An Zimmern

An Zimmern was initially planned to be part of a cycle of Hölderlin settings. Hölderlin’s late lyrics offer a certain riveness between equation, lunatic bursts and a dissociated smoothness. This ‘riveness’ can be found in the work’s concentrated character, which combines fragile colours of piano and flute, an eruptive climax and exactly organized lines and motives. During the thorough revision of the score, 17 years after the composition of the primary version, I tried to preserve the character of the piece with its strong influences from Alban Berg’s expressionistic style, but to accentuate the musical ideas of the work more exactly and subtly at the same time. Benjamin Schweitzer