthias Goerne (born 31 March 1967) is a German baritone. He has performed and recorded extensively, both on the opera stage and in Lieder settings. Goerne has been referred to as "Today's leading interpreter of German art songs" by the Chicago ...
and
Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum.
* ''I see Phantoms'', a work commissioned by the
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadi ...
and
Wolfgang Holzmair, is a dramatic scene for baritone and cello. It made its first appearance at Wigmore Hall in London.
* ''Ferdinand dreams...'' are four scenes from the opera "The Duchess of Malfi" for counter-tenor and piano, with text by John Webster. It received its premiere at Casino Baumgarten, Vienna by Andrew Watts and Volker Krafft.
* ''The Duchess of Malfi ''- an opera lasting approximately 72 minutes. It was commissioned by English Opera Opera. It received its premiere at Great Eastern Quay, London, UK and was a co-production between ENO and Punchdrunk. The Artistic Director was Felix Barrett, with Maxine Doyle as the Associate Director. The music was led by the direction of conductor, Stephen Higgins.
* ''Die Träumenden Knaben ''is a melodrama based on the text by Oskar Kokoschka. It is a mixed chamber ensemble commissioned by Andreas Haefliger. The first performance took place at The Two Moors Festival, St Michael's Church, Milverton, UK in 2009; performed by Andreas Haefliger, Heinz Marecek, Johannes Moser, David Orlowsky, Marina Piccinini and Tamsin Waley-Cohe.
* ''String Quartet No 1. ''was commissioned by Andreas Haefliger at The Two Moors Festival, Ashburton in Devon by the Kuss Quartet.
* ''Excantare fruges ''is an orchestral work lasting 10 minutes. It was commissioned by the Dresdener Sinfoniker and the Osnabrücker Symphonieorchester with the first performance taking place in 2008 at the
Kulturpalast Dreden, Desden by the Dresden Sinfoniker under Olari Elts.
* ''Rotter'', an opera in two acts, is a work lasting 160 minutes with the libretto by Thomas Brasch, adapted by Katharina Thalbach and Christoph Schwandt. It was commissioned by Oper Köln. The work was received in 2008 at the Cologne Opera House, Cologne, Germany under the direction of Hermann Bäumer.
* ''Le Serpent Rouge'', a song cycle for soprano and orchestra, was commissioned by the BBC in July 2010. The work received its first performance at BBC Maida Vale Studios, London by Yeree Suh, BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Andre de Ridder.
* ''Wouivres - four pieces for orchestra ''is a 25 mins piece for full orchestra. It was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and was first performed in October 2011, Chemnitz, by the Robert Schumann Philharmonie Chemnitz under
Frank Beermann
Frank Beermann (born 13 March 1965) is a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) at the Chemnitz Opera for several years, and has worked freelance at international opera houses from 2012. He has conducted premieres and recordings of ...
.
* ''Piano Trio ''was first performed at the Cheltenham International Festival by Emperor Piano Trio in 2006; this was a commission by the BBC.
* ''Mein Herz brennt ''is a work for orchestra and solo voices. It was first performed in October 2002 at Dresden Kulturpalast, Dresden, Germany by René Pape (baritone)/Katharina Thalbach (reciter)/Dresdner Sinfoniker under the direction of Conductor, John Carewe.
[http://www.fabermusic.com/Composers-Featured-Works.aspx?ComposerId=555]
References
External links
*
Biography at Faber Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasch, Torsten
1965 births
Living people
German composers