LUX PERPETUA
a multifaceted cultural requiem
about eternity
based on Mozart’s Requiem
LUX PERPETUA explores the complex cosmos of a seemingly familiar but always enigmatic and profound fragment in an energetic, suction-like world of sound: Mozart’s famous Requiem, which remained unfinished due to his early death. Mozart’s introit spans the arc between eternal rest (requiem aeternam) and eternal light (lux perpetua).
Aeterna or perpetua? Eternally lasting or infinitely recurring?
The musical polarity of LUX PERPETUA lies in the question of the nature of eternity in the face of the infinity of death; between the ideas of eternal, motionless rest or of continuous, circular movement; that of a continuous rhythm, in simultaneous levels of time.
LUX PERPETUA dares to make this requiem mass audible anew from the perspective of a musical future that Mozart himself no longer experienced, but possibly passionately anticipated, from our present. Our view of how different cultures and religions deal with death and eternity has expanded on a global scale. We encounter not only the concepts of the great monotheistic traditions, but also – for example in Hinduism and Buddhism – the belief in rebirth, or learn of the strong spiritual connection to ancestors, which plays an important role in East African cultures, for example.
LUX PERPETUA uses abstract and fragmented timbres and scales from Arabic musical traditions, bell sounds and melodies from Jewish traditions to make Mozart’s music audible in a new way. LUX PERPETUA penetrates, as it were, from the cultural foreignness of the Requiem into the surprisingly foreign, another facet of its inexhaustible spiritual and musical dimensions.
In a transcultural and interreligious expansion, LUX PERPETUA extracts this-worldly rebellion, humble insight, meditative calm, abysmal despair and consolation from the requiem mass of the still so young Mozart – whether in the anarchically wild “dance” on the edge of death,in the humility and deepest sorrow of Amajungusi, in the violent sobbing in the ocean of tears of Al Ahsan Lacri (a new contextualization of Lacrimosa), in the sudden leap from the groovy beginning of Rex tremendae into the mighty cry of “Rex! “ – or in Hawdala, in which melody lines from the Jewish tradition open the requiem to the most incomprehensible death, the Shoa.
composition • Maximilian Guth (after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
world premiere • 2019 munich • with Vocifer, Münchner Knabenchor and Frank Oidtmann
► Programmheft
► weiterführende Gedanken:
komponieren als neu beleuchten

before minutes of roaring applause and standing ovations follow.
In LUX PERPETUA, it becomes clear how closely the discovery of unfamiliar religions and cultures – especially through music – is connected to curiosity, appreciation, and recognition.
An appreciation for other cultures in the form of an innovative,
bold, and respectful musical interpretation that brings out all the sounds from the instruments.
This is musically exciting, challenging, and fascinating – and at the same time perfectly executed by the Oratorienchor Karlsruhe, the Chamber Choir of Christuskirche, the Bachchor Wiesbaden, and the Youth Choir of the Evangelische Singakademie Wiesbaden.
Particularly noteworthy is the asambura ensemble, whose joy for music, energy, and enthusiasm for intercultural dialogue are clearly evident throughout.”
Badische Neueste Nachrichten
“LUX PERPETUA counters the exclusion of people of different faiths and the fear of the ‘other’: Guth musically creates a fascinating bridge between European and non-European cultures, connecting the three monotheistic religions—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. For over two hours, the audience immersed themselves in unfamiliar sounds, engaging with despair and hope, grief and comfort, and, through the music, opened themselves to the eternal light.”
Bad Cannstatt Blog
“To capture eternity in sound, sonic layers are repeatedly created, and the metric structure of the Mozart composition dissolves. The tones from Mozart’s Introitus flow into one another, fade, and blend with the echo of the church vault. The choirs and the large Asambura ensemble make a statement with Maximilian Guth’s composition against exclusion and persecution, for bridges between people, cultures, and religions, and for a dialogue at eye level.”
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik
“Maximilian Guth uniquely, individually, and originally connects intercultural aspects of a globalized world with a timeless tradition of Western music in LUX PERPETUA. As a result, his work is highly relevant today.”
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Lang