Aribert Reimann
A German composer who forged a stark, expressive musical language, turning literary giants like King Lear and Medea into searing modern operas.
1936–2024 (age 88)·German composer, pianist and accompanist·Birthday: March 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Aribert Reimann occupied a unique and essential space in contemporary music, acting as a bridge between the German Romantic song tradition and the fractured emotional landscapes of the 20th century. Born in Berlin in 1936, he was steeped in music from childhood, studying composition and forging an early career as a supremely sensitive accompanist for singers like Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. This deep understanding of the human voice and text shaped his life's work. When Fischer-Dieskau challenged him to write an opera based on Shakespeare's 'King Lear,' Reimann responded with a masterpiece. The 1978 opera 'Lear' is a monumental, psychologically penetrating work that uses a vast orchestra to mirror the king's mental disintegration. He repeated this feat with other literary titans, including 'Medea' in 2010. Beyond the stage, his art songs and chamber works are regarded as modern classics. For decades, he taught in Hamburg and Berlin, nurturing generations of musicians, and his uncompromising vision was ultimately honored with the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Aribert was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aribert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Aribert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2024Died at 88
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Composed the internationally celebrated opera 'Lear' (1978), a landmark of 20th-century opera written for baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
- Awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2011 for his lifetime contribution to music.
- Served as a professor of contemporary song (Lied) at the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg and the Berlin University of the Arts.
- Premiered his opera 'Medea' at the Vienna State Opera in 2010, based on Franz Grillparzer's play.
Did You Know?
He was a celebrated pianist and often accompanied famed singers in lieder recitals throughout his career.
His father was a church musician and his mother a singer, giving him a deep early immersion in vocal music.
He composed numerous works for cellist Siegfried Palm.
“The human voice is the most direct instrument, capable of expressing the most extreme psychological states.”
