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Path to democracy

Carla Gehrmann-ZellenOctober 30, 2009

Vocal artist Salome Kammer presents a wide range of old and new music as part of the Beethovenfest's "Path to Democracy" series, celebrating 60 years of the Republic of Germany.

https://p.dw.com/p/Jd72
Vocal artist Salome Kammer enthuses the audience with her performance of Hildegard von Bingen's "o quam praetiosa"
Vocal artist Salome Kammer enthuses the audience with her performance of Hildegard von Bingen's "o quam praetiosa"Image: Barbara Frommann

Last stop in the Beethovenfest concerts on the "Path to Democracy:" the "House of History," a museum of German history in Bonn that opened fifteen years ago. Performing there on Sept. 6, 2009, was vocal artist Salome Kammer. Accompanied by three members of the Ensemble Aventure, she began with "O quam praetiosa," a sacred song by Hildegard von Bingen written approximately 850 years ago and recently recorded for "Visions," a film by Margarethe von Trotta about von Bingen's life.

Helmut Oehring and Iris ter Schiphorst set "Live or Die" by American poet Anne Sexton to music. The Pulitzer Prize-winning verse speaks of the longing for death on the part of the manic-depressive poet, who committed suicide in 1974, and makes breakneck demands on the voice. The piece "Die Alte" and its counterpart, "Emil" - both for solo voice - were written by Cologne composer Carola Bauckholt. Turning to popular music, Salome Kammer then sang three "Chansons bizarres" by Peter Ludwig, who also accompanied at the piano.

By the time she got to "Tinnitus," whose text is the description of pharmaceutical items, it seemed that this remarkable singer and vocal artist could even do a fascinating vocal rendition of a telephone book. Concluding her enthusiastically applauded performance was a work commissioned by the Beethovenfest in Bonn: "Kanzlerwahl. BRD-Song," written by Peter Ludwig and dealing with everything from Germany’s constitution to national elections.

Program

Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179)

"O quam praetiosa" for voice accompanied by bordun

Helmut Oehring (1961-) / Iris Schiphorst (1956-)

"Live or Die" for voice, violin, cello, prepared piano/sample keyboard and live electronics

Carola Bauckholt (1959)

"Die Alte" for voice solo

"Emil" for voice solo

Peter Ludwig (1951)

"Chansons bizarres:" 1) Loslassen, 2) Tinnitus, 3) Bordeaux

"Kanzlerwahl. BRD-Song" for voice and piano (world premiere, commissioned by the Beethovenfest Bonn)

Performed by:

Salome Kammer (vocal artist)

Ensemble Aventure:

Friedemann Amadeus Treiber (violin)

Beverly Ellis (cello)

Akiko Okabe-Dierstein (piano, keyboard)

Peter Ludwig (piano)

Sebastian Schottke (sound direction)

Recorded by Deutsche Welle in the House of History, Bonn, on Sept. 6, 2009.