# Die Soldaten by Zimmerman



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Anyone familiar with this opera? Just ordered it.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Yes. It's bizarre to say the least, I think it's often the case that two or more scenes are occurring on different parts of the stage at once. I've heard it twice (Gielen and Kontarsky) but never seen it, I imagine it's probably easier to get in to the flow of it with the visual guide.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Yes I love it. See previous posts by me:



> Im happy to see Die Soldaten mentioned, which is one of my favourites after seeing the Willy Decker staging last year. It is a shame that no good version exists on DVD..


 Its true... im not happy with the DVD available If I compare it to the staged version I witnessed

http://www.talkclassical.com/11727-entire-performance-die-soldaten.html#post131186



> What were you concert/opera highlights this year?
> For me the big highlight was Bernd Alois Zimmermann's opera Die Soldaten, it completely changed my outlook on modern music and was just all round incredible.


From 'the fate of women in opera':


> You will love Die Soldaten,
> 
> Its all about how an innocent young lady falls in love with army-officers and nobility only to be corrupted by the evil of a culture-less civilisation and eventually she becomes a *****, her own father doesnt recognise her as she begs on the street.





> For those of you who dont know why i keep nominating this 'Die Soldaten' opera, please read the following article:
> http://www.therestisnoise.com/2008/0...manns-die.html


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I borrowed the Teldec recording of this difficult but important opera from my library on interloan, a while ago, and found it most compelling. But it's anything but easy listening, and the musical language is harshly dissonant and angular. 
But repeated hearings made it much more understandable to me. I haven't seen the DVD, but would like to. A few years ago, the opera company of Bochum, Germany, a city in the Ruhr area, brought its production of Die Soldaten to New York for the annual Summer arts festival there , but unfortunately I did not get a chance to attend.
This Summer festival has featured some really interesting operatic repertoire, such as when the Royal opera in London came here with its production of Pfitzner's Palestrina conducted by Thielemann several years ago .


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

The videos in emiellucifuge page seem to have been taken down, but here is the entire opera Staatsorchester Stuttgart & Bernhard Kontarsky, not sure the year. Listening now, sounds fascinating.






I do like some of the other works I have heard of his Pésence and Intercomunicazione, kind of ambient electronics so perhaps not for everyone.


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## pollux (Nov 11, 2011)

_Die Soldaten_ is considered by many to be the best opera from the sixties on. It's an excellent opera, although I prefer Messiaen's _Saint François d'Assise_. My favourite work from Zimmermann's output is _Requiem für einen jungen Dichter_, a monumental work with impressive use of the _collage _tecnique. There appear motives taken from musical sources such as Beethoven's ninth or _Hey Jude_, and spoken texts from speeches by Hitler and Pope John XXIII among others:






If you want an easier approach to Zimmermann's work, you should try with this:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

looking forward to the experience. i love Messiaen too.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

wow, just got done listening. this is powerful, intense music. it held my interest the whole time. very creative stuff and an interesting listen. after wozzeck and lulu the next great work i think.,


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