Stille Nacht am Silbersee

In 2020 I wrote the music for the immersive theatre plays Stille Nacht am Silbersee. I created a new work based on the libretto by Joachim Robbrecht, inspired by the compositions of Arvo Pärt and the musical worlds brought by the other performers, such as oud player Jawa Manla and Raphaela Danksagmüller. The choice of these performers is no coincidence; it underscores Silbersee’s relentless hunger for musical experimentation and a curiosity about the synergy that can arise from diversity. Silbersee challenged me to compose a flowing and undulating piece that surprises, moves, and—just like in jazz—will sound different every evening. With the ever impressive actress Ariane Schluter. 

 

A pandemic dominates our lives and brings them to a halt. Our enemy is invisible and elusive. It remains abstract until it directly affects you or your loved ones. It dominates the news, but it also causes people to turn away—either because the reports hit too hard or because ignoring or denying the news feels easier. We are now waiting for a weapon to combat this enemy. It leaves us adrift, the harbor out of sight, and the only thing we can do is follow the ongoing current. Even though we don’t know where this current will take us, we sail together—into the future.

Against this backdrop, Silbersee asked writer Joachim Robbrecht to craft the libretto for an oratorio. In Stille Nacht, the sea voyage becomes a metaphor for life, and the ocean takes on the role of a powerful and driving protagonist, holding the fate of the boat on which we drift in its hands. The songs sing of longing for solid ground and the comfort we can find in the realization that, for now, the ship itself is our home.