Aribert Reimann

Aribert Reimann was known equally as a composer and as a vocal accompanist; in the latter sphere, he was especially closely associated with the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. The composer of operas and vocal music based on major literary works, not only German ones, he was also an important educator. Reimann wrote a ballet, Stoffreste, with a libretto by novelist Günter Grass in 1959. Reimann turned to opera in the 1960s. His fourth opera, Lear (1978), starred Fischer-Dieskau in the lead role at its premiere. Reimann often accompanied Fischer-Dieskau in live performances and on recordings. In 1990, Reimann and others recorded an album of his own works. More than 50 of his works had been recorded as of the mid-2020s, ranging from solo pieces for cello, oboe, and clarinet to orchestral music, opera, and other works in large forms. Reimann died in Berlin on March 13, 2024.