Helmut Lachenmann began studying piano (with Jürgen Uhde) and theory and composition (with Johann Nepomuk David) in Stuttgart. He continued his studies in Venice with Luigi Nono, who had a profound influence on his aesthetic development. Lachenmann returned to Germany in 1961, and in 1962 saw the first performances of his works (Venice Biennale, Darmstadt International Course).
Since 1959, Helmut Lachenmann has systematically explored different modes of instrumental playing and has made the sounds of instrumental playing and their energetic quality the very project of his work, as the development of a language. He thus opened a new horizon for music: "instrumental concrete music" or "Klangrealismus", which unites sound and noise.
Listen to: Helmut Lachenmann
- Interieur by Helmut Lachenmann (recorded at Centquatre-Paris, 2013)
- Salut für Caudwell by Helmut Lachenmann (recorded at Centre Pompidou, 2016)
- Zwei Gefühle, Musik mit Leonardo by Helmut Lachenmann (recorded at Centquatre-Paris, 2018)
- Toccatina by Helmut Lachenmann (recorded at Église Saint-Merri, 2018)