In The Sleepwalkers, Andreas Ziegelbäck reflects on the causes and dynamics of the First World War. The title refers to the book by Christopher Clark, describing Europe’s great powers as “sleepwalkers” drifting unknowingly into disaster.

Three central motives are taken from the march in Three Orchestral Pieces op. 6 by Alban Berg and shape the work’s martial character. A calm middle section reflects Berg’s connection to the expressive sound world of Gustav Mahler and serves as a musical ...