1967–1968
Text by Ferdinand Kriwet 16 Vocals and 12 instruments
UA: 5/3/1968, ‘musica nova’ Radio Bremen, Stuttgarter Schola Cantorum (Dir.: Clytus Gottwald); Instrumental-Ensemble of the Symphonie-Orchesters NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk); Cond.: Konrad Boehmer
JUGEND is the result of a close cooperation between Ferdinand Kriwet (text) and Konrad Boehmer (music). It is not a ‘cantata’, because the text has not been put to music in a classical manner: within the composition it plays an independent role. The piece has to be situated between literature and music.
The title of the composition refers to tendencies which are inherent in the text which is a ‘collage’ of quotations belonging to various social spheres which are all related to the phenomenon “Youth in Germany” and the social/political institutions which tried to exercise (during a century or even more) a devastating influence on it: church, school, family, politics.
They all did gigantic efforts to get young people on the ‘right’ path and to integrate it in the ultra-right political and cultural spectrum which dominates Germany up to our days. Notwithstanding their source (from episopal declarations until quotations from Hitler’s writings), all these quotations are linked to each other in a startling manner. No need to dramatize them, they are already horrifying.
The texts are treated in various manners, from extreme polyphony, to lyric treatment and a purely prosodic setting. Both authors have dedicated the piece to Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, truly rolling stones.