Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima is an oratorio by Toshio Hosokawa.
History.
Hosokawa was born in Hiroshima. He made the atomic bombing there in 1945 during World War II the subject of an oratorio in 1989. He first wrote a piece entitled "Hiroshima Requiem", which he revised and expanded beginning in 2000.
The text was compiled by Arata Osada, using texts by Matsuo Bashō and Paul Celan, and from the film "Children of Hiroshima" ("Genbaku no Ko"), in English, German and Japanese. Hosokawa scored it for soloists, narrator, choir, orchestra and (optional) tape.
The oratorio was premiered on 4 May 2001 at the Herkulessaal in Munich by contralto Nathalie Stutzmann, speakers Theresa Kohlhäufl, Tim Schwazmaier, and August Zirner, and choir and orchestra of Bayerischer Rundfunk conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. The choir was prepared by Rupert Huber. It was recorded by the same performers. https://www.muziekweb.nl/en/Link/U00000638128/CLASSICAL/Voiceless-voice-in-Hiroshima The music was published by Schott.
Music and structure.
The work is structured in five section which can be performed individually:
Hosokawa used extreme musical language, a "brutal tonal world" of brass and percussion and a "colourful chordal landscape" in the choir.