On 10 November, the renowned German conductor and composer Johannes Kalitzke presented himself in a dual role as conductor and composer with the world premiere of his 'Zeitkapsel', a 'Dance of Death for large orchestra' commissioned by musica viva, and Luc Ferrari's 'Histoire du Plaisir et de la Désolation', a sonic search for 'new sensuality'. Both compositions can be heard on this album as a live recording of the musica viva concert.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra performs.

Johannes Kalitzke’s opera Captain Nemo’s Library weaves themes of identity, childhood and fantasy into a powerful poetic narrative. Inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Per Olov Enquist’s novel, it explores the intertwined fates of two boys in a Swedish village, their imaginary refuge aboard the Nautilus and the trials of their friendship. With a mixture of singing, puppetry and the integration of musical motifs by Bach as well as impressive electronics, Kalitzke creates a world of sound that reflects the emotional depth of the story. A moving reflection on loneliness, hope and the redemptive power of the imagination.

The film is one of the classics of horror film, half art film, half splatter film: a pianist falls into the clutches of a cunning criminal who sends the mentally unstable artist on a horror trip and turns him into the supposed murderer of his father. ‘Orlac's Hands’ features a top-class cast with the two silent film icons Conrad Veidt and Fritz Kortner as his sinister adversary and marks one of the highlights of expressionist silent film. Kalitzke's music explores the psychological development of the pianist Paul Orlac, exemplified by his piano, which is divided into three instruments: in addition to the classical piano, there is a prepared piano as a “dark shadow piano” and an electronic sampler in which the sound material from the interior takes on a life of its own.

One of the great expressionist silent films unfolds its effect without intertitles through the interaction of the camera work and the magnificent ensemble around Fritz Kortner: A husband is driven by his jealousy. At an evening dinner, he believes he has finally found proof of his attractive wife's infidelity. Behind the transparent curtains of a glass door, he watches greedy shadowy hands reaching for his wife. But the shadows deceive him. In truth, they are meaningless gestures. His wife is not even touched by the men. A showman who is present realises the husband's delusion and knows about the deception. Using hypnosis, he performs a shadow play for those present, which is intended to show them their erotic desires and fears. The game provides clarity. The husband realises that his wife is faithful to him and her cavaliers leave the house, knowing that they have no chance with this woman.

                                         Music by Johannes Kalitzke, performed by Ensemble Ascolta

German silent film by Friedrich Zelnik with music by Johannes Kalitzke based on the drama of the same name by Gerhart Hauptmann, which premiered in 1894 and deals with the uprisings of exploited weavers in Silesia in 1844.
Johannes Kalitzke composed new music for Zelnik's film; the premiere by the Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra was on 24 June 2012.

Johannes Kalitzke (*1959)

Cruxification II (1999) 24:17

four choral preludes for large orchestra

1. Kanon

2. Spiegelreflex

3. Schlachthaus

4. Fadenkreuz

Berliner Sinfonieorchester

Johannes Kalitzke, conductor

World premiere · Recorded in 2000

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Opera in four acts (2008-2009)

 Libretto by Christoph Klimke
based on the novel of the same name
by Witold Gombrowicz

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Thomas E. Bauer, Bariton

Thomas Larcher, Klavier
Stadler Quartett
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Johannes Kalitzke, Dirigent

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Johannes Kalitzke: Cruxification II

Helmut Oehring: Philipp

Misato Mochizuki: Pasà pas

Isabel Mundry: Traces des moments

Alwynne Pritchard: Invisible Cities

Jennifer Walshe: as mo cheann

col legno (WWE 1CD 20056)

Nicolaus A. Huber: Trio Mit Stappandeira

Mauricio Kagel: Aus dem Nachlass

Wolfgang Rihm: Verzeichnung-Studie

Johannes Kalizke: Trio Infernal

Szenische Moritat für zwei Schauspieler, Sopran, Bariton und Kammerorchester 
 Text: Thomas Brasch nach Boris Vian 

Werner Eggenhofer, Schauspieler

Till Krabbe, Schauspieler

Brigitte Jäger, Sopran · Espen Fegran, Bariton 

musikFabrik · Johannes Kalitzke, Dirigent

cpo (999358)

Johannes Kalitzke: salto.trapez.ikarus

Nicolaus A. Huber: An Hölderlins Umnachtung

Thomas Bruttger: Monolith

Gerhard Stäbler: Traum 1/9/92

Marcus Weiss, Saxophon · Michael Bach, Violoncello

Paulo Alvares, Klavier

Musikfabrik NRW · Johannes Kalitzke, Dirigent

cpo (999259-2)

Paul Dessau: Dreistrophenkalender  

Dieter Schnebel: Glossolalie 61

Manfred Schubert: Evocazione per undici esecutori

Friedrich Schenker: Die Friedensfeier

Hans-Jürgen von Bose: Sappho-Gesänge

Johannes Kalitzke: Nachtschleife

Brian Ferneyhough: On Stellar Magnitudes

RCA Red Seal (Sony Music)

Günter Kochan: Sinfonie Nr. 2

Siegfried Matthus: Konzert für Violine und Orchester

Georg Katzer: Streichermusik 1

Ruth Zechlin: Situationen für Orchester

Friedrich Goldmann: Sinfonie 3

Johannes Kalitzke: Die Rückseite der Tage

RCA Red Seal (Sony Music)

Macchina d'autunno

Fantasiestück für Klavierklänge (1982)  

Tübinger, Jänner 

für Bassflöte, Violoncello und Sprechstimme ad libitum

Das Labyrinth der Lieder für Vokalquintett  

Orchester und Computerklänge (1987)  

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