Jörg Widmann in conversation with Dorothea Schröder (12 min.)

Equally successful as a clarinettist, composer, conductor and educator, Jörg Widmann rejects the specialisations and departmentalising of work that has become commonplace in contemporary classical music. In March 2019, Widmann appeared in Berlin with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie in the roles of composer, soloist and conductor. The programme included an Andante for clarinet and orchestra by Mendelssohn, Schumann’s Second Symphony and Widmann’s own Messe for large orchestra. In a conversation with violist and orchestra member Dorothea Schröder, the musician talks about the charm of Mendelssohn’s early works and about Schumann’s symphony, which he considers to be one of the great creations of music history. In addition, he explains his decision to compose a mass without singing or text.