For Air we had an experienced team in front of the camera – the Ensemble Modern Orchestra, conductor Brad Lubman, and Helmut Lachenmann – who had collaborated for many years. We were able to film almost completely extensive sectional rehearsals with the composer – four approximately 20-minute films of rehearsing winds, strings, percussion, keyboard and plucked instruments, and solo drums. These occurred partly in German, partly in English – in the films the passages in German are subtitled in English.

A highlight for the film team was an excursion with Helmut Lachenmann into the wintery forest near Frankfurt – on a search for dry branches to make the perfect “cracking” sounds.

The concert with the premiere of Air in the version with the Ensemble Modern Orchestra took place for the composer’s 80th birthday on 27 November 2015 in the concert hall of the Wiesbaden casino.