Credits:

Simone Young

Description:

“Lia” by Aribert Reimann (1936), one of the great opera composers of the 20th century, isas the title suggestsa work based on Shakespeares King Lear, with a libretto by Klaus Hennemann. Composed between 1976 and 1978 as a commission from the Bavarian State Opera, it received its world premiere in June 1978, starring D. Fischer-Dieskau. It enjoys exceptional popularity as a 20th-century opera, and its recognition has grown, as evidenced by its Japanese premiere in 2013. Of course, as is typical of contemporary music, intense sounds (such as clusters and microtones) are used throughout, and at first glance it may seem difficult to grasp; however, this is actually the perfect means of expressing complex inner landscapes. As the music surges in response to emotions such as self-deception, betrayal, anger, and sorrow, one can certainly sense a direct energy that cannot be experienced in Romantic or