Graham F. Valentine, Voice – Enikő Cseh, Flute – Jake Mann, Clarinet – Florian Moser, Violin –

Felix Rosenboom, Cello – Shun Oi, Piano – Cristian Spătaru, Conductor

Käfer töten

In Alexander M. Wagner's cycle KÄFER TÖTEN, the ‘inner child’ of the human being is caught up in a merry-go-round of urges and illusions. The composer impressively builds a phantasmagorical rainbow through the underworld of the psyche:
I. Summer II. killing bugs III. play IV. guardian animal V. planetary telescope VI. under my bed VII. baron of lies VIII. caravan IX. Rainbow

The Scottish actor Graham Forbes Valentine lends schizophrenic faces to the ambiguous states of mind in the work. His lyrical, morbid voice, both menacing and tender, makes him one of the most original voice artists of our time. Of fear, greed, sadness, lust and delusion – a round dance of lost memories of a world suspended between dream and reality.

Überquert die Brücke!
Ich reit’ auf meinem Glitzerfisch voran
mit Purpurmantel und mit goldenem Zepter!
Sie marschieren hinter mir
zum Schlag der großen Trommel.
Und es brennt!


Alexander Maria Wagner, Composition/Text

Alexander Maria Wagner (b.1995) studied composition and piano with Tristan Murail, Kenneth Hesketh, Pavel Gililov, Theodor Breu and Franz Hummel; at the Mozarteum University Salzburg and at the Royal College of Music in London. In addition to performances in Germany (including the Herkulessaal and Gasteig Munich, Beethoven­Haus and Beethovenfest Bonn, Regentenbau Bad Kissingen), his concert activities have also taken him to Austria, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, England, Romania, Azerbaijan, Switzerland and the USA.

He composed his First Symphony KRAFTWERK at the age of 14, which was recorded by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra for Oehms Classics. In 2017, the RTV Symphony Orchestra Moscow recorded his Second Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with him as soloist. Renowned radio and television stations such as BR, WDR, Deutschlandradio Kultur, 3Sat and ORF also broadcast portraits of him. In 2018, he played Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2021, the English National Ballet School in London chose the final movement of his Second Symphony (Galactic Rite) as the music for a new choreography. In 2023, Austrian Radio (OE1) broadcast his Second Symphony and a live recording of a recital.

In the 24/25 season, Wagner will perform Bach’s Goldberg Variations and his piano pieces Rhapsotüde and Miniaturen über Mohn at several venues. For years, he has also collaborated artistically with Lukas Metzenbauer as co-composer (operetta Café Ringelspiel; couplets Jahrmarkt­King / text: Franzobel) and the author Helen Brecht (chanson cycle Arien ohne Vorhang; Traum einer Maschine etc.). He writes his own texts for many of his compositions (Triptychon, Rosendorn, Käfer töten). He is currently working on a string quartet, the piece Octocorallia for choir and Japanese bell chimes and a new opera.

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