Today I'm releasing something I've never shared before: the complete premiere live recording of my symphonic poem "Der Hirschsprung," performed by the Baden-Baden Philharmonics under conductor Mark Mast. It's my first long-form live release, and I'm equal parts nervous and thrilled.
"Der Hirschsprung" — The Stag Jump — tells one of the great legends of Germany's Black Forest. My connection to this legend comes straight from childhood family vacations in the region, where I vividly remember the first time I saw the majestic stag figurine standing atop the ridge in the Höllental. Writing this piece decades later felt like finally giving notes to something that had been sitting in my memory all along.
The piece unfolds in three parts. The first sets the scene and tension of the forest and, most importantly, introduces the legend's second protagonist — the knight. The second part follows the stag wandering peacefully through nature, carried by an extended solo violin from Yasushi Ideue, the orchestra's concertmaster — the emotional heart of the piece. The third brings the legend to its climax, featuring Melanie Huber on Eb clarinet.