Rolf Walss studied violin, piano, music theory and composition aside from his studies in paedagogics, psychology and art history.
He is a special-needs teacher and lecturer on orthopaedagogy in Zurich, choir director and produces compositions for film, television, and radio etc.
Work list
Larghetto (1946)
Instrumentation: for solo violin and string orchestra
Duration: 10' 30" Manuscript
Sonate für Violine allein Nr. 2 (Sonata for violin alone N° 2) (1949)
4 movements.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Persische und Malaiische Liebeslieder (1950)
Instrumentation: for deep voice and piano
Texts: Hafis, Yvan Goll
Duration: 6' 20" Manuscript
Fünf Ornamente (1951)
Instrumentation: for piano
Inspired by architectural ornaments: cornice, spiral, acanthus, shells.
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Sonate Nr. 1 (1955)
Instrumentation: for violin and piano
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Le Lac (1955)
Ballet
Instrumentation: for chamber ensemble (2.2.0.2/0.0.0.0/timp/pf/5str)
Memories of the lake. Ornaments which express knowledge emanating from feeling.
Brûmes - Lumière et ondes - Mouettes - Moustiques et poissons - Roseaux.
Duration: 32' 00" Manuscript
Trois arabesques capricieuses (1956)
Sonata for violin alone N° 1
Independent of the classical sonata form.
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Trois chants de rêve (1958)
Instrumentation: for alto and piano
Texts: Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, Francis Picabia
Dreamy surreality rises out of the texts in such a way that only the French language allows.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
La Panne (1958)
Sonata N° 2
Instrumentation: for violin and piano
La Panne, ville balnéaire en Belgique: The place where the sonata was composed.
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Streichquartett Nr. 1 (1962)
Duration: 21' 00" Manuscript
Sonate (1962)
Instrumentation: for violin and organ
Apparition - Rêve - Fièvre - Clarté - Certitude.
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Dit & Dot (1964)
Cartoon music
Instrumentation: for oboe, bassoon, 2 violins, piano, timpani
Music in fractions of a second, perfectly synchronised.
Duration: 5' 30" Manuscript
Mau Wau (1964)
Cartoon music
Instrumentation: for oboe, bassoon, 2 violins, piano, timpani
Music in fractions of a second. Perfectly synchronised.
Duration: 4' 30" Manuscript
Chez l'Horloger (1965)
Pantomime
Instrumentation: for flute, oboe, bassoon, piano, xylophone, drum, timpani
Pantomime scene at a cranky watch makers.
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Danse imaginaire (1965)
Instrumentation: for four bamboo flutes
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Concert dithyrambique (1965)
Instrumentation: for violin and small orchestra (2.2.0.2/2.2.0.0/perc/0.0.3.1)
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Oster-Liturgie (1965)
Instrumentation: for soprano, speaker, flute, mixed choir and organ
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
Divertimento in 6 Miniaturen (1965)
Instrumentation: for three bamboo flutes and xylophone
Instrumentation: for alto, male choir, organ and timpani
Texts: Meister Eckehart
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
La Fontaine (1967)
Instrumentation: for spinet
Interval music for 'En Maa im beschte Alter' - a dialect theatre piece from Hans Stalder after the fable by Jean de La Fontaine.
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Uebergang (1968)
4 recitations
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Pfingst-Liturgie (1968)
Instrumentation: für bass, violin and organ
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Mischka (1968)
Instrumentation: for two bamboo flutes, marimbaphone and glockenspiel
Musicalisation of a children's story for Radio Beromünster.
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Zwingli-Variationen (1969)
Instrumentation: for flute, violin, viola, violoncello and organ
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Hans im Glück (1969)
A musical for little people
Instrumentation: for voice, recorder, piano and percussion
Dialect musical after the fairytale by the Brothers Grimm.
Duration: 24' 00" Manuscript
Klaviertrio (1969)
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Concertino (1970)
Instrumentation: for oboe, violin and strings
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Menschliche Ueberlegungen (1970)
Cantata from 'Ueberleben'
Instrumentation: for soprano, violin, speaker and speaking group
Duration: 27' 00" Manuscript
Langnauer Bundesfiir (1970)
Cabamusical
Instrumentation: for flute, recorder, guitar, xylophone, claves
Dialect cabaret for youths and children.
Duration: 30' 00" Manuscript
Von den falschen Gewichten (1971)
Liturgy
Instrumentation: for soprano, violin, trumpet, organ and speaker
Duration: 41' 00" Manuscript
Examen musical (1971)
Instrumentation: for voice and piano
New texts to folksongs, new songs.
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
Streichquartett Nr. 3 (1972)
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Streichquartett Nr. 2 (1972)
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Kantate für junge Leute (1972)
Instrumentation: for recorder, organ, guitar, percussion
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Fünf Gesänge für Liebende (1973)
Instrumentation: for deep voice and chamber ensemble (oboe, violoncello, marimbaphone and harp)
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Sonatine (1981)
Instrumentation: for violoncello solo
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Solosonate (1982)
Instrumentation: for violin
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Psalm 51 (1982)
Instrumentation: for humming, organ, timpani, cybals, gong
Duration: 11' 00" Manuscript
Petite Suite (1984)
Instrumentation: for recorder, panpipes, bassoon, violin, viola, piano, woodwind, timpani
Music to the emeritus celebrations of Dr. Fritz Schneeberger, principal of the HPS in Zürich.
Duration: 16' 00" Manuscript
Kleine Suite (1987)
Instrumentation: for oboe solo
Duration: 5' 30" Manuscript
Sonatine (1988)
Instrumentation: for viola solo
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Streichquartett Nr. 4 (1988)
Duration: 26' 00" Manuscript
Duo (1989)
Instrumentation: for viola and large gong
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Moments Musicaux de Minuit (1992)
Duo
Instrumentation: for violin and guitar
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
7 Miniatures (1996)
Instrumentation: for trombone solo
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
5 petites pièces (1997)
Instrumentation: for oboe solo
Duration: 6' 30" Manuscript
"Was ist. Hier." (1997-1998)
Recitative
Instrumentation: for voice and piano
Texts: Rolf Walss
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Surrealistische Stücke (1998)
Instrumentation: for speaker and 4 wind (2tpt, 2tbn)
The wind group takes over the rhythm from the speaker.
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
Souvenirs Archaiques (1998-1999)
Instrumentation: for flute solo
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Sonate pour Piano (1999)
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
5 Toccatinelle (1999)
Instrumentation: for harpsichord or piano
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Cheveux noirs (2002)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, oboe and bassoon
Texts: Jacques Prévert
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Bird of Time (2002)
Instrumentation: for mezzo soprano, violin, viola and piano
Texts: Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam's profound four-liner in the English translation by Edward J. Fitzgerald (1859).
Duration: 16' 00" Manuscript
Diotima, wo bist du? (2006)
Recitative
Instrumentation: for mezzo-soprano, 2 violins, viola, piano
Prose from Friedrich Hölderlin's 'Hyperion'
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
7 Aquarelle, op. 69 (2007)
Instrumentation: for violin solo
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Maraviglia sarebbe, op. 70 (2007)
four songs
Instrumentation: for a-cappella chamber choir
Texts: Dante Alighieri
Four lieder after excerpts from Dante's 'Divine Comedy'. Four passages from canti I, XVI and XVII of Paradise.
Contribution to the Frigourg International Competition for Ecclesiastical Compositions 2007.