From the blackness of the silence

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Out of the Blackness of Silence is a cantata for soloists, mixed choir, chamber orchestra and organ by Frank Schwemmer . It was created in 2015 as a commission from the Berlin Bach Society and was composed for Cornelius Häußermann and the Paulus Congregation of Zehlendorf.

content

The content of the cantata From the Blackness of Silence deals with the collective and individual experience of the end of the Second World War in various places and through different people. In the following the program booklet text by Frank Schwemmer:

"

"At some point, the blackness of the silence will again reach my ears."

- Pavel Steiner, musician

"What you can't talk about, you have to be silent about it"

- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher

“The war seems to be a communal, collective and often cross-border catastrophe, but it is experienced, just like its effects, individually and extremely differently. This also applies to the experience of the end of the war in 1945. Not even the exact time of the end of the war can be determined. For many people, the war was over even before the official declaration of surrender. And even after the declaration of surrender, there were occasional further fighting; indeed, a number of hidden refugees found out about the end of the war only after some considerable delay.

What does the end of the war mean for the individual? Most of the survivors are relieved to be able to start a new life, finally freed from the immediate danger of death. But is it allowed, can one have this hope as a German and even formulate it? Which feelings remain? Did the years of fear and anger dissolve? And what about the guilt? Traumatized, people try to 'look forward'. Where concealment is not possible, the search for a new language that is not distorted by the familiar propaganda begins.

In the 'Cantata 70 Years of the End of the War' we experience the confusion of language and 'information' due to the individuality of the message and recipient. The texts used are read out distributed throughout the room, so that they can only reach the listener in a fragmented or superimposed manner. 'Whisper propaganda' with exclusively associative content. Disorientation, perplexed confusion in the zero hour. Shadows of abused songs waft through the room. Without distorting word content, the naive 'beauty' of their melodies is touching.

There are no words, no sounds for the incomprehensible. What remains is complete exhaustion and the boundless longing for rest and sleep. Agony. Silence. The first words and the first sounds can be found by touch. Longing for home, anxious waiting for news from home, first hopes and optimistic prospects for a still uncertain future can be found in the lines of my father's prisoner mail. Song joins choral singing, instrumental solos come together to make orchestral sound. A 'new song' rings out in hesitant gratitude for surviving. Build up, set off, don't look back. You just have to 'come to terms' with life. What fear? What trauma? It is not too bad. Let's sing together. 'Always practice faithfulness and honesty' perhaps. ""

- Frank Schwemmer : Program of the premiere

layout

music

The cantata is made up of a solo quartet, 4-part mixed choir, organ, music boxes and orchestra.

text

The text consists of excerpts from letters from Helmut Schwemmer, the composer's father, which he sent from a Russian captivity:

“Dear parents, finally there is the opportunity to write you a few lovely lines. I am unwounded and healthy in Russian captivity.
From a Russian prisoner of war I send you my warmest greetings. I am uninjured, healthy ... "

"Dear parents, unfortunately I have not yet received any news from you, so I am concerned about how you are doing. For the third time I am sending you greetings from Russian captivity. I hope that father is finally home. if not, dear mom…. winter has already set in here. "

"My dear parents, my dear mother,
with a little bouquet of May, in the merry month of May, and thus almost two years from home ... a thousand thoughts, a thousand thoughts ... When did you get the last message from father? Did you inquire about the tracing service (Berlin, im Dohl 2)? What about things in the basement? What are the general career prospects?
... I am very worried. Hopefully, hopefully they will get into your hands. What are the general career prospects? Teacher ... or businessman? Maybe. Annelies, Hermi, Aunt Mieze, Ms. Görner, Ms. Gebauer, hello to Mützchen too. What is she doing at Tommy's? An uncomfortable thought. With us younger people it may take a while. But then, poor Berlin. You may not have a clue how unreasonable (!) And crazy I can be. Whole newly built streets are in danger of being torn down by me. In terms of health, I am doing well with all my heart and soul. Everything is important! My dear mother, dear mother. Everything important! Is Uncle Gustel back in his old job? Uncle Ferdinand. Mrs. Dörner. Willi Träder. Annelies. The dear woman. The Bielefeld. Aunt Hanni. Hermie. My dear mother! Dear mother!
Also the 'little girls' who (according to the song) are all married by the time the soldiers come home. That would be awful.
Always practice faithfulness and honesty, right up to your cold grave, and do not deviate from God's ways.
and much more. Do you have news from father? Hopefully Tommy won't thwart the bill. Greet all visitors warmly.
Everything becomes difficult for the villain, he does what he does; the devil drives him to and fro and leaves him no peace. "

“I know every night, I know every night, I dream of home… U I remember the words from a song: them Words from a song: No message ... No message ... 'Where did I come into this world?' Dear Parents, Unfortunately I haven't got a message from you yet, so I'm worried, I hope that Father is finally home. if not, dear courage ... if not, dear courage ... if not, dear courage ... if not, dear courage ... no message, no message. Message, no message, For the third time U without sleep. UUU Time does not heal without sleep. oh no sleep. So live tired ... tired-tired ... tired-tired ... tired-tired ... tired-tired ... tired-tired ... tired-tired ... tired ... on; and ... and summer ... on it; and ... and summer ... summer-flowers .... Summer-blooms…. on, bloom ... bloom ... bloom ... full of fragrance bloom ... do; the devil drives him to and fro and M "

Work history

On the occasion of the end of the Second World War, seventy years earlier, this work was commissioned in 2015 by Cornelius Häußermann for the Berlin Bach Society. The world premiere took place on June 28, 2015 after three months of composition. Antje Rux (soprano), Anna Schors (alto), Christian Mücke (tenor) and Marcel Raschke (bass) sang. The Berliner Cappella chamber orchestra played under the direction of Cornelius Häußermann.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ To commemorate the end of the war 70 years ago, 1945–2015. Program information of the Pauluskirche Zehlendorf , accessed on March 15, 2017.