The long-anticipated premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's Requiem-Strophen (Requiem Verses) in March of 2017 was also a special debut: Mariss Jansons, principal conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted his orchestra for the first time at the musica viva concert series. The live recording of this concert is being released as a co-production with BR Klassik, musica viva and NEOS. Rihm extends the liturgical Requiem text with, among others, three sonnets by Michelangelo and “verses” by Hans Sahl. Tradition is of considerable significance to Rihm, but in the sense of “assimilating it,” “advancing it,” and “developing it.” In this sense, Rihmʼs Requiem-Strophen are a highly personal approach to the Requiem genre by one of the most influential composers of our times.