Rolf Riehm


Rolf Riehm was a German composer who wrote stage and orchestral works as well as music for ensembles and solo instruments. He began as an oboist and music teacher and was later a professor of music theory at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main from 1974 to 2000. He joined the wind ensemble Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester from 1976 to 1981 as oboist and arranger; they played at political demonstrations. His opera Sirenen was premiered at the Oper Frankfurt in 2014.
WWW rolfriehm.de

Life and career

Riehm was born in Saarbrücken on 15 June 1937 and grew up in Frankfurt. His father, Karl Riehm, was a school music teacher, and his mother, Elly, was a piano teacher. During his schooling he served already as organist at the American Central Chapel. He completed school with the Abitur in 1957.
Riehm began to study musicology at the Universität Frankfurt. From 1958 to 1961, he studied music pedagogy, with a focus on oboe, at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt. For studies of composition, he moved to Wolfgang Fortner's master class at the Musikhochschule Freiburg.
Riehm worked first as a solo oboist. He wrote a composition for solo oboe in 1964, Ungebräuchliches, which was premiered in Frankfurt in 1965 and won him recognition at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse the following year. Riehm co-founded the Frankfurter Vereinigung für Musik in 1964. After a brief period as a school teacher, he became a lecturer at the in Cologne in 1968, teaching there until 1974. He was also a member of the, an association of Cologne composers, from 1968 to 1972, and is counted as a composer of the Cologne School.
In 1968, he received the award and a scholarship from the Villa Massimo. From 1974 to 2000 Riehm was a professor for composition and music theory at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main. From 1976 to 1981, he was a member of the Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester, a wind band for which he also wrote arrangements; they played at political protest demonstrations. He travelled to Central America, South America, Sweden and Japan for concerts, lectures and workshops. In 1992 he received the and in 2002 the Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau.
From 2010, Riehm was a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin. His writings were published under the title Texte in 2014.
Riehm's opera Sirenen had its premiere at the Oper Frankfurt in 2014. His orchestral work Die Tode des Orpheus was premiered by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken in 2017. On 27 November 2018, the Ensemble Modern held a Porträt Rolf Riehm as a Werkstattkonzert in the series Happy New Ears at the Oper Frankfurt. The composer was interviewed by Klaus Zehelein, and music including Lenz in Moskau and Adieu, sirènes was performed by soprano and members of the Ensemble.
Riehm died on 3 January 2026, at the age of 88.

Works

Riehm's compositions deal with philosophical reflection, history, myths, fairy tales, memories, and arguments in the natural sciences. They have combined elements both sublime and trivial and include socio-political findings as well as personal ingredients. His opera Sirenen, subtitled Bilder des Begehrens und des Vernichtens, includes text elements not only from Homer's Odyssey but also by Karoline von Günderrode, Giovanni Pascoli and Isabelle Erhardt, illuminating various aspects of the myth.
His works have been published by Ricordi, including:

Stage music

Das Schweigen der Sirenen, premiered by Staatsoper Stuttgart Sirenen – Bilder des Begehrens und des Vernichtens, premiered by Oper Frankfurt.

Orchestral works

Die Erde ist eine Schale von dunklem Gold, 2 Bach adaptations for soprano, tenor, baritone and orchestraGewidmet He, tres doulz roussignol joly after old French ballades and virelais Tänze aus Frankfurt O Daddy Berceuse Das Schweigen der Sirenen for soprano, tenor, orchestra and electronic recordingsLes Chants de la Revolution sont des Chants de l'Amour for soprano, orchestra and electronic recordingsSchubert Teilelager for string orchestraOdysseus aber hörte ihr Schweigen nicht Shifting violin concertoDie Tränen des Gletschers Archipel Remix Restoring the Death of Orpheus AkkordeonkonzertFremdling, rede – Ballade Furor Odysseus for mezzo-soprano, speaker and orchestraDie schrecklich-gewaltigen Kinder for coloratura soprano and large ensembleIhr, meine und eines ruchlosen Vaters for soprano, speaker and orchestraAu bord d'une source for tenor recorder, orchestra and feedsWer sind diese Kinder for piano, large orchestra and playbackDie Tode des Orpheus for countertenor and orchestra

Music for ensemble

Uncertain Melody for eight instrumentsDouble Distant Counterpoint for large ensemble and keyboardSarca – il fiume Sarca for 7 wind instruments and double bassSchlaf, schlaf, John Donne, schlaf tief und quäl dich nicht for violin, bass clarinet, accordion, keyboardHawking for piano, bass drum and six instrumentsaprikosenbäume gibt es, aprikosenbäume gibt es for double bass clarinet, violin, trumpet, violoncello, trombone and playbacks Der Faden ist gerissen for seven instrumentalistsin der luft waren vögel, im wasser waren fische for piano and eight instrumentsLenz in Moskau for trombone, guitar, cello, piano, two percussionists and feedsDer Asra for soprano and pianoBasar Aleppo oder Die Straße nach Tyros Sound scenes for tenor saxophone, marimba, piano and playbackAdieu, sirènes'' for mezzo-soprano, 2 cellos, 2 trumpets

Chamber music

Ein Sommerabend am Lindleinsee for violin, cello, piano and playbacksTempo strozzato for string quartet"Ich denk viel." / Mr. President / pizz / 13 for viola, cello and double bassGracieusement for viola, cello and double bassFIORETTI Within My Bosom for clarinet, cello and pianoShort Message Piece for flute and tenor recorderAdieu, Marie, mon amour – Drei Liebeslieder in den Tod for viola and accordionNo Velvet Mute For Lullabies for four trombonesPasolini in Ostia for soprano, piano, cello and percussion

Solo music

Ungebräuchliches for oboeNotturno für die trauerlos Sterbenden for guitarDon't cry, mummy isn't here anyway − memories of a temptingly morbid summer for violaScheherazade for accordionToccata Orpheus for guitarWeeds in Ophelia's Hair for alto recorderPush Pull for accordionHamamuth – Stadt der Engel for pianoAch, Königin for celloTon für Ton for double bass and clarinetIm Nachtigallental for celloSo ist es for double bass and clarinet Ciao, carissimo Claudio oder Die Steel Drums von San Marco for piano and playback

Discography

The Contemporary Accordion Teodoro Anzellotti, Koch SchwannKompositionen für Gitarre, Cybele 260.601Dokumentation Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik 1997, Kulturforum Witten / WDRSogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester, Trikont Werke aus den Jahren 1977–1993 – Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Saarbrücken, conductors: Michael Gielen and Marcello Viotti, the guitarists Wilhelm Bruck and Theodor Ross as well as the Saarbrücken String Quartet. Talking Music TalkM 1006Machandelboom, Cybele SACD 960.501Das Schweigen der Sirenen / Tänze aus Frankfurt, HRO Daddy, col legnoGewidmet, cpoOrchesterwerke: He, très doulz roussignol joly, Schubert Teilelager, Die Erde ist eine Schale von dunkelm Gold, Cybele 860.401Without Compression, Cybele 260.501Weeds in Ophelia's Hair, Bayer-Recordsaprikosenbäume gibt es, aprikosenbäume gibt es and two other works: ahi bocca, ahi lingua and schlaf, schlaf, John donne, schlaf tief und quäl dich nicht, Cybele records SACD 860.701Rolf Riehm Orchesterwerke: Die Tränen des Gletschers, Nuages immortels oder Focusing on Solos and Berceuse, SWR Symphonieorchester, Gielen, Hans Zender, telos music records TLS 128

Obituaries

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