(1952–2024)
German composer and musicologist, born in 1952 in Karlsruhe, where he lived until his death in 2024. He worked as a professor at the local High School of Music, succeeding his teacher Eugen Werner Welte. He began his compositional education at an early age; after Welte, his teachers included Wolfgang Fortner, Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne in the 1970s, and Klaus Huber in Freiburg im Breisgau. From1973 to 1978, he taught composition at in High School of Music in Karlsruhe, and in 1990–93 he was a music consultant at the local Canter for Arts and Media. At the age of only 25, he wrote his famous chamber opera Jakob Lenz, probably the most frequently performed musical theatre work in Germany. This was followed by full-scale operas: Die Hamletmaschine, Die Eroberung von Mexico, Das Geheg and Dionysos.
From the mid-1970s, he was literally showered with awards, both in Germany and abroad. He received awards from the cities of Stuttgart(1974), Mannheim (1975), Hamburg (1979), Bonn (Beethoven Prize in 1981), as well as institutions such as Cité des Arts in Paris (1983), foundations (Ernst von Siemens Stiftung, 2003), festivals (Kranichsteiner Music Award in Darmstadt, 1976; Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for lifetime achievement, 2010), and finally the Prince of Monaco (1977). In 1986, he received the Rolf Liebermann Prize for his opera Die Hamletmaschine, and in 1998, an honorary doctorate from the Free University in Berlin. In 2001, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded him the title of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et de Lettres. In 2011, he received the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and in 2014, the same cross with a star.
He was an erudite scholar, well versed in literature, painting and philosophy, from which he drew inspiration. He drew on the texts of great poets – from Homer to Hölderlin, from Goethe to Rilke. He composed over 500 works, some of which are considered milestones in the history of postwar music. Works like Jagden und Formen, the Chiffre cycle and Pol-Kochis-Nucleus have entered the classic repertoit. His most important works include the oratorio Deus passus, the orchestral Ernster Gesang, Nähe fern 1–4 and his Schumann-inspired chamber music Fremde Szenen.
Selected works (from 1995): In-Schrift for orchestra (1995), Phantom und Eskapade for violin for piano (1995), Ernster Gesang for orchestra(1996), Gejagte Form for 24 instruments (1996), Nucleus for 13 instruments (1996), Maximum est unum for alto, double choir, organ and orchestra (1996), Séraphin-Spuren for chamber ensemble and tape (1996), Etude après Séraphin for chamber ensemble and tape (1997), 3 Gedichte for voice and piano (1997), Apokryph for voice and piano (rev. for orchestras as Lied, 1997), Responsorium for female voice and chamber ensemble (1997), 3 Zeichnungen aus „De coloribus” for violin for double bass (1997), String Quartet no. 11 (1997), Verborgene Formen for chamber ensemble (1997), Vers une Symphonie fleuve, cycle for orchestra (1995–98), 3 späte Gedichte von H. Müller for alto and orchestra(1998), Deutsches Stück mit Hamlet for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra (1998), Nebendraussen for voice and piano (1998), Gedrängte Formfor chamber ensemble (1998), Marsyas for trumpet, percussion and orchestra (1998), Styx und Lethe for cello and orchestra (1998), Toccatafor piano and orchestra (1998), Über die Linie for cello (1998), Fetzen I for string quartet (1999), Musik für Klarinette und Orchester (1999),Spiegel und Fluss for orchestra (1999), Sotto voce for piano and chamber orchestra (1999), Zwiesprache for piano (1999), In doppelter Tiefe for mezzo-soprano, alto for orchestra (1999), Im Anfang for orchestra (2000), Concerto: Dithyrambe for string quartet and orchestra (2000),Deus passus for three voices, choir and orchestra (2000), …fleuve V for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra (2000), Stilles Stück for baritone and eight string instruments (2000), Jagden und Formen for 25 instruments (1995–2001), Arial Ariadne for soprano and chamber orchestra (2001), Astralis for choir, cello for percussion (2001), Concerto no. 2 for viola and orchestra (2002), 7 Sketches for harpsichord and string orchestra (2002), String Quartet no. 12 (2002), Die Stücke des Sängers for harp and chamber ensemble (2002), Fetzen II for string quartet (2002), Piano Quintet (2002), Sphäre nach Studie for two double basses, harp, piano and two percussion (2002), Verwandlung for orchestra (2002), 6 Gedichte von F. Nietzsche for voice and piano (2002), Brentano-Phantasie for voice and piano (2002), Das Lesen der Schrift, four pieces for orchestra (2003), Fetzen III for accordion and string quartet (2003), Gesangsstück „Triophantasie” for clarinet, violin and piano (2003), Unbenannt IV for organ and orchestra (2003), Insula felix for two voices, choir and small orchestra (2003), Lavant-Gesänge, five poems for voice and piano (2003), Stilles Stück II for tenor/baritone, horn and eight string instruments (2003), Europa nach dem letzten Regen, 11 poems for soprano, alto, tenor and orchestra (2003), Das Gehege for soprano and orchestra (2004–5), Penthesilea Monolog for dramatic soprano and orchestra (2005), Diptychon for soprano and orchestra (2006–7), QUID EST DEUS – Cantata Hermetica for choir and orchestra (2007), Psalmus – Music for bassoon and orchestra (2007), Versuchung – Hommage à Max Beckmann for cello and orchestra (2008–9),Dionysos, opera fantasy after Friedrich Nietzsche to a libretto by the composer (2009–10), Lichtes Spiel – Ein Sommerstück for violin and small orchestra (2009), Samothrake for soprano and orchestra (2011), Nähe fern 1-4 – Eine Symphonie for orchestra (2011–12), Stille Festefor chór and orchestra (2012), Transitus for orchestra (2012–13), Epilog for string quintet (2012–13), IN-SCHRIFT 2 for orchestra (2013),Hornkonzert for horn and orchestra (2013), Verwandlung 5 – Musik for orchestra (2013), CON PIANO? CERTO! for piano and orchestra (2013),Sound As Will for trumpet and ensemble (2011–14), In Verbundenheit – Ein Satzanfang für das Arditti-Quartett for string quartet (2014), Piano Concerto no. 2 (2014), Verwandlung 6 – Musik for orchestra (2014), Gedicht des Malers – (Poème du Peintre) for violin and orchestra (2014), Trio Concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra (2014), Über die Linie VIII for orchestra (2012–15), Gruß-Momentfor orchestra (2015), Requiem-Strophen for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra (2015), Missa brevis for a cappella choir (2015), Geste zu Vedovafor string quartet (2015), De profundis for choir and orchestra (2015), Duo Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra (2015), 3 Sonette von Michelangelo – in Rilkes Übertragung for baritone and orchestra (2013/16), Gruß-Moment 2 – in memoriam Pierre Boulez for orchestra (2016), Reminiszenz – Triptychon und Spruch for tenor and large orchestra (2016), Transitus III for orchestra (2017), Concerto en Sol for celloand large orchestra (2018), Sostenuto for orchestra (2019), 3 Gedichte von Hans Erich Nossack for tenor/soprano and piano (2019), Episode forviolin and piano (2020), Gebet der Hexe von Endor for soprano and cello (2021), Terzinen an den Tod, four poems after Albert Vigoleis Thelen(2021), Two Pieces for cello for piano (2022).