Hanne Darboven

Requiem

by Hanne Darboven, performed by Thomas Dahl

Since 1968, Hanne Darboven has used dates as a central element in her work, transforming the measurement of time into an artistic practice. Her Requiem is based on calculations using dates from January 1, 1900 to December 31, 1999, encapsulating a century in its structure. It also incorporates elements of Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata in D minor, blending historical musical references with a contemporary conceptual approach. Hanne Darboven invited Thomas Dahl to perform parts of the Requiem at a concert in 2001. In 2005, the organist recorded the entire work on 11 CDs.

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Hanne Darboven

(1941 - 2009)
Lived in Hamburg and New York

Hanne Darboven grew up in Hamburg. After studying piano, she trained in fine arts. She lived in New York, where she met figures of minimalism such as Sol LeWitt and Carl Andre. There, she began her works on graph paper, combining dates, numbers, and calculations, exploring time as structure. Back in Hamburg, she continued to create works that blend writing, mathematics, history, and popular culture. She used numbers as narrative and musical elements. Her installations, sometimes composed of thousands of pages, question memory, time, and archiving.

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Thomas Dahl

Born in 1964 (DE)
Based in Hamburg

Since 1996, Thomas Dahl has been the principal organist of St. Peter's in Hamburg. Since 2007, he has also been the musical director of the vocal and instrumental ensembles associated with this church. Through his artistic and pedagogical commitment, he occupies an important place in contemporary German church music. In particular, he has contributed to the promotion of the musical work of Hanne Darboven, of whom he is the leading interpreter, highlighting the links between minimalist music, conceptual art, and spirituality.