The music of Jörg Widmann

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Jörg Widmann, born in Munich in 1973, began clarinet lessons at age 7 and studied at the Munich Music Academy and Juilliard under Charles Neidich. He started composing at 11, studying with Hans Werner Henze and Wolfgang Rihm. Since 2001, he has been a clarinet professor at the Musikhochschule Freiburg, later adding composition to his role. His diverse works range from solos to orchestral pieces and operas, premiered by esteemed musicians like Christian Tetzlaff and Pierre Boulez. Widmann has received 40 awards, including the Paul Hindemith Prize and the Elise Stoeger Prize for contributions to chamber music. This comprehensive study of his music analyzes eighteen works across five categories: instrumental responses to poetry (such as the piano sonata Fleurs du mal and symphonic composition Teufel Amor), explorations of “instrumental singing” (Lied, Chor, and Messe), a cycle of five string quartets, three chamber pieces featuring clarinet (Sieben Abgesänge auf eine tote Linde, Octet, Quintet), and two major operatic works (Das Gesicht im Spiegel and Babylon).