CD:
Charles Mingus: Epitaph

Epitaph is a panorama of jazz history from Mingus' individual perspective, while at the same time being the sum and legacy of his artistic work.

Even a hundred years after his birth, Charles Mingus is still labelled as an artistic genius and the "angry man" of jazz, an uncompromising fighter against racial segregation and for unconditional truthfulness in his music, but who was also mentally unstable and often became violent in his anger. This image is confirmed by the circumstances of the world premiere of Mingus' "opus magnum", the two-hour suite Epitaph in 1962 in New York's Town Hall, which has long since become a myth in jazz history.

Due to the short notice and rehearsal period, the performance fell short of the composer's artistic standards. As a result, Mingus asked the audience to leave the hall during the interval and offered to refund their entrance fee, which led to riots outside the concert hall and ultimately forced the police to intervene. After that, Charles Mingus abandoned the attempt to realise Epitaph and it was not until the mid-1980s that this masterpiece was premièred in 1989.

At the finale of the Musikfest Berlin 2022, the musicians of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and their BigBand performed Epitaph as a tribute to the 100th birthday of Charles Mingus. Under the baton of Titus Engel, the musicians of the BigBand and the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Jazzinstitut Berlin explore the realms of expression of dark threat, profound songfulness, conflict and ecstasy. Star trumpeter Randy Brecker lets his wonderfully clear tone soar to the highest heights. It becomes touching when Jorge Puerta sings Freedom with a powerful voice and the musicians hum along.

Genre Jazz
Recording location Philharmonie Berlin
Recording date 19.09.2022
Production year 2023
Duration 136 mins (CD1: 70 mins, CD2: 66 mins)
Production Company Deutsche Oper Berlin
Production Company RBB
Sound Engineer Peter Schladebach
Sound Engineer Johanna Vollus
Composer Charles Mingus
Orchestra / Band BigBand of The Deutsche Oper Berlin
Conductor Titus Engel
Soloist Randy Brecker (trumpet)
Soloist Jorge Puerta (tenor)