Mützenberg François
(23. 01. 1966)
Genre: Classical Music
Biography
* 23. 01. 1966.
Geneva born flute player and composer François Mützenberg works both in the fields of Baroque music and jazz. He teaches flute at the Conservatoire de Lausanne.
As a researcher and creator, his main interests lay in the art of Baroque ornamentation, the quest for a contemporary language, which is at the same time accessible and uncompromising, and most of all, the wish to transmit via music a way of understanding the world. More or less frequent references in his work to jazz and certain traditional music reflects his wish to integrate a certain manner where rhythm, improvisation and accurate expression are omnipresent.
Numerous collaborations with dance are echoed in his play, which is deeply influenced by movement.
François Mützenberg was musical director of the Baroque dance company Côté Cour, Côté Jardin, soloist of the Swiss Baroque orchestra Swiss Consort, musician of the artist group Honey & Milk, member of the free improvisation trio Claude Tabarini's Rive Droite Flute Explorers and now plays in the recorder ensemble Trois Tiers Trio, in the Celtic, Baroque music ensemble Le Banquet d'Apollon and the ensemble Zône Franche.
François Mützenberg is one of the rare Swiss musicians playing the Baroque musette; he has also developed a research project on music situated between traditional music (Irish or Scottish Celtic music) and art music (Baroque music) played in the 18th century on the British Islands. Together with Zône Franche in 2009, he founded a new musical configuration bringing together jazz and Baroque music and combining electric guitar, accordion, double bass and recorder.
Geneva born flute player and composer François Mützenberg works both in the fields of Baroque music and jazz. He teaches flute at the Conservatoire de Lausanne.
As a researcher and creator, his main interests lay in the art of Baroque ornamentation, the quest for a contemporary language, which is at the same time accessible and uncompromising, and most of all, the wish to transmit via music a way of understanding the world. More or less frequent references in his work to jazz and certain traditional music reflects his wish to integrate a certain manner where rhythm, improvisation and accurate expression are omnipresent.
Numerous collaborations with dance are echoed in his play, which is deeply influenced by movement.
François Mützenberg was musical director of the Baroque dance company Côté Cour, Côté Jardin, soloist of the Swiss Baroque orchestra Swiss Consort, musician of the artist group Honey & Milk, member of the free improvisation trio Claude Tabarini's Rive Droite Flute Explorers and now plays in the recorder ensemble Trois Tiers Trio, in the Celtic, Baroque music ensemble Le Banquet d'Apollon and the ensemble Zône Franche.
François Mützenberg is one of the rare Swiss musicians playing the Baroque musette; he has also developed a research project on music situated between traditional music (Irish or Scottish Celtic music) and art music (Baroque music) played in the 18th century on the British Islands. Together with Zône Franche in 2009, he founded a new musical configuration bringing together jazz and Baroque music and combining electric guitar, accordion, double bass and recorder.
Work list
There is no speech without music (1993)
Instrumentation: for recorder and electronic tape
This piece uses the continuous breathing technique. The flute is muted in order to make audible the sound through the headphones of a walkman.
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Plagiarism I, II et III (1993-1994)
Instrumentation: for sopranino recorder (I and III) and viola in G (II)
Duration: 6' 25"
Manuscript
Le départ et (1993)
Instrumentation: for alto recorder
This piece, which utilises quarter tones and continuous breathing, was written in response to 'L'arrivée des voyageurs' by Dominy Clements who dedicated the piece to Dóra Kiss and François Mützenberg. 'Le départ et' was world premiered with a choreographed solo by Dóra Kiss and a large dyptichon painting by François Mützenberg.
Duration: 9' 00"
Manuscript
Tacere (taire) ter (1993)
Instrumentation: for electronic tape
A piece with a choreography by Dóra Kiss and an LED visual intervention by Joël Mützenberg.
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
17 novembre (1993)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
Exposition d'orchestre (1994)
Instrumentation: for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, piano, violin, viola and violoncello
A piece with a choreography for the musicians by Dóra Kiss and a visual intervention on mobile screens which move around amongst the musicians.
A commissioned work by Christophe Dorsaz for the chamber music ensemble of the University of Geneva.
Duration: 24' 00"
Manuscript
Canon (1994)
Instrumentation: for electronic tape
A piece for 'Vitrine': choreography for four of Dóra Kiss's dance students.
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Sera-ce le privilège de la mort d'enfin nous enseigner le calme? (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano, violin and violoncello
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
L'imitation/Limitations (1994)
Instrumentation: for 2 electronic tapes and recorder
A piece with a choreography by Dóra Kiss and a visual slide show work by Joël Mützenberg.
Duration: 11' 30"
Manuscript
Sera-ce le privilège de la mort d'enfin nous enseigner le calme? (1994)
Instrumentation: for saxophone quartet
Commissioned by Martin Kirnbauer for the New art saxophone quartet of Basel on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the invention of the saxophone.
Duration: 13' 00"
Manuscript
Blackbird recording (1994)
Instrumentation: for alto recorder and live electronics
The electronic setting consists of a microphone, a frequency reader, a real-time sequencer and a sampler. The samples, which have all been produced by recorders and the human voice, are set off by a real recorder via the microphone and the frequency reader. All this to reconstruct the song of a blackbird according to the sentence "you call a bird and it sings".
Duration: 12' 30"
Manuscript
Small records (1994)
Instrumentation: for sopranino recorder
This work takes reference to the pencil drawings by Duchamp representing the works of famous artists (Rodin, Ingres, Courbet).
Duration: 7' 00"
Manuscript
Lecture/Conférence (1994)
Instrumentation: for discourse, recorder and live electronics
This piece is the realisation of the idea which is apparent in the sentence: "There is no speech without music" - music and discourse are inseparable. This work consists of "Small records", "Blackbird recording" and "Plagiarism III".
Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Moi-je: "J'ai enregistré ma voix" (1995-2009)
Instrumentation: for tape
"Moi-je" is a series of eight pieces created between 1994 and 1995, and later revised in 2004. They reflect my fascination for the phenomenon of loops.
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Trois tiers (trio) (1996)
Instrumentation: for recorder
ERTA Prize 1996.
Duration: 4' 15"
Mieroprint
Postfach 5544
D-48030 Münster
D-48030 Münster
N'ayons pas peur d'être champêtre (1996)
Instrumentation: for recorder, transverse flute, clarinet, 2 violins, 2 guitars, 2 violoncellos and piano (3 pianists)
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Sad song (1996)
Instrumentation: for alto recorder solo
This piece uses the microtonal and continuous breathing techniques.
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
N’ayons pas peur d’être champêtre (1996/2016)
Duration: 1' 00"
Manuscript
Sois sente (être son chemin) (1998)
Instrumentation: for recorder, piano and violoncello
Simple piece composed for the 60th birthday of Roland Vuataz.
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Sera-ce le privilège de la mort d'enfin nous enseigner le calme ? La violence du silence a parfois besoin de voile(s) (1998)
Instrumentation: for 2 pianos
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
Phénomènes de souvenirs (1998-2000)
Instrumentation: for electronic tape
A piece with a choreography by Dóra Kiss. There were different stages of the production from 1998 to 2000 in which a part of the piece became "Circonvolutions de mémoire".
Duration: 22' 00"
Manuscript
Ora/cle (1999)
Instrumentation: for soprano, recorder, violin, double bass, percussion, speaker and a dancer (f)
Based on texts extracted from 'L'Oracle de ténèbres' by Luiz Manuel.
Commissioned by the organising party of the festival 'Lettres Romandes' in 1999.
Duration: 42' 00"
Editions E. Vernay
Genève
Circonvolution de mémoire (2000)
Instrumentation: soundtrack
Duration: 17' 00"
Manuscript
Tendre nue – réminiscence (2001)
Instrumentation: for saxophone, trumpet, double bass and percussion
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Tendre nue (2001-2005)
Instrumentation: for 2 recorders, viola da gamba and violin
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Cartes postales (2001)
Instrumentation: for recorder, electric guitar and baroque musette
Carte postale (1) for baroque musette (duration: 2 min. 45)
Carte postale (2) for sopranino recorder (duration: 2 min. 50)
Carte postale (3) for sopranino and soprano recorder (one single musician; duration: 2 min. 30)
Carte postale (4) (tacet)
Carte postale (5) for electric guitar and looper (duration: 4 min. 40)
Carte postale (6) for sopranino recorder (duration: 2 min.)
Carte postale (7) for bass recorder (duration: 2 min. 20)
A series of pieces with solos choreographed by Dóra Kiss.
Duration: 17' 00"
Manuscript
Marie debout près du tombeau (2002)
Instrumentation: for choir (sopranos I and II, altos I and II, baritones) and organ
Texts: Pierre Emmanuel
Duration: 16' 00"
Manuscript
Au bord de la vie. The catcher in the rye (2002)
Instrumentation: for violin and saxophone
This series of pieces, composed for the spectacle 'Au bord de la vie', created by the 'Vir&Volt'Age' company after the work by Gao Xingjian, was inspired by the reading of 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J. D. Salinger.
Duration: 26' 00"
Manuscript
Trois (2002)
Instrumentation: for recorder
A piece in four parts with a trio choreography by Dóra Kiss entitled "Phonsy".
Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
Les chants du veilleur (2004)
Instrumentation: for baritone and piano
Texts: Gabriel Mützenberg
Commission for the festival 'Les Flâneries musicales' in Champéry.
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
Jean P'tit Jean (2008)
Instrumentation: for a cappella choir
Revision and development of a theme based on a folk song bearing the same title.
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
La fille du vigneron (2008)
Instrumentation: for a cappella choir
Revision and development of a theme based on a folk song bearing the same title.
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Paysage sonore: le lac de l'Escalier (2008)
Instrumentation: for transverse flute ensemble
I. Le bruant à gorge blanche (3 min. 10)
II. Le plongeon Huard (2 min. 40)
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Psaume 114 (2009)
Instrumentation: for choir and organ
New musical adaptation of Clément Marot's paraphrase in the re-edited version by Marc-François Gonin's.
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Psaume 136 (2009)
Instrumentation: for choir and organ
New musical adaptation based on an own version of the text.
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Symphonie-Haïku (2009)
Instrumentation: for recorder (alto, soprano and sopranino), 2 violins and BB accordion
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Petite suite hivernale en forme de Pélerinage (les 7 tableaux de Ste J de S) (2010)
Instrumentation: for solo recorder (sopranino, soprano, alto and tenor)
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Odyssée de l'espace_espace de l'Odyssée (2010-2012)
Instrumentation: for accordion ensemble with an interlude for clarinet and trumpet
Duration: 13' 30"
Manuscript
Carte postale (1 version garage) (2011)
Instrumentation: for sopranino and soprano recorder, voice (one single musician)
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Giocare (2012)
Instrumentation: pour flute à bec soprano, un dé, une toupie, deux balles de ping-pong, une bougie (et son bougeoir), une boîte d’allumettes, un plateau
Duration: 2' 00"-2' 30"
Manuscript
Concertare (2012)
Instrumentation: pour flute à bec alto seule
Duration: 2' 15"
Manuscript
Unfinished stories (2012)
1. Minimal talk
Instrumentation: for recorder (alto), viola, BB accordion and violoncello
Duration: 2' 30"
Manuscript
Instrumentation: for recorder (alto), viola, BB accordion and violoncello
Duration: 2' 30"
Manuscript
Les chants du veilleur (2012)
Instrumentation: for baritone and piano
Texts: Gabriel Mützenberg
"Plus de hâte", "Si", "Une pluie a lavé".
Duration: 17' 00"
Manuscript
Melancholicus (2013)
Duration: 1' 00"
Manuscript
Cholericus (2013)
Duration: 1' 30"
Manuscript
Intellecticus (2013)
Duration: 1' 15"
Manuscript
Unfinished stories (2014)
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Trois tiers (trio) bis (2014) (2014)
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Dans le silence (2014)
Duration: 9' 20"
Manuscript
Nimbostratus (2014)
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Cirrus (2014)
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Nouvelles cartes postales (2015-2016)
Manuscript
Premier livre d'incantations pour la naissance des mondes (2015)
Duration: 18' 30"
Manuscript
Souviens-toi. Quelques traces binaires en mémoire. (2016)
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Quel est cet oiseau que j’entends sans jamais le voir ? (2016-2018)
Duration: 11' 00"
Manuscript
Nouvelles cartes postales (2017-2018)
Manuscript
Chants du veilleur (2017)
Duration: 11' 15"
Manuscript
Chants du veilleur (2019)
Manuscript
Giocare (2020)
Duration: 2' 30"-3' 00"
Manuscript
Dans la brume une aile bat (2020)
Duration: 3' 25"
Manuscript
Crépuscule (2021)
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Repertory
François Mützenberg: Ora/cle for soprano, recorder, violin, double bass, percussion, speaker and a dancer (f)
François Mützenberg: Carte postale (1 version garage) for sopranino and soprano recorder, voice (one single musician)
François Mützenberg: Petite suite hivernale en forme de Pélerinage (les 7 tableaux de Ste J de S) for solo recorder (sopranino, soprano, alto and tenor)
Ensembles
Last updated: 2020-10-06 16:48:10