“Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima”, for soloists, narrators, chorus, tape and orchestra (1989)

Original title: Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima. A vocal-orchestral work for soloists, narrators, chorus, tape and orchestra. The speakers are human narrators, not an instrumental scoring for...Read more

Original title: Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima. A vocal-orchestral work for soloists, narrators, chorus, tape and orchestra. The speakers are human narrators, not an instrumental scoring for loudspeakers.

The original sections date from 1989 and are associated with Hiroshima Requiem. The music was recomposed and expanded into a five-part cycle in 2000-01.

Movements of the complete cycle:
1. Preludio “Night” — for orchestra.
2. Death and Resurrection — for narrators, chorus, tape and orchestra.
3. Winter Voice — for chorus and orchestra.
4. Signs of Spring — for alto, chorus and orchestra.
5. Temple Bells Voice — for chorus and orchestra.

Movement 2 draws on Genbaku no ko (Children of Hiroshima), edited by Arata Osada; movement 3 sets Paul Celan's Heimkehr from Sprachgitter; movements 4 and 5 use poetry by Matsuo Bashō. The texts are in Japanese, German and English.

The complete cycle was premiered on 4 May 2001 in Munich by Nathalie Stutzmann, the Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. Each movement may also be performed separately.

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