The Mammoth Man: Jörg Widmann

Shooting for the documentary about Jörg Widmann – composer, clarinetist, conductor – for the broadcasters BR/ARTE has begun in September in Berlin.

“The music comes alive while I’m writing it”, Jörg Widmann says. It turns into a living being and follows its own paths. “It remains a fragment because it is not what I had in mind initially”.

For Jörg Widmann, the images that best describes this state of mind is the labyrinth. It has become the subject of his life. One loses oneself inside the labyrinth or runs into walls; there are moments “where you can’t go on. This is a difficult and often painful experience I have when composing. Even with all the joy that composing can bring.”

He finds his way out of the labyrinth that is composing through his work as a clarinetist – he is counted among the best in the world – and exceedingly through his work as a conductor.

Jörg Widmann has invited us to accompany him to the “outer zones” of his composing process for a big new piece. It is going to take him a while.

We filmed the first rehearsal for the new season at the Boulez Saal in Berlin in September – with Daniel Barenboim as the conductor.

In addition, we accompanied Jörg Widmann to the Konzerthaus Berlin where he not only played Weber on the clarinet but also conducted Mendelsohn’s Symphony No. 5 “Reformation” as well as his own successful piece “Con Brio”, with the energy and artistry we have become used to – and much more.

Original title Im Labyrinth – Der Musiker Jörg Widmann (AT)
Coproduction Company BR/ARTE
Coproducer Theresa-Martina März
Producer Stefan Pannen, Claus Wischmann
Duration 52'
Director Holger Preuße
Production year 2020-22