Description
“The composition was written in the summer of 1994 as music for the film adaptation of the novel ‘Schlafes Bruder’ by Robert Schneider (directed by Joseph Vilsmaier). The Toccata is part of an organ competition at the end of the film, in which the natural genius Elias Alder (endowed by God and the devil with a supernatural hearing) hypnotizes an audience in Feldberg Cathedral with demonic organ sounds. After a ‘torn’ opening section, the ‘Elsbeth theme’ and the chorale ‘Komm. o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder’ (from J. S. Bach’s ‘Kreuzstab Cantata’ BWV 56) are heard in the pedal, indicating that Elias will voluntarily go to his death after this genia-lic concerto: he who loves, does not sleep, is the maxim of his dying.
The composition is dedicated to the Munich organist Professor Harald Feller, who not only recorded it for the film, but also contributed to the virtuoso design with creative ideas.”
(Enjott Schneider, quoted from: Afterword to the music edition ED 8525)
