Documentary Film Project: Wolfgang Rihm and his Students

Bce films & more GmbH, Munich, Germany

Bettina Erhardt’s film project is dedicated to a very specific field in the musical life of the great composer Wolfgang Rihm – it portraits Rihm as a teacher together with three of his students: Johannes Motschmann, Birke Bertelsmeier and Vito Zuraj. The film shows the four composers at the Sommerfestival Young Artists in Concert in Davos where Rihm made a guest appearance together with his students as Composer in Residence. The camera follows the rehearsal of the young composers with the musicians but also shows Wolfgang Rihm and festival director Graziella Contratto – amongst other things discussing the impact of Jörg Widmann as a clarinetist on Wolfgang Rihm. The documentary provides an insight into a public rehearsal and musico-aesthetic discussions between the renowned composer and his three young colleagues – and in this way the film gives viewers very direct insight into the creative process. The documentary will be enhanced with a recording of the composer’s closing concert. The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation has already promoted the shooting of the concert recording and will now support work on its sound and image production. 

December 2013–January 2014 Munich, Germany