Following completion of his undergraduate studies in Disentis, Pfiffner studied philosophy and theology for several semesters (including in Fribourg). He studied music in Rome and in Basel (organ diploma under Eduard Müller). Between 1959 and 1994 he held numerous teaching posts in Basel and Lucerne. From 1950 until 1987 he was cantor, choirmaster and organist at St Michael's in Basel. Between 1960 and 1970 he was editor of the journal 'Katholische Kirchenmusik'. From 1967 until 1987 he was director of the 'Akademie für Schul- und Kirchenmusik, Luzern' (Academy of School and Church Music in Lucerne). He has lived in Basel since 1948.
Work list
Kleine Messe für Advent und Fastenzeit (1948-1949)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
Work series C: Music for Mass.
Duration: 4' 00"
Paulus Verlag GmbH
Murbacherstr. 29 CH-6003 Luzern
Adventspsalm (1949-1972)
Instrumentation: for two choirs, two trumpets, trombone and organ
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
Reworking of 'In Fernen schau ich aus' for double choir, three trombones and organ. Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Herbst: Schon bleichen alle Dinge (1950)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir
Texts: Alfons Reck
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Instrumentation: for baritone, clarinet, horn, viola, violoncello and small percussion
Texts: Chinesisch
Text: China 4AD.Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
"... et aperuit oculos.." (1973-1974)
Instrumentation: for bass, baritone, three tenors and instrumental ensemble (0.0.2.2/4.2.3.0/4perc)
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
In this piece the Latinate poetry of the blind born from the gospel according to John, is set to music. In the first part, the wonderment of the event, in the second the interrogation and in the third the words of Jesus to the healed are set forth. The disciples in the first part and the Pharisees in the second are written for a group of three tenors (traditionally called 'Turba') who, according to the dramatical situation, speak, whisper or scream.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for organ, strings (min. 12.12.10.8.6) and four percussion instruments
The title here comes from Gottlieb Muffat's (1690-1770) 'Componimenti Musicale'. In this piece two rather contrasting movements are set against each other (chamber musical registration and 'Pleno' effects, combine agile percussion and string figuration with long held single notes with chords, strict structures with improvisatory elements, and various blends of organ and orchestral sound).
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for orchestra (3(afl-g,pic).3(ca).3cl-a(bcl).3(cbn)/4.3.3.1/4perc/hp.cel.pf/12.10.7.6.4)
Movement order: "In Catene - in Fuga - In Scioglimento". In a self-explanatory way, the title and movement order show that the piece does not try to follow classical and romantic form, even if it makes use of a large orchestral setting. The movement titles are merely a starting point for the compositional process, not a programme. In the final movement a theme from a motet by Felice Anerio (1560-1614) is re-worked and a Gregorian melody incorporated.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for oboe, string orchestra (6.6.5.4.3) and percussion
The oboist plays the oboe d'amore in the movements I, III, IV; oboe in the movements II, V and the English horn in movement IV.Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for recorder, flute, and harpsichord
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Homo viator (1984-1985)
Instrumentation: for piano
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Wer das versteht (1984-1987)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir (or female choir or male choir)
Texts: Rudolf Alexander Schroeder
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Hommages aux Muses (1985)
Instrumentation: for clarinet
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Omaggio a J.S. Bach (1985)
Instrumentation: for organ
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Scherzo di gatto (1985)
Instrumentation: for piano
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Quartett (1985)
Instrumentation: for horn, cello, percussion and piano
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Maranatha (1985-1987)
Instrumentation: for two mixed choirs, congregation, soprano solo, tenor solo, bass solo, organ and orchestra (0.2.obda.ca.0.2/3.2.2.0/perc/str)
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Manuscript
Don Quijote (1986-1987)
Instrumentation: for baritone and piano
Texts: Miguel de Cervantes
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Stationes Sancti Nicolai (1987)
Instrumentation: for organ and bassoon
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Den einen... (1987)
Instrumentation: for monophonic choir, flute, oboe, clarinet, string quartet and small percussion
Texts: Teresa Grollimund, Jochen Klepper
Work series C: Music for Mass.
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Geistliche Sprüche (1987-1989)
Instrumentation: for monophonic choir and partly 2-4 bongos
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie, Franz von Assisi
Work series C: Music for Mass.
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Aus tiefer Not - "Kontrapunkte" (1988)
Instrumentation: for oboe, bassoon, organ and string orchestra
Work series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 7' 00"-8' 00" Manuscript
O sancta serenitas (1988-1989)
Instrumentation: for soprano (tenor) and wind quintet
Texts: Wilhelm Busch, Theodor Fontane
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
4 Laudes-Gesänge (1988-1989)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, cantor, percussion and organ
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 13' 00"
Reformierter Kirchengesangsbund
Lohn/BE Schweiz
Biblische Szene (1989-1991)
Instrumentation: for high voice and orchestra (2.2(2obda).2.2/ 2.2.0.0/perc/str)
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
This piece is based on the story of the healing of the boy in Mark's gospel. The voice assumes the roles of Jesus, the Father and a chronicler, by singing, whispering, speaking, and humming. Four timpani and nine other percussion instruments (two players) enlarge the classical strings and wind orchestra. In the final section there is a Gregorian credo motive and Beethoven's credo motive from the 'Missa Solemnis'.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for transverse flute (in C, G, piccolo)
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Petrus-Worte (1991)
Instrumentation: for oboe (English horn) and four timpani
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Veni, veni, gaudium (1991)
Instrumentation: for two - eight-part mixed choir
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
This composition is based on the eternal and primordial concern with the Pentecostal Litany. A twelfth century melody together with poetry by Stephan Langton (also around 1200 AD) acts as a cantus firmus. The rhythm, declamation, voicing, orchestration, phrasing and expression of the piece is highly distinguished from the litany of the middle ages, from which the title has borrowed the first and last word.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for choir, oboe, violoncello and percussion
Texts: Matthias Claudius
This piece is based on the poem 'Empfangen und genähret' (Received and Nourished) by Matthias Claudius in connection with extracts from the book Kohelet (300 BC). Despite being scored for three vocal and three instrumental parts, the fascinating phenomenon of monophony is kept throughout,Work series A: Music for concerts.
The title alludes deliberately to the custom of the 16th century, without revealing its associated theme.... The composer took another impulse from the tradition: the use of the modal method, particularly in view of one of the harp's peculiarities.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Da der Tod - ...ahnten sie nicht - Trio pasquale:
A variety of settings: in the first part the whole ensemble; in the second the choir and the speaker are omitted, whilst the third features flute, oboe, and cor anglais. The three pieces are a religious triptych, but they can be performed separately. The first two cycles set texts by the Graz writer Karl Mittlinger to music. In the first part death is objectified in its many aspects; whilst in the last part, the speaker narrates sentences from Mozart's letters to his father, in which he describes his attitude towards death. The middle piece is concerned with form, life and the mission of Jesus, and closes with death and resurrection. The 'Trio Pasquale' is concerned with Easter, as seen by Maria Magdalena.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Instrumentation: for three recorders and harpsichord
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
"... wenn ich nur..." (1993)
Instrumentation: for three recorders, violoncello, harpsichord, and small percussion
Text: Mark 5, 24b-34, Luke 8, 42-48. Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Psalm 114 (1993)
Instrumentation: for two-part youth choir, two transverse flutes, clarinet, violoncello, piano and small percussion
Texts: Bibel / Liturgie
Work series C: Music for Mass.
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Duettino (1994)
Instrumentation: for flute and oboe d'amore
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Jahreskreis-Paraphrasen (1994)
Instrumentation: for flute, oboe and English horn
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Miniature d'Umbria I (1994)
Instrumentation: for English horn solo
The three books of the ‘Miniature d’Umbria’ were produced during an unforgettable stay in Assisi, a city that owes its renown not to great powers but more to the bravery and quiescence of St Francis. There, art and nature are connected with the emanation of the Saints in a unique manner.
The first book is concerned with scenes from the life of Chiara from Assisi.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 11' 00"
Accolade-Verlag
Austrasse 7 D-83607 Holzkirchen
Miniature d'Umbria II (1995)
Instrumentation: for oboe d'amore solo
The three books of the ‘Miniature d’Umbria’ were produced during an unforgettable stay in Assisi, a city that owes its renown not to great powers but more to the bravery and quiecence of St Francis. There, art and nature are connected with the emanation of the Saints in a unique manner.
Motivation for the third and second books came from various important places in Assisi.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 10' 00"
Accolade-Verlag
Austrasse 7 D-83607 Holzkirchen
Miniature d'Umbria III (1995)
Instrumentation: for bassoon solo
The three books of the ‘Miniature d’Umbria’ were produced during an unforgettable stay in Assisi, a city that owes its renown not to great powers but more to the bravery and quiecence of St Francis. There, art and nature are connected with the emanation of the Saints in a unique manner.
Motivation for the third and second books came from various important places in Assisi.
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 8' 00"
Accolade-Verlag
Austrasse 7 D-83607 Holzkirchen
Menschenbeifall (1995)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir
Texts: Friedrich Hölderlin
Work series A: Music for concerts.
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Osterbuch (1994-1996)
Instrumentation: for soli (MezATBarB), choir and orchestra (2.2(2ca).2.2/4.2.2.0/perc/str)
Texts: Euripides, Karl Jaspers, Blaise Pascal, William Shakespeare, Bibel / Liturgie
Instrumentation: for singing voice (solo or choral), speaking voice, flute, bassoon, piano and small percussion
Texts: Klaus Peter Hertzsch
Work Series B: Pieces for tuition and amateur musicians.
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
Pfingstbuch (1996-1997)
Instrumentation: for six solo voices (SMezATBarB), speaking voice and chamber orchestra (1(pic,fl-g).1(ca).1.1/2.1.2.0/2perc/hp/str)
Texts: Martin Gutl, Huub Oosterhujs, Nelly Sachs, Rabindranath Tagore; Zitate von Helder Camara, Ernesto Cardenal, Johannes XXIII., Jos
Text from the Bible and eastern Liturgy; twelve single verses from Martin Gutl, Huub Oosterhujs, Nelly Sachs, Rabindranath Tagore; quotes from Helder Camara, Ernesto Cardenal, Johannes XXIII., Josef Quadflieg und J.M. Sailer.
Wie?
Pfingsten?
... die Gott verschlafen haben...
Verheissungen
Als Pfingsten gekommen
"Licht wird aus Sand"
Geist - Heiliger Geist
Schenk uns neue Begeisterung
Work series A: Music for concerts.