Born in Saarbrücken, Riehm first studied school music in Frankfurt am Main and from 1958 composition with Wolfgang Fortner in Freiburg im Breisgau.^[1] Afterwards he worked as a solo oboist, playing Ungebräuchliches at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse in 1966, for example.^[2] Riehm co-founded the Frankfurter Vereinigung für Musik in 1964.^[2] After a brief period as a school teacher, he became a lecturer at the Rheinische Musikschule [de] in Cologne in 1968. He was also a member of the Gruppe 8 Köln [de], an association of Cologne composers, from 1968 to 1972, and is counted as a composer of the Cologne School (music).^[3]

In 1968 he received the award Premio Marzotto [de] and a scholarship from the Villa Massimo.^[2][3] From 1974 to 2000 Riehm was a professor for composition and music theory at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main.^[4] From 1976 to 1981 he was a member of the Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester, a political wind band for which he also wrote arrangements.^[5] He did concert tours, lectures and workshops in Central and South America, Sweden and Japan. In 1992 he received the Kunstpreis des Saarlandes [de] and in 2002 the Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau.

Since 2010 he has been a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin.^[2] His opera Sirenen had its premiere at the Oper Frankfurt in 2014.^[6] The same year, his writings were published under the title Texte.^[7]

On 27 November 2018, the Ensemble Modern held a Porträt Rolf Riehm as a Werkstattkonzert (workshop concert) in the series Happy New Ears at the Oper Frankfurt. The composer was interviewed by Klaus Zehelein, and music was performed by soprano Sarah Maria Sun and members of the Ensemble Modern, including Lenz in Moskau and Adieu, sirènes.^[8]

Riehm's compositions deal with philosophical reflection, history, myths, fairy tales, memories, and arguments in the natural sciences. They have combined elements both sublime and trivial and include socio-political findings as well as personal ingredients.^[4] His opera Sirenen, subtitled Bilder des Begehrens und des Vernichtens (Sirens, images of desire and destruction), includes text elements not only from Homer's Odyssey but also by Karoline von Günderrode, Giovanni Pascoli and Isabelle Erhardt, illuminating various aspects of the myth.^[9]

His works have been published by Ricordi, including:^[2][3]

Stage music edit

• Das Schweigen der Sirenen (1994)^[10]
• Sirenen – Bilder des Begehrens und des Vernichtens. Premiere: Oper Frankfurt (2014).^[6]

Orchestral works edit

• Die Erde ist eine Schale von dunkelm Gold (1966/1999), 2 Bach adaptations for soprano, tenor, baritone and orchestra
• Gewidmet (1976)^[11]
• He, tres doulz roussignol joly after old French ballades and virelais (1978)
• Tänze aus Frankfurt (1980)^[12]
• O Daddy (1984)^[13]
• Berceuse (1984/85)^[14]
• Das Schweigen der Sirenen (1987) for soprano, tenor, orchestra and electronic recordings^[12]
• Les Chants de la Revolution sont des Chants de l’Amour (1989, revised in 1998) for soprano, orchestra and electronic recordings
• Schubert Teilelager (1989) for string orchestra
• Odysseus aber hörte ihr Schweigen nicht (1993)
• Shifting (1995) violin concerto^[15]
• Die Tränen des Gletschers (1998)^[14]
• Archipel Remix (1999)^[15]
• Restoring the Death of Orpheus (2000) Akkordeonkonzert
• Fremdling, rede – Ballade Furor Odysseus (2002) for mezzo-soprano, speaker and orchestra
• Die schrecklich-gewaltigen Kinder (2003) for coloratura soprano and large ensemble^[16]
• Ihr, meine und eines ruchlosen Vaters (2006) for soprano, speaker (via feed) and orchestra
• Au bord d'une source (2006) for tenor recorder, orchestra and feeds^[17]
• Wer sind diese Kinder (2009) for piano, large orchestra and playback^[18]
• Die Tode des Orpheus (2017) for countertenor and orchestra^[19]

Music for ensemble edit

• Uncertain Melody (1989) for eight instruments
• Double Distant Counterpoint (J. S. Bach, Kunst der Fuge, Contrapunctus XI) (1994) for large ensemble and keyboard
• Sarca – il fiume Sarca (1995) for 7 wind instruments and double bass
• Schlaf, schlaf, John Donne, schlaf tief und quäl dich nicht (1997) for violin, bass clarinet, accordion, keyboard
• Hawking (1998) for piano, bass drum and six instruments
• aprikosenbäume gibt es, aprikosenbäume gibt es (2004) for double bass clarinet, violin, trumpet, violoncello, trombone and playbacks (dedicated to Wolfgang Stryi)
• Der Faden ist gerissen (2005) for seven instrumentalists
• in der luft waren vögel, im wasser waren fische (2006) for piano and eight instruments
• Lenz in Moskau (2011) for trombone, guitar, cello, piano, two percussionists and feeds^[17]
• Pasolini in Ostia (2012) for soprano, piano, cello and percussion
• Der Asra (2014) for soprano and piano
• Basar Aleppo oder Die Straße nach Tyros (2015) Sound scenes for tenor saxophone, marimba, piano and playback^[20]
• Adieu, sirènes (2015) for mezzo-soprano, 2 cellos, 2 trumpets^[21]

Chamber music edit

• Ein Sommerabend am Lindleinsee (1976) for violin, cello, piano and playbacks
• Tempo strozzato (1978) for string quartet
• "Ich denk viel." / Mr. President / pizz / 13 (1987) for viola, cello and double bass
• Gracieusement (1990) for viola, cello and double bass
• FIORETTI Within My Bosom (2000) for clarinet, cello and piano
• Short Message Piece (2001) for flute and tenor recorder
• Adieu, Marie, mon amour – Drei Liebeslieder in den Tod (2002) for viola and accordion
• No Velvet Mute For Lullabies (2005) for four trombones
• Pasolini in Ostia (2012) for soprano, piano, cello and percussion

Solo music edit

• Ungebräuchliches (1964) for oboe
• Notturno für die trauerlos Sterbenden (1977) for guitar
• Don't cry, mummy isn't here anyway − memories of a temptingly morbid summer (1982) for viola
• Scheherazade (1990) for accordion
• Toccata Orpheus (1990) for guitar
• Weeds in Ophelia's Hair (1991) for alto recorder^[22]
• Push Pull (1995) for accordion
• Hamamuth – Stadt der Engel (2005) for piano^[18]
• Ach, Königin (2005) for cello
• Ton für Ton (Weiße Straßen Babylons) (2007) for double bass and clarinet^[17]
• Im Nachtigallental (2007) for cello^[17]
• So ist es (2015) for double bass and clarinet
• Ciao, carissimo Claudio oder Die Steel Drums von San Marco (2017) for piano and playback^[23]

• The Contemporary Accordion Teodoro Anzellotti, Koch Schwann^[24]
• Kompositionen für Gitarre, Cybele 260.601^[25]
• Dokumentation Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik 1997, Kulturforum Witten / WDR Köln^[26]
• Sogenanntes Linksradikales Blasorchester, Trikont (1976–1981)^[27]
• Werke aus den Jahren 1977–1993 – Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Saarbrücken, conductors: Michael Gielen and Marcello Viotti, the guitarists Wilhelm Bruck and Theodor Ross as well as the Saarbrücken String Quartet. Talking Music TalkM 1006^[28]
• Machandelboom, Cybele SACD 960.501^[25]
• Das Schweigen der Sirenen / Tänze aus Frankfurt, hrMedia^[12]
• O Daddy, col legno^[13]
• Gewidmet, cpo^[11]
• Orchesterwerke: He, très doulz roussignol joly, Schubert Teilelager, Die Erde ist eine Schale von dunkelm Gold, Cybele 860.401^[25]
• Without Compression, Cybele 260.501^[25]
• Weeds in Ophelia’s Hair, Bayer-Records^[22]
• aprikosenbäume gibt es, aprikosenbäume gibt es (Theo Nabicht, ensemble ascolta) and two other works: ahi bocca, ahi lingua (Hilliard Ensemble) and schlaf, schlaf, John donne, schlaf tief und quäl dich nicht (ensemble recherche), Cybele records SACD 860.701^[25]
• Rolf Riehm Orchesterwerke: Die Tränen des Gletschers, Nuages immortels oder Focusing on Solos (Medea in Avignon) and Berceuse, SWR Sinfonie Orchester, Michael Gielen, Hans Zender, telos music records TLS 128^[14]
• Rolf Riehm: Wer sind diese Kinder, Hamamuth-Stadt der Engel, Nicolas Hodges, piano, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Beat Furrer, WERGO 6755 2^[18]
• Rolf Riehm: Lenz in Moskau, Im Nachtigallental, Ton für Ton (weiße Straßen Babylons), Au bord d’une source, Ensemble Ascolta, Erik Borgir, Theo Nabicht, Jeremias Schwarzer, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Sian Edwards, WERGO 73142^[17]
• Shifting, Guy Braunstein, violin, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, conductor Dennis Russell Davies, Archipel Remix, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, conductor Peter Rundel, WERGO 7357 2^[15]

• Rolf Riehm: Texte. Published by Marion Saxer (Edition Neue Zeitschrift für Musik). Schott, Mainz 2014, ISBN 978-3-7957-0868-9.
• Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich (editor): In anderen Räumen – Der Komponist Rolf Riehm (Edition Neue Zeitschrift für Musik). Schott, Mainz 2015, ISBN 978-3-7957-0896-2.
• Tadday, Ulrich, ed. (August 2018). Musik-Konzepte 182 : Rolf Riehm. Munich: edition text + kritik. ISBN 978-3-86916-710-7.

• Literature by and about Rolf Riehm in the German National Library catalogue
• Official website  
• Rolf-Riehm-Archiv Academy of Arts, Berlin
• Rolf Riehm (related articles) Neue Musikzeitung
• Rolf Riehm at IMDb
• Rolf Riehm discography at Discogs