Work of the Week – Stefan Heucke: The Glory of Life

By Christopher Peter
17 Aug 2025

Composer Stefan Heucke is seen in the foreground of an atmospherically lit church interior. He wears a white shirt, has a bald head, a short grey beard, and black-rimmed glasses. Behind him, blurred stained-glass windows, candles, and a chandelier

“The Glory of Life” – A Trumpet Concerto Between Mourning and Hope: On August 21, 2025, at the Staunton Music Festival in Staunton, Virginia, the world premiere of Stefan Heucke’s new Concerto for trumpet "The Glory of Life" will take place. Solo trumpet is performed by Bruno Lourensetto, accompanied by the Staunton Music Festival Orchestra under Carsten Schmidt.

Four movements on a journey of transformation

The four movements—“Funeral March,” “Intermezzo,” “Fugato,” and “Epilogue”—carry the listener from grief through reflection and motion into a shimmering final transformation. In a stirring option, the final movement includes a solo sopranist using a Kafka quote from his 1921 diary:

“The glory of life... It is not hostile... If you call it by the right word... then it comes.”

This poetic fragment turns the finale into a musical invocation of hope made tangible. The final movement can also be performed with a solo sporano. The score of the Concerto includes the part with German and English text by Franz Kafka.

About the composer – Stefan Heucke

German composer Stefan Heucke (b. 1959) often merges literary texts with music to explore themes of life, memory, and dignity. Awarded the Hans-Werner-Henze Prize and frequently engaged by the Staunton Music Festival (formerly Composer-in-Residence), Heucke here crafts a refined interplay of instrument and voice—reflecting our yearning for the intangible.

Your opinion counts

What moves you most in this work—the sonic language, the Kafka text, or the idea of life’s hidden fullness? Share your thoughts on Instagram or Facebook—we’d love to hear from you.