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Wüthrich Hans

(03. 08. 1937 - 20. 03. 2019)

Wüthrich Hans
Wüthrich Hans
Birseckstr. 11
Postfach 852
CH-4144 Arlesheim (BL)
Schweiz

Tel: +41 (0)61 701 39 23
Mobile: +41 (0)78 648 01 56

 

Genre: Classical Music
Professional activity: Composers, Authors
Biography
* 03. 08. 1937, † 20. 03. 2019.

Born in Aeschi, canton Berne
Studied music at the conservatory in Berne under the tutelage of Sava Savoff (piano) and Sandor Veress (theory).
1962 – Pianist's diploma
1967 until 1973 – Studies at the University of Zurich (German language and literature studies, philosophy and musicology)
1973 – Promotion to Dr.phil
1968 until 1972 – Composition lessons under Klaus Huber
1971 until 1985 – Lectures linguistics (phonetics/phonemics) at the universities of Zurich and Basel
1974 – Founds the ensemble 'mixt media basel', concentrating on works in the area between music and theatre
1985 until 2002 – Music theory teacher at the Musikhochschule Winterthur-Zürich
Freelance since 2002
Lives in Arlesheim (CH) and Kandern (DE)
Since 2009 – Member of the Akademie der Künste Berlin
Awards:
Composition prize at the 'Internationalen Kompositionswettbewerb Boswil' in 1974, 1976 and 1978.
Grand Prix Paul Gilson de la 'Communauté radiophonique des programmes de la langue francaise' 1984.
Award for music from the canton Basel-Landschaft
1991, 2011 Marguerite Staehelin composition prize from the Swiss Association of Musicians


Work list

Der heimliche Weg (1968)

Instrumentation: for soprano, clarinet, trumpet, viola, cello, e.organ and percussion

Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Requiem für Gulliver (1972-1973)

Instrumentation: for orchestra, four voices (SATB) and electronic tape

Duration: 13' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Kommunikationsspiele (1973)
a concept

Duration: var.
Hug & Co. Musikverlage
Limmatquai 28-30
CH-8001 Zürich
Das Glashaus (1974-1975)
Music theatre

Instrumentation: for six speakers/actors, soprano, percussion and playback CD

Duration: 30' 00"
Forberg Musikverlag GmbH
c/o Ricordi
Baumkirchner Str.53a
D-81673 München
BRD
Tel. +49 (0)89 991 50 613
www.ricordi.de
2 Minuten gegen das Vergessen (1978)

Instrumentation: for string trio or piano

Duration: 2' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Strawberry Jelly Fruit Bath (1978)

Instrumentation: for flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, horn and string trio

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Brigitte F. (1978)

Instrumentation: for orator, seven singers and nine instruments (fl.ob.cl.sx/tpt.tbn/perc/va.vc)

Duration: 37' 00"
Manuscript
Arie zum Selbstbildnis von Leonardo da Vinci (1978)

Instrumentation: for soprano and flute (or ob or pf)

Texts: Brigitte Färber

Duration: 3' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Singende Schnecke (1979)
A concept

Das Vorgegebene | The Actuality – Das projizierende Hören | Projective hearing – Beispiele für verbale Anweisungen | Examples for verbal instructions.

Duration: var.
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Procuste deux étoiles (1980-1981)

Instrumentation: for orchestra (2.2.2.2/2.2.0.0/str) and playback CD

Psychoacoustic portrait of Roland Roesch.

Duration: 27' 00"
Manuscript
Rrose Selavy (1982)
Seven spirals

Instrumentation: for soprano, alto, tenor and string quartet

To the film 'anémic cinéma' by Marcel Duchamp.

Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Netzwerk I (1982-1985)
(...Like in a very large ship or fish...)

Instrumentation: for autonomously cybernetic self-regulating orchestra without conductor (4.3.3.bcl.3/4.3.4.1/perc/hp/str)

Duration: 10' 00"
Forberg Musikverlag GmbH
c/o Ricordi
Baumkirchner Str.53a
D-81673 München
BRD
Tel. +49 (0)89 991 50 613
www.ricordi.de
Netz-Werk II (1984-1985)
(Flexible outlines)

Instrumentation: for autonomously cybernetic self-regulating orchestra without conductor (4.2.3.bcl.2/4.2.1.0/str)

Duration: 10' 00"
Forberg Musikverlag GmbH
c/o Ricordi
Baumkirchner Str.53a
D-81673 München
BRD
Tel. +49 (0)89 991 50 613
www.ricordi.de
Annäherungen an Gegenwart (1986-1987)

Instrumentation: for string quartet

Duration: var.
Forberg Musikverlag GmbH
c/o Ricordi
Baumkirchner Str.53a
D-81673 München
BRD
Tel. +49 (0)89 991 50 613
www.ricordi.de
Netzwerk III (1987-1989)
(Figures, annulment and unpredictable associations)

Instrumentation: for orchestra without conductor (3.2.2.2/4.2.2.1/hp/perc/str)

Duration: 15' 00"
Forberg Musikverlag GmbH
c/o Ricordi
Baumkirchner Str.53a
D-81673 München
BRD
Tel. +49 (0)89 991 50 613
www.ricordi.de
Chopin im TGV Basel-Paris, die Sonne betrachtend (1989)

Instrumentation: for flute, violin and piano

Duration: 6' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Wörter Bilder Dinge (1989-1991)

Instrumentation: for alto and string quartet

String quartet and voice. The hermetic square is broken open. The instruments which became body parts combine with the human body which is used as an instrument. Sounds, noises and rhythms manifest in a tense relationship with linguistic meanings.

Duration: 22' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Leve (1992)
15 scenes

Instrumentation: with 3 women (SMezA), 3 men (T, 2 actors able to read notes or Bar/B) and objects

Henri
vertical 1
leve
diagonal
così
vertical 2
doggy
star collection: nicht, oder / as bizarre as we are / ogottogott / schön / pritzkara / bains de gros thé / hallo mama
Schluss-Spot

A non-coherent story. Single. This and that. Pictures, situations, ideas. Concentrated yet transparent and open, light yet severe. Sluggishness and suddenness.

Duration: 50' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Sky, seated man/seated woman, train, garden-pool, cut (1993)
5 Codes

Instrumentation: for eight solo voices (2S2A2T2B) and two keyboards

Can also be realised scenically.

Duration: 4' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Happy Hour. Zyklus (1994-1997)
Eight spots

Instrumentation: for twelve singers/actors(esses), one percussionist, three chickens and objects

The spots can also be performed separately:

- O miseria umana (1997)
for vocal ensemble, 2 keyboards and objects, ca 8'
Staging of the sketch 12698 recto by Leonardo da Vinci. "Ihr elenden Menschen, wie vieler Dinge wegen macht Ihr Euch dem Geld zum Sklaven!"

- Orte der Zeit I ("aus der Heimat hinter den Blitzen rot")(1997)
for 3 actors/actresses who walk backwards in phases from right to left during which time, also in phases, a poem is recited back to front, ca 5'

- Orte der Zeit II (ex libris) (1997)
for 5 actors/actresses and 5 small tables, on each table an ancient book that "breathes" quietly, ca 4-5'

- "Ah! Vous voilà!" (1994-96)
for 2 men and 2 women, ca 10'
Four figures from Classical Modern theatrical pieces act upon the stage:
soprano: Isabelle from "L´ínvitation au château" by Jean Anouilh
alto: Inès from "Huis clos" by Jean-Paul Sartre
tenor: Hugo from "Les mains sales" by Jean-Paul Sartre
bass: Ravier from "Celles que l´on prend dans ses bras" by Henry de Montherlant


- L´être et le néant (Bitte Ruhe) (1997)
three chickens, guardian, violin ca 7'

- O me nura (1997)
for singers, 2 keyboards, life-size puppets and cassette player in a dark, dismal picture with dark music, ca 5'
"O me nura,wo fjeh mo seh, e tura lemo tuini…." (Alois Dallmayr, as spirit of the truth interned. Upper Bavarian sanatorium Elfing. House 19/1. Elfing


- Estelle + D.R. (Pendel) (1997),
5 life-size puppets and a cassette player, ca 7'

- Happy Hour (1996)
for 11 singers, speakers (= party guests), a waiter and a percussionist (=barkeeper), 20'
The actions of the party guests are as phonetic as they are gestural and divided into 150 phases. Pauses are inserted between these phases, within which the final state of the preceding phase remains frozen. The process is comparable to the technique of successive forwarding from frozen image to frozen image found in video editing. From a base pulse of MM 56 the movement phase lasts one unit, the pause 6 units. The only one who does not comply with this base rhythm is the barkeeper; he mixes drinks based on other principles.

Duration: 60' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Glühende Uebergänge in Rot, Orange und leuchtendem Blau (1998-1999)

Instrumentation: for vocal ensemble (3S3A3T3B) and 2 keyboards

- 1. Innenraum mit grossen Figuren
Extreme, spatial contours/gestures pushing on the borders of the vocal range: bombastic, larksome, ecstatic, inspired by the pictures of Jackson Pollock.
3S/3A/3T/3B, 2 Keyboards
2'40"

- 2. Rot, Gräulicholivgrün auf Kastanienbraun
Inspired by a picture from Mark Rothko, works with timbres, rhythms and dynamic nuances in colour characterisations
2S/2A/2T/2B, 2 Keyboards
1'45"

- 3. Dowland. Dowland. Come in. hm. Brentwood.
1S/1A/1T/1B (4 voices ad libitum)
30"

- 4. Passion Slave
A seething mass of contours, inspired by the pictures of Mark Tobey.
2S/2A/2T/2B, Text: Emile Josome Hodinos
1'45"

- 5. Abenddämmerung an einem sehr schönen Ort
Also based on the timbres, rhythms and dynamic conditions of the colour characterisations, but here very transparent, exceedingly delicate; each voice is extremely exposed.
2S/2A/2T/2B, 2 Keyboards
6'45"

Duration: 12' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
walser arabien (2002)

Instrumentation: for soprano (mezzo-soprano) and piano

Based on a poem by Robert Walser.

Duration: 2' 20"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Drei psychophysikalische Symbole (2002-2003)

Instrumentation: for two guitars

Bierbläschen in schmalem Glas - electric area - fractal fatal.

Duration: 9' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Zwölf Phasen eines Cocons und fünf dynamische Kreuze (2004-2006)

Instrumentation: for flute, high Eb clarinet, baritone sax in Eb, trombone, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, piano and percussion piano

Duration: 14' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Peripherie und Mitte (2009-2011)

Instrumentation: for two percussionists and live electronics

The two percussionists play short, live and concise musical forms or morphological samples. These are repeated according to certain rules using a programmable digital apparatus and combined with the in-coming live forms to create ever-new and larger forms. These are occasionally compounded into clusters to create sound rooms or 'soul landscapes'.

Duration: 18' 00"
G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH
Stralauer Allee 1
D-10245 Berlin
BRD
Tel. +49 (030) 520071321
info@ricordi.de
www.ricordi.de
Discography
Bibliography
Wüthrich, Hans: Mit oder ohne Leim. Zum Hören von Zusammenhang in der neuen Musik, in: Musiktheorie 3 (1987)
Wüthrich, Hans: Den Dingen auf den Grund gehen, in: Dossier Klaus Huber, Zytglogge-Verlag, Bern 1989
Wüthrich, Hans: Widerstand als Kompositionshilfe, in: Dissonanz 105 (2009), S. 22 [Internet]
Kenneweg, Friederike: Grammont Sélection 5, in: Dissonanz 122 (2013), S. 76-77 [Internet]
Brotbeck, Roman: Grammont Sélection 5. Uraufführungen aus dem Jahr 2011, in: Kuratierung und Kommentierung der CD, Musiques Suisses, Zürich 2012
Spahlinger, Mathias (et al.): Veruneinheitlichende Ideen. Mathias Spahlinger spricht über den Komponisten Hans Wüthrich, in: Dissonanz 111 (2010), S. 48-55 [Internet]
Fluri, Christian: Die Lust am Experimentieren (zur Uraufführung von "Zwölf Phasen eines Cocons und fünf dynamische Kreuze" am Festival Rümlingen 2006), in: Basellandschaftliche Zeitung (7.9.2006) (2006)
Haefeli, Anton: Artikel "Hans Wüthrich", in: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Second Edition. Volume 27 2001
Meyer, Thomas: "Idealerweise ist bereits der erste Einfall multimedial". Zum Musiktheater von Hans Wüthrich, in: Dissonanz 60 (1999)
Fluri, Christian: "Schon meine Einfälle sind multimedial". Gespräch mit Hans Wüthrich, in: Basellandschaftliche Zeitung/Nordschweiz (28.1.1998) (1998)
Nauck, Gisela: Zwei Minuten gegen das Vergessen. Der Schweizer Komponist Hans Wüthrich - ein Porträt, in: Musikwissenschaft zwischen Kunst, Aesthetik und Experiment. Festschrift Helga de la Motte-Haber zum 60. Geburtstag, Würzburg 1998
Rath, Thomas R.: Kritik des freien Falls. Hans Wüthrichs neues Musiktheater, in: Positionen (Mai 1998) 35 (1998)
Nauck, Gisela: Annäherungen an Gegenwart. Zu einem Streichquartett von Hans Wüthrich, in: Positionen (Februar 1997) 30 (1997)
Meyer, Thomas: Artikel "Hans Wüthrich", in: Komponisten der Gegenwart (13. Nachlieferung), TextKritik, München 1996
Rytz, Christoph: "Der schreckliche globale Einheitsbrei". Der Arlesheimer Komponist Hans Wüthrich, in: Basellandschaftliche Zeitung/Nordschweiz (2.8.1996) (1996)
Fluri, Christian: Auf steter Suche nach offenen Kommunikationsformen, in: Basellandschaftliche Zeitung (29.7.1989) (1989)
Nyffeler, Max: Remedur für Patient Orchester? Netz-Werk I und II von Hans Wüthrich, in: Dissonanz 19 (1989)
Wohnlich, David: "Utopien sind schwierig zu gestalten". Gespräch mit Hans Wüthrich, in: Nordschweiz (11.10.1988) (1988)
Zobl, Wilhelm: Hans Wüthrich, in: Oesterreichische Musikzeitschrift 1 (1981)
Burri, Peter: Musik aus dem Leben bedrängter Menschen schreiben, in: Aargauer Tagblatt (22.2.1980) (1980)
Erni, Jürg: Machtstrukturen zeigen. NZ-Gespräch mit dem Komponisten Hans Wüthrich, in: National Zeitung (21.1.1977) (1977), S. 30


Last updated: 2020-10-06 16:48:10