Cause and Curiosity

Cause and Curiosity points to an attitude driven by curiosity on the part of the composer Walter Zimmermann, whose work is examined from its beginnings to the present day in conversations with Richard Toop. In the years 2002-2008, the two met for several conversations, resulting in a multifaceted kaleidoscope of this composer whose versatility is still to be discovered. Richard Toop, who became known as an exegete of Brian Ferneyhough’s work, was always fascinated by Walter Zimmermann’s independent composing and emphasized its originality in the lecture Shadows of Ideas, which concludes this book. Walter-Wolfgang Sparrer took on the transcription and publication of the conversations, completing them after Richard Toop’s death in 2017 and providing the volume with a wealth of visual material. The result is an adventurous book that meanders through the works and mindset of the composer, whose life motto Beginner’s Mind becomes tangible in it.