Beat Furrer: A composer between sound, silence and dramaturgy

Beat Furrer: A composer between sound, silence and dramaturgy

December 6, 2024 marks a special day in the life of the renowned contemporary composer Beat Furrer, who celebrates his 70th birthday today. Furrer made a name for himself not only by founding the Klangforum Wien in 1985, but also through his innovative work that transforms language into music and uses silence as a means of expression. In 2018 he was awarded the Siemens Prize, worth 250,000 euros, for his impressive oeuvre vienna.at reported.

Beat Furrer, born in Schaffhausen in 1954, studied in Vienna and not only brought the Klangforum to international fame, but also wrote several important operas, including “The Blinden” and the opera “Violetter Schnee”, which premiered in 2019. His new musical theater work “The Big Fire” will premiere at the Zurich Opera on March 23, 2025. His work also shapes his work with important writers, which makes him specialized in integrating complex texts and their sounds into his music. The impressive relationship between Furrer and the Klangforum Wien is also clear in numerous interviews in which musicians report how much his vision influenced their sound furrer70.klangforum.at described.

A lifelong musical legacy

The close connection between Beat Furrer and the Klangforum Wien is evident not only in the works played, but also in the creative evolution of his music over the years. Furrer's musical vocabulary has clearly developed and yet remains dynamic and fresh. Over the years, Klangforum musicians have referred to themselves as “Children of Beat” because its aesthetic ideas and techniques, such as playing extremely quietly and working together on timbres, are deeply rooted in their musical understanding. His music remains steeped in literary inspiration, and his instrumental music becomes increasingly 'singing', as can be clearly observed in his final compositions.

With a unique ability, Furrer describes the peculiarities of his music and explains his compositions with a clarity that appeals to both musicians and audiences. His remarkable approach to silence and his ability to shape it in his works have had a lasting impact on the contemporary musical landscape. Furrer's birthday party should therefore not only be a celebration of his life, but also of his significant contribution to music history.