Thiemo Kraas

And The Rest Is Silence

A forest is a miracle. Green giants that have grown over centuries tell their story. The forest gives us a very special atmosphere, amazes us and lets us relax. At the same time, it is often also a place of mystery - creators of sagas and myths. The composition AND THE REST IS SILENCE wants to musically capture the special fascination of the forest. In six musical images that merge into one another, a walker takes us by the hand.

GREEN SKY
Numerous, uniting treetops turn the sky into a unique "green sea". A devotional atmosphere arises.

DANCING LEAVES
Two leaves dancing together capture our gaze. They sway gently in the wind.

LIFE
The forest is rich in flora and fauna, full of vibrant life. The magical forest habitat offers a home to a wide variety of plants and animals.

MYSTERIOUS MOOR
The hiker now reaches a particularly dark part of the forest. Many legends surround this swampy, muddy landscape. Sometimes the music is mysteriously wafting, sometimes frightening and eerie. Does this have to do with an animal forest dweller that we meet briefly on our journey? He has always been one of the "devil beasts" ...

GLADE
A saving glade approaches. Our hiker manages to escape from the unknown to a beautiful summer meadow. The music, which is predominantly very chamber-music, is presented as tenderly as their growths.

WATER
At the end of our trip we discover a waterfall. Water is considered a sign of life; it is indispensable for plants, humans and animals alike. In this last picture, all the musical themes presented so far are connected with one another and show the forest as a symphony of colors and scents.

What is particularly inherent in the forest is probably difficult to capture in music: silence. And yet it is also necessary for the music. AND THE REST IS SILENCE.

The composition was created for the "Bayer Wind Orchestra" of Leverkusen, which wanted a work in the form of a "symphonic poem" for its anniversary. This piece is dedicated to all the musicians of the orchestra's 120-year history.

Münster, summer 2021 - Thiemo Kraas