The sound of bells has been part of the character of European culture for centuries, but all too often, iron from bells has been recast as cannons and bombs. During World War II, for example, most of Dresden's bells were transported to the "Bell Cemetery" in Hamburg where they awaited their horrible transformation.
Today, European culture is challenged as never before to overcome crises and to develop a worthwhile future through sustained innovation and creativity, while remaining true to cultural roots. The "Dresden Bell Requiem" is a contribution to this effort. From the sound of ancient cultural instruments heard in new tonal relationships, from the tension between far and near, arises a musical experience of great depth, power and beauty in which tradition and innovation, sorrow and hope, weave together.
The work is composed in seven sections, generally following the structure of the Mass for the Dead. The traditional Requiem text is replaced by these words taken from the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls:
"I gazed at the land - it was dry and barren.
And I looked at the sky - it was dark and ominous.
I looked at the mountains, they shook and the hills teetered.
I saw there were no men,
All birds of the heavens had flown away.
I saw the fruited plain - a desert,
And all cities destroyed."
"Life and death, blessing and curse are set before you,
So that you may choose life for yourself and your descendants."
"When the Lord changed our fate and set us free, then we were like dreamers."
"What is man?
He is earth, a piece of clay torn loose.
To dust he shall return."
"You have allowed me to ascend to the heights of eternity.
In a vast expanse I wander without borders
And know, that there is hope for mankind."
About the Composer
Johannes Wallman was born in 1952 in Leipzig, grew up in Dresden, and studied music and composition under G. Lampe and F. Golman in Weimar, where he founded the "Weimar New Music Group." After moving to Berlin in 1982 he organized the "Integral-Art-Konceptes," a consortium dedicated to exploring and promoting integrated arts projects. As the founder and artistic director of the "Bauhuette Klangzeit Wuppertal" and as head of the "Studio for New Music/Form Ring and Time" in Berlin, Wallman has been a highly visible and influential presence on the German new music scene. His prize-winning compositions have been performed by internationally acclaimed artists at festivals, concerts and for radio broadcast.
"Dresden Bell Requiem"
This work was commissioned by the Dresden Center for Contemporary Music and is a project of the Friends' Circle of the Dresden Center for Contemporary Music. It is dedicated to the children of the world.
A recording of the complete work is available on CD from:
Saechsische Tontraeger
Dohnaer Strasse 391
01259 Dresden, Germany
Phone: (03,51)2 21 11 66
Fax:(03 51)2 21 11 65
Profits from the sale of this recording go to the International Children's Relief Organization.
