Wouter Lenaerts

Ziggurat

The Tower of Babel was built in 1563 and is the best-known masterpiece of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1520-1569). The step-like temple tower or ziggurat was an important meeting place for people from different continents and cultures. However, its spiritual meaning is even more important as this tower was considered to be the gate to heaven - the gate dividing two worlds. This work creates a musical connection between these two worlds. As sources of inspiration, the composer used the Luther chorale 'Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein' (Oh God, Look Down from Heaven, 1524), the legendary King Nimrod and the painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, whose initials form the basis of one of the themes.