| ARCHE | |
|---|---|
| Oratorio by Jörg Widmann | |
 The composer in 2006 | |
| English | Ark |
| Period | Contemporary |
| Text | by several authors, from the Bible and Mass |
| Language |
|
| Composed | 2016 |
| Published | 2016: Mainz |
| Publisher | Schott Music |
| Recorded | 13 January 2017 |
| Duration | 100:00[1] |
| Scoring |
|
| Premiere | |
| Date | 13 January 2017 |
| Location | Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg |
| Conductor | Kent Nagano |
| Performers | Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra |
Arche (Ark, often stylised as ARCHE) is an oratorio for soloists, choirs, organ and orchestra by Jörg Widmann. It was commissioned by Kent Nagano for the opening of the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. In the premiere on 13 January 2017, he conducted 300 performers.
Jörg Widmann composed the oratorio ARCHE in 2016.[1] Kent Nagano commissioned a full-length work for choir and orchestra and did not make any content restrictions.[2] The commission of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra for the opening of the Elbphilharmonie has 300 performers with two soloists, two adult choirs and a children’s choir.[3] Two child narrators chronicle the acts of creation and the flood.[1] Widmann's work was inspired by the Elbphilharmonie under construction.[3]
ARCHE is structured in five sections,[a] in which Widmann roams through more than 3000 years of cultural and 300 years of music history.[5] Antithetic or dualistic conceptions characterize large parts of the oratorio.[6]
Beginning with silence: Let there be sound.[1] At first noise-like sounds of wind and nature and "pitchless rustles and whispers".[7][8] Air sounds and breath noises are created with wind instruments. The acts of creation are partly accompanied with heavenly chorales and burlesque, ironical musical episodes.[8] The two children narrators describe the act of creation.[9]
The catastrophic character is manifested by cascading masses of sound.[10]
The center section is characterized by antiphony between the lovers (soprano and baritone) with tragic operatic fragments.[11] All forms of love are found within it – dark, bright, joyous, vile and jealousy.[4] Because of the jealousy of humans, Die Liebe leads to a double murder in a delusional fever.[12]
The strict setting of Dies irae represents the impending apocalypse.[c] The human response is Friedrich Schiller's Ode to Joy.[d] Widmann's setting of the poem cites Beethoven's Choral Fantasy.[14]
Modern Zeitgeist is represented by an alphabet rap of the children's choir. The response is a Dona nobis pacem,[e] performed by a boy soprano and the choirs. Man bears the fate of the earth in his own hands.[12] The resolution of the final cadence is not complete.[15]
The setting contains voices and a large orchestra.[1]
The language of the oratorio is German and Latin. Widmann selected a variety of texts from different centuries, as well from the libretto of his previous operas:[1]
and from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Bible and Mass.
Widmann's oratorio ARCHE had its world premiere on 13 January 2017 on the occasion of the opening festivities of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.[16] It was performed by the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano. Soloists were Marlis Petersen (soprano) and Thomas E. Bauer (baritone).[1] The choirs were Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper, Audi Jugendchorakademie and Hamburger Alsterspatzen.[1]
On 12 November 2022, Karina Canellakis conducted the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest at Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.[17]
On 4 June and 5 June 2023, the oratorio was revived at Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. Bauer would reprise his performance as the baritone soloist, while Mojca Erdmann sang the soprano solo.[18][19]
A few German newspapers critically reviewed the premiere of ARCHE.[20][3][21][22] The neue musikzeitung stated that the oratorio is capable of winning a majority.[23] Eleonore Büning, reviewer of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wrote about the enthusiasm of the audience, and that Widmann's splendid, richly orchestrated music breaks all genre and style boundaries.[24] Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote, that the work is diverging, and also undecided in its message.[25] Andrew Clements, reviewer of The Guardian, wrote about the CD production: "fails to convince".[26]
Widmann received the Opus Klassik "Composer of the Year" 2019 Award for ARCHE.[27] In 2023, the composer received the Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, General Music Director Kent Nagano became Honorary Conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra.[18]
