Next year will be the 200th anniversary of Rochus Dedler's death.
The composer is considered the father of passion music.
However, since the vow game had to be postponed to 2022 due to the corona pandemic, planning is extremely difficult.
Oberammergau
- It is one of the great goose bumps moments of the vow game. Jesus enters Jerusalem on his donkey. A whole people are singing "Heil dir". The Oberammergau hymn that every little child can sing along by heart. It was even heard from the church tower on Palm Sunday in 2020. Together with “Hallelujah”, these are the last two pieces of music of the Passion that are still originally by the composer Rochus Dedler (1779 to 1822), the father of Passion music. Next year on October 17th will be the 200th anniversary of his death.
Oberammergau wants to remember him.
The parliamentary group of Free Voters (PWG) recently put pressure on the community so as not to lose sight of the plans - despite the challenge that Corona brought the Ammertal people.
Due to the postponement to 2022, Dedler's passion and anniversary year will coincide.
But Dedler should definitely get a worthy celebration.
“It's just not yet quite clear how,” says Mayor Andreas Rödl (CSU) at the meeting of the municipal council.
Scientific processing and exhibition planned in the Museum Oberammergau
But like many other things, he is in good spirits.
"Even if we are all involved in the planning for the Passion, the anniversary year will not be neglected," promises Walter Rutz from the Kulturbetrieb.
Among other things, an exhibition is planned in the Oberammergau Museum.
His work and life should be scientifically processed.
Since Dedler is mainly known for his compositions, his music will of course play the greatest role in the coming anniversary year.
Markus Zwink would like to publish unknown pieces by Dedler
Markus Zwink, musical director of the Passion, already has rough ideas.
He knows that many of the composer's works are still dormant in the archive.
Pieces that have never been published, that no one has heard.
"We could perform them," suggests Zwink.
On a festive evening, at trade fairs.
“There are many possibilities.” But the original sheet music must first be “translated”.
"Most musicians today could no longer read them." A hard task that Zwink will take on personally.
However, the events will no longer take place in October 2022.
Everyone needs a break after the mammoth event.
He is therefore aiming for December.
"After all, it's a whole anniversary year."
How much Dedler is still in passion music?
But how much Dedler is actually still in the music that will be heard at the Passion? With the exception of the two masterpieces “Heil dir” and “Halleluja”, Dedler's composition has been revised, supplemented or even partially omitted over the decades and centuries. "A good half of them still clearly bears Dedler's signature," says Zwink. The other half comes from him. For the Passion 2000 and 2010 the musician composed a lot of new pieces. “But Dedler's composition has always been the basis.” The responsible composers have clearly lent a hand even earlier. “The original pieces were too happy in places, didn't fit the dramaturgy,” explains Zwink.
