Runtz Michel
(30. 10. 1955)
Runtz Michel
Avenue des Vanils 9
CH-1700 Fribourg (FR)
Suisse
Tel: +41 (0)26 322 46 10
www.michelruntz.com
Avenue des Vanils 9
CH-1700 Fribourg (FR)
Suisse
Tel: +41 (0)26 322 46 10
www.michelruntz.com
Genre: Classical Music
Biography
* 30. 10. 1955.
The Paris born pianist and composer Michel Runtz has French and Swiss origins, he lives and teaches in Fribourg (Switzerland).
Runtz studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. He showed an interest in composition at an early stage by setting poems to music. He continued to write chansons from 1976 to 1980 while teaching and recording his first instrumental works.
Pierre Gabaye, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome, turned out to be his first important encounter and encouraged him to pursue his own individual style.
In 1982 Michel Runtz settled in Fribourg, Switzerland. His second important encounter was with the Swiss composer and choir master Pierre Kaelin, who invited him to work with various vocal ensembles and record his work for choir and piano "Le bel age".
Between 1984 and 1992, Michel Runtz was commissioned to compose incidental music and sound tracks for advertisements, video clips and tv documentaries. He also continued his career as a pianist, playing classical and modern works as well as his own compositions. It was during this period that he met some important personalities of contemporary music in workshops at the Centre Acanthes in France including Xenakis, Takemitsu, Murail, Aperghis. He analysed their output and worked on their interpretation under the tutilage of Claude Helffer and later Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
In addition to these musical encounters there was a third, artistic influence through Paul Delvaux and his paintings. Shortly before Delvaux's death, Michel Runtz dedicated to him the work "Paul Delvaux".
Michel Runtz has performed since 1992 with a programme gradually directed towards the performance of his own works only.
In 2000 he presented his work "Scènes de la vie musicale", a suite of six pieces, for quartet of clarinets, cello and four-hand piano in the French part of Switzerland.
In 2001 he founded the Association Jeune Musique, which organises the biennial Fribourg International Piano Competition, a competition whose programme focuses exclusively on the music of the 20th and 21st century and is open to young pianists up to the age of 18.
With "Notes and Light" he created a concept in in 2006 which suggested a new form of concert by transforming the traditional piano recital with its static stage lighting into a visual concert - an unexpected dialogue between the notes of the piano and their transposition into light. This spectacle was performed in Switzerland and China.
The eclectic approach in his artistic works led him to compose music for a fashion show by designer Franck Sorbier, as well as writing a humorous and visual piece for four-hand piano as a closing night performance to an event about Eric Satie in Paris.
Runtz's instrumental works slowly appear in the programmes of various performers and competitions.
The Paris born pianist and composer Michel Runtz has French and Swiss origins, he lives and teaches in Fribourg (Switzerland).
Runtz studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. He showed an interest in composition at an early stage by setting poems to music. He continued to write chansons from 1976 to 1980 while teaching and recording his first instrumental works.
Pierre Gabaye, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome, turned out to be his first important encounter and encouraged him to pursue his own individual style.
In 1982 Michel Runtz settled in Fribourg, Switzerland. His second important encounter was with the Swiss composer and choir master Pierre Kaelin, who invited him to work with various vocal ensembles and record his work for choir and piano "Le bel age".
Between 1984 and 1992, Michel Runtz was commissioned to compose incidental music and sound tracks for advertisements, video clips and tv documentaries. He also continued his career as a pianist, playing classical and modern works as well as his own compositions. It was during this period that he met some important personalities of contemporary music in workshops at the Centre Acanthes in France including Xenakis, Takemitsu, Murail, Aperghis. He analysed their output and worked on their interpretation under the tutilage of Claude Helffer and later Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
In addition to these musical encounters there was a third, artistic influence through Paul Delvaux and his paintings. Shortly before Delvaux's death, Michel Runtz dedicated to him the work "Paul Delvaux".
Michel Runtz has performed since 1992 with a programme gradually directed towards the performance of his own works only.
In 2000 he presented his work "Scènes de la vie musicale", a suite of six pieces, for quartet of clarinets, cello and four-hand piano in the French part of Switzerland.
In 2001 he founded the Association Jeune Musique, which organises the biennial Fribourg International Piano Competition, a competition whose programme focuses exclusively on the music of the 20th and 21st century and is open to young pianists up to the age of 18.
With "Notes and Light" he created a concept in in 2006 which suggested a new form of concert by transforming the traditional piano recital with its static stage lighting into a visual concert - an unexpected dialogue between the notes of the piano and their transposition into light. This spectacle was performed in Switzerland and China.
The eclectic approach in his artistic works led him to compose music for a fashion show by designer Franck Sorbier, as well as writing a humorous and visual piece for four-hand piano as a closing night performance to an event about Eric Satie in Paris.
Runtz's instrumental works slowly appear in the programmes of various performers and competitions.
Work list
Osmose (1979)
Instrumentation: for piano, flute and double bass
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Exercice de style (1980)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 30"
Manuscript
Vertiges (1980)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Aquarelle (1980)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Le petit rag d'hôtel (1981)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Idylle (1981)
Instrumentation: for violoncello and piano
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Evasion (1981)
Instrumentation: for piano, flute and double bass
Duration: 2' 20"
Manuscript
Emergences (1983)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
B.J. 30 (1986)
Instrumentation: for rhythm box and synthersizers
Music for a video clip.
Duration: 3' 35"
Manuscript
Dopage, dégage (1987)
Instrumentation: for orchestra
Music for a short film (F).
Duration: 11' 30"
Manuscript
Nîmes Objectif Sport (1991)
Instrumentation: for orchestra
Music for a short film (F).
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Suite de cinq chants sur des poèmes de Victor Hugo (1994)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir (SATB) (a cappella or with piano)
A Dona Rosita Rosa
A propos de Dona Rosa
Le doigt de la femme
Je ne me mets pas en peine
En sortant du collège
Duration: 16' 00"
Manuscript
Modigliani (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Matisse (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 30"
Manuscript
Picasso (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano (left hand solo)
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Mary Cassatt (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Paul Delvaux (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Regard sur W.A. (1994)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Hommage à Pierre Kaelin (1995)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Pin's rétro (1995)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
En lyre et délire (1996)
Instrumentation: for brass ensemble and percussion
Duration: 3' 15"
Manuscript
Valse intime (1997)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 2' 30"
Manuscript
Hoy, me vestiria… (1999)
Instrumentation: for soprano with guitar accompaniment
Texts: René Vasquez
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Moire (1999)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Palimpseste (1999)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Acuarela (1999)
Instrumentation: for guitar
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Clair-obscur (1999-2000)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 7' 00"
Manuscript
Rencontre (2000)
Instrumentation: for clarinet and piano
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Affinités (2000)
Instrumentation: for violoncello and bass clarinet
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Complicités (2000)
Instrumentation: for clarinet quartet, violoncello and four-handed piano
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Jubilation (2000)
Instrumentation: for violoncello and piano
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Divergences (2000)
Instrumentation: for clarinet quartet
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Obsessions (2000)
Instrumentation: for clarinet quartet, violoncello and four-handed piano
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Octosyllabe (2003)
Instrumentation: for eight voices (SSAATTBB)
Texts: Michel Runtz
Duration: 7' 00"
Manuscript
Amalgame (2003)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 7' 00"
Manuscript
A distance (2004)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
33ème Gymnocratie (2004)
Instrumentation: for four-handed piano
Duration: 3' 30"
Manuscript
Eclats (2005)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 7' 30"
Manuscript
Fusion (2005)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 7' 30"
Manuscript
Prologue de Notes and Light (2006)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 4' 30"
Manuscript
Entre source et nuage (2007)
Instrumentation: for viola and piano
Texts: Wang Wei
Duration: 6' 30"
Manuscript
Divergences (2008)
Instrumentation: for clarinet, flute and piano
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Zhuo Zheng Yuan (2008)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 9' 00"
Manuscript
Affinités (2008)
Instrumentation: for flute and clarinet
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Et au milieu coule la Sarine (2009)
Instrumentation: for saxophone and piano
Music for a documentary film by Isabelle Dufour, Fribourg (CH).
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Nordlicht (2009)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 7' 30"
Manuscript
French Souvenir / Souvenir de France (2009)
Instrumentation: for four (or six)-handed piano (or eight-handed on two pianos)
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Let's go! / C'est parti! (2009)
Instrumentation: for four (or six)-handed piano (or eight-handed on two pianos)
Duration: 2' 30"
Manuscript
Spiral / Spirale (2009)
Instrumentation: for four (or six)-handed piano (or eight-handed on two pianos)
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Diskographie
Compositions Piano (ECW Nr. 596, 2005)
Runtz, Michel: Matisse (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Picasso (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Mary Cassatt (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Paul Delvaux (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Regard sur W.A. (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Emergences (1983)
Runtz, Michel: Le petit rag d'hôtel (1981)
Runtz, Michel: Clair-obscur (1999-2000)
Runtz, Michel: Eclats (2005)
Runtz, Michel: Fusion (2005)
Runtz, Michel: Valse intime (1997)
Interpreters:
Runtz, MichelWorks:
Runtz, Michel: Modigliani (1994)Runtz, Michel: Matisse (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Picasso (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Mary Cassatt (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Paul Delvaux (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Regard sur W.A. (1994)
Runtz, Michel: Emergences (1983)
Runtz, Michel: Le petit rag d'hôtel (1981)
Runtz, Michel: Clair-obscur (1999-2000)
Runtz, Michel: Eclats (2005)
Runtz, Michel: Fusion (2005)
Runtz, Michel: Valse intime (1997)
Info: www.fonoteca.ch
Stratosphères (ARTLAB Nr. 02521, 2002)
With more works of: Jean-Daniel Lugrin
Interpreters:
Runtz, MichelWith more works of: Jean-Daniel Lugrin