Wolfgang Rihm
Nähe fern 2
Short instrumentation: 2 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1 - timp, str
Duration: 14'
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute (+picc)
1st oboe
2nd oboe
1st clarinet in A
2nd clarinet in A
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
1st trombone
2nd trombone
3rd trombone
tuba
timpani
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
contrabass
Rihm - Nähe fern 2 for orchestra
Sample pages
Audio preview
Work introduction
Played before Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 or as the second movement of the Nähe fern-Symphony, this piece at first sounds familiar, although it contains no quotations. It is late Romantic music; thus there is no stylistic disruption if the Brahms is played afterward.
The sound of Nähe fern 2 is lighter than the first piece in the cycle; the mood is often bucolic and gentle. The wealth of melodies is a particular characteristic; they occur in almost every voice, either stepping forward from instrumental groups (e.g. a violin, an oboe and a horn) or played by several groups together (e.g. the woodwinds), while the strings add an especially warm, highly emotional sound.