SKU: HL.49006683

SKU: PR.47600137L

UPC: 680160637157. 11x17 inches.

This piece, dedicated to the memory of a heroic feat, does not desire to be classed as a Symphonic Poem in the generally accepted sense of this term. It does not attempt to picture, or to strictly follow, the various mechanical and realistic phases of this heroic adventure although, on the other hand, it does not entirely avoid allusion to such realistic phenomena as are characteristic of and inseperable from the nature of this adventure and the technical means of its realization. The composer's main object, however, was to try to express in sound the emotional phases of an adventure that might be called a prototype of modern romance; to touch upon its human aspect and its ethical meaning, not only in the relation to the individual, but to humanity in general. To the individual, the venturing Hero, refer the opening phrases; the sinister aspect of a bold inspiration at its first manifestation. To his human environments, his character and conquering spirit, refer certain lyrical as well as martial and ehical themes. According to the nature of the venture, the clash of motoric forces and that of an indomitable spirit with the threatening elements presented themselves for musical consideration as well as the plausible uncertainty of the outcome, the increasing conficence and the final victory, and triumphant victory itself. And as emotion in its purest and most intense form reverts to the primitive, the composer thought it not amiss to make fragmentary use of the anthems of two nations, thus symbolizing the appeal from soil to soil; an appeal that found its joyous echo in all humanity. And in the midst of the turbulent rejoicing stands the lone figure of the Hero whose daring had materialized the dream of aeons.

SKU: PR.31241902S

UPC: 680160690589. English.

Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Society and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Terra Nostra is a 70-minute oratorio on the relationship between our planet and humankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. Part I: Creation of the World explores various creation myths from different cultures, culminating in a joyous celebration of the beauty of our planet. Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines human achievements, particularly since the dawn of our Industrial Age, and how these achievements have impacted the planet. Part III: Searching for Balance questions how to create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. In addition to the complete oratorio, stand-alone movements for mixed chorus, and for solo voice with piano, are also available separately.
Terra Nostra focuses on the relationship between our planet and mankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. The oratorio is divided into three parts:Part I: Creation of the World celebrates the birth and beauty of our planet. The oratorio begins with creation myths from India, North America, and Egypt that are integrated into the opening lines of Genesis from the Old Testament. The music surges forth from these creation stories into “God’s World” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which describes the world in exuberant and vivid detail. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “On thine own child” praises Mother Earth for her role bringing forth all life, while Walt Whitman sings a love song to the planet in “Smile O voluptuous cool-breathed earth!” Part I ends with “A Blade of Grass” in which Whitman muses how our planet has been spinning in the heavens for a very long time.Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines the achievements of mankind, particularly since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Locksley Hall” sets an auspicious tone that mankind is on the verge of great discoveries. This is followed in short order by Charles Mackay’s “Railways 1846,” William Ernest Henley’s “A Song of Speed,” and John Gillespie Magee, Jr.’s “High Flight,” each of which celebrates a new milestone in technological achievement. In “Binsey Poplars,” Gerard Manley Hopkins takes note of the effect that these advances are having on the planet, with trees being brought down and landscapes forever changed. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “A Dirge” concludes Part II with a warning that the planet is beginning to sound a grave alarm.Part III: Searching for Balance questions how we can create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. Three texts continue the earth’s plea that ended the previous section: Lord Byron’s “Darkness” speaks of a natural disaster (a volcano) that has blotted out the sun from humanity and the panic that ensues; contemporary poet Esther Iverem’s “Earth Screaming” gives voice to the modern issues of our changing climate; and William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us” warns us that we are almost out of time to change our course. Contemporary/agrarian poet Wendell Berry’s “The Want of Peace” speaks to us at the climax of the oratorio, reminding us that we can find harmony with the planet if we choose to live more simply, and to recall that we ourselves came from the earth. Two Walt Whitman texts (“A Child said, What is the grass?” and “There was a child went forth every day”) echo Berry’s thoughts, reminding us that we are of the earth, as is everything that we see on our planet. The oratorio concludes with a reprise of Whitman’s “A Blade of Grass” from Part I, this time interspersed with an additional Whitman text that sublimely states, “I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love…”My hope in writing this oratorio is to invite audience members to consider how we interact with our planet, and what we can each personally do to keep the planet going for future generations. We are the only stewards Earth has; what can we each do to leave her in better shape than we found her?

SKU: PR.31241902A

UPC: 680160690510. English.

Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Society and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Terra Nostra is a 70-minute oratorio on the relationship between our planet and humankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. Part I: Creation of the World explores various creation myths from different cultures, culminating in a joyous celebration of the beauty of our planet. Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines human achievements, particularly since the dawn of our Industrial Age, and how these achievements have impacted the planet. Part III: Searching for Balance questions how to create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. In addition to the complete oratorio, stand-alone movements for mixed chorus, and for solo voice with piano, are also available separately.
Terra Nostra focuses on the relationship between our planet and mankind, how this relationship has shifted over time, and how we can re-establish a harmonious balance. The oratorio is divided into three parts:Part I: Creation of the World celebrates the birth and beauty of our planet. The oratorio begins with creation myths from India, North America, and Egypt that are integrated into the opening lines of Genesis from the Old Testament. The music surges forth from these creation stories into “God’s World” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which describes the world in exuberant and vivid detail. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “On thine own child” praises Mother Earth for her role bringing forth all life, while Walt Whitman sings a love song to the planet in “Smile O voluptuous cool-breathed earth!” Part I ends with “A Blade of Grass” in which Whitman muses how our planet has been spinning in the heavens for a very long time.Part II: The Rise of Humanity examines the achievements of mankind, particularly since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Locksley Hall” sets an auspicious tone that mankind is on the verge of great discoveries. This is followed in short order by Charles Mackay’s “Railways 1846,” William Ernest Henley’s “A Song of Speed,” and John Gillespie Magee, Jr.’s “High Flight,” each of which celebrates a new milestone in technological achievement. In “Binsey Poplars,” Gerard Manley Hopkins takes note of the effect that these advances are having on the planet, with trees being brought down and landscapes forever changed. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “A Dirge” concludes Part II with a warning that the planet is beginning to sound a grave alarm.Part III: Searching for Balance questions how we can create more awareness for our planet’s plight, re-establish a deeper connection to it, and find a balance for living within our planet’s resources. Three texts continue the earth’s plea that ended the previous section: Lord Byron’s “Darkness” speaks of a natural disaster (a volcano) that has blotted out the sun from humanity and the panic that ensues; contemporary poet Esther Iverem’s “Earth Screaming” gives voice to the modern issues of our changing climate; and William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us” warns us that we are almost out of time to change our course. Contemporary/agrarian poet Wendell Berry’s “The Want of Peace” speaks to us at the climax of the oratorio, reminding us that we can find harmony with the planet if we choose to live more simply, and to recall that we ourselves came from the earth. Two Walt Whitman texts (“A Child said, What is the grass?” and “There was a child went forth every day”) echo Berry’s thoughts, reminding us that we are of the earth, as is everything that we see on our planet. The oratorio concludes with a reprise of Whitman’s “A Blade of Grass” from Part I, this time interspersed with an additional Whitman text that sublimely states, “I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love…”My hope in writing this oratorio is to invite audience members to consider how we interact with our planet, and what we can each personally do to keep the planet going for future generations. We are the only stewards Earth has; what can we each do to leave her in better shape than we found her?

SKU: BR.DV-6140

ISBN 9790200460230. 13.5 x 10.5 inches.

Translation: Engl. (S. Wadsworth) (1988) / (Norbert Rubesaat) (1993); French (Jean-Pierre Wurtz) (1997) Place and time: Jail Munchen-Stadelheim, in the hour before the execution on 22nd February 1943 Characters: Sophie Scholl (soprano) / Hans Scholl (baritone or tenor) >>Weisse Rose<< (White Rose) was the name of the resistance group to which Hans and Sophie Scholl belonged. Udo Zimmermann's composition is characterized by the varying structure of its scenes: dramatic, visionary scenes, e.g. the remembered wartime experiences on the front, Sophie's anxiety about the removal of the children and the wish to see her parents one last time, contrast with contemplative monologues that are intended to provide insights into the individual's particular situation. The composer interweaves into the structure of the piece dream sequences with sudden bursts of anxiety that are not triggered by the execution that is about to take place but by the consequences of one's own actions. The result is a deliberate fusion of the various parts into one another. More than 100 different productions prove that the topic is as important as ever and that the work is both artistically rewarding and practicable. Udo Zimmermann About the piece Two young people, the siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl, are in a prison cell, one hour before they are to be put to death by their fascist executioners. Their christian convictions and sense of responsibility gave them the courage to put up resistance, resistance against the lies, the contempt for humanity and all human values. Sophie and Hans Scholl took their stand in the full knowledge that they were taking a deadly risk. They would simply not have been able to live with their feelings of shame had they not grasped the chance of fighting for what they believed in, even though it was a dangerous thing to do. Memories of past events, doubts, hopes and fears, justification of deeds and an acceptance of death, all these things happen and move in, and between, these two people during this representation of the hour before death. The orchestra provides a psycho-physical shorthand of their inner mental state. Musical effects and gestures search for their identity in human behaviour. The moments of stillness and silence provide moments of musical tension, which are just as powerful as the eruptions of fear and desperation. CDs: Gabriele Fontana (soprano), Lutz-Michael Harder (tenor), Instrumentalensemble, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD Orfeo C 162 871 Grazyna Szklarecka (soprano), Frank Schiller (tenor), musica viva-ensemble dresden, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD Berlin Classics Eterna BC 0120 060-2 CD (excerpts): Gabriele Fontana (soprano), Lutz-Michael Harder (tenor), Ein Instrumentalensemble, cond. Udo Zimmermann CD BMG 74321 73628 2 Bibliography : Kornel , Attila: ,,Tief unter uns nur Schweigen - Die Asthetik der Stille in Udo Zimmermanns Kammeroper ,,Weisse Rose, in: Die Tonkunst 11 (2017), pp. 368-377. Rheinlander , Matthias: Im Osten nichts Neues? Ostalgie ohne Kitsch am Beispiel von Udo Zimmermanns Oper Die weisse Rose, in: Musik und Unterricht, Heft 73 (2003), pp. 34-40.

World premiere: Hamburg, February 27, 1986DV 1140 Awarded the German Music Edition Prize.