Karl Heinz Wahren

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Karl Heinz Wahren (born April 28, 1933 in Bonn , † December 14, 2021 in Berlin ) was a German composer and pianist . Among other things, he gained importance as a co-founder of the Neue Musik Berlin group .

Career

Wahren grew up in Gera / Thuringia and studied at the Municipal Conservatory in Berlin from 1953 (previously Stern Conservatory ). From 1961, after graduating from what is now the Berlin University of the Arts , he belonged to Josef Rufer's circle of students , studied privately with Karl Amadeus Hartmann in Munich, and in 1965 co-founded the Neue Musik Berlin group. In 1969 Wahren received the Rome Prize (Villa Massimo) , in 1970 the Rostrum of Composers Prize ( UNESCO Paris) for the work “You shall not kill” for orchestra, choir, speaker and tape.

He has received several scholarships from the Darmstadt summer courses . In 1978 he received the sponsorship award from the Berlin Academy of the Arts , in 1994 the Federal Cross of Merit, in 2001 the GEMA Ring of Honor, and in 2003 the Werner Egk Medal (Schott Musik International). From 1981 to 2003 he was a member of the GEMA Supervisory Board, from 1990 to 2004 President of the German Composers' Association .

In 2003 he was awarded GEMA honorary membership and in 2004 the German Composers' Association elected him its honorary president. His oeuvre includes around 60 chamber music compositions, 20 orchestral works, some film scores and three operas : “Fettklößchen” (German Opera Berlin, 1976), “Goldelse” (Berliner Festwoche, 1987) and “Galathee, die Schöne”, freely adapted from Franz von Suppè (German Opera Berlin, 1995).

His compositions touching both serious as well as popular music ( jazz ).

Orchestral works in Treren have been broadcast on the radio in over 40 countries around the world, and chamber music performances have taken place in most European countries, as well as in the USA, South America, Australia and Japan. Some of these works are documented on a total of twelve CDs. Karl Heinz Wahren wrote numerous radio reports , articles, essays and lectures on contemporary music. 2003, the Bavarian Minister of Culture appointed him Hans Zehetmair to honorary professor . He lived as a freelance composer in Berlin.

Works (selection)

Orchestral music

  • “Piano Concerto” in 3 movements, premier (world premiere) 1968
  • "At This Moment" orchestral concert in 3 movements, premiered in 1976
  • “Circulus virtuosus” for woodwind quartet and orchestra in 3 movements, premiered in 1976
  • “In Search of the Lost Tango” symphonic poem for orchestra, premiered 1979
  • “Romantic Suite” for violoncello and orchestra, premiered in 1980
  • “Brandenburgische Revue” for speaker and orchestra in 9 movements, premiered in 1984
  • “Nocturnal dances by Tuscan virgins in Florentine gardens during the heyday of the Inquisition” for big band and string quintet, premiered in 1986
  • “Entführung aus dem Köchelverzeichnis” for orchestra in 3 movements, premier 1991
  • “Ecce Homo” orchestral suite based on pictures by Otto Dix in 5 movements, premiered in 1993
  • “Metropolis Berlin” suite for big band and symphony orchestra in 4 movements, premiered in 1998
  • “Bayreuther Impression” for large orchestra in 3 movements, premier 2004
  • “Tango Capriccio” for orchestra in one movement, premier 2005

Operas

Chamber orchestra

  • “Wechselspiele” for flute, piano and string orchestra, premiered in Budapest 1967
  • “To the suicide of Comrade Yessenin” for a speaker, tape and chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1972
  • "The Pitcher" grotesque for a speaker and chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1977
  • “The Entertainer” grotesque for a speaker, vocal quartet and chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1978
  • “Theater Music” concert suite in 8 scenes for chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1981
  • “Les Fleurs du Mal et les Fleurs d'Innocence” for flute, bass clarinet, percussion and string orchestra, premiered in 1988
  • “Lip Service” concert for trombone and chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1990
  • “Kabuki” concert for percussion and chamber ensemble, premiered in Berlin 1992
  • “Alles was Odem has…” double concerto for flute, oboe and string orchestra, premier Brandenburg a. d. Havel 1993
  • “Hamletpuzzle” satyr play for a speaker and chamber orchestra, premiered in Berlin 1998

Chamber music

  • “Pas de deux” for violin and 3 woodwinds, premier Haus am Waldsee Berlin 1961
  • “Frétillement” for flute and piano in 2 movements, UA America Memorial Library 1965
  • “Sequenzen” for flute, harpsichord and marimbaphone in 2 movements, UA Forum-Theater Berlin 1965
  • “L'art pour l'art” for cello, flute, piano and tape, WP Witten 1968
  • “Permutation” for 3 flutes, UA Akademie der Künste Berlin 1968
  • "Application" for organ, premier 12-Apostel-Kirche Berlin 1968
  • "Dionysus meets Apollo" string quartet in 2 movements, premier at the Academy of the Arts Berlin 1970
  • “Increase” for flute, marimba and organ, premier at Kirchenmusiktage Kassel 1971
  • “Pas de deux pour Flutes” for 2 flutes in one movement, WP Freiburg i. Br. 1974
  • "Soundscreen-Klangraster" for flute and 2 percussionists, UA University of the Arts Berlin 1975
  • “Entrevue” for flute and organ, premier Eosanderkapelle Schloss Charlottenburg 1976
  • “Circulus octo virtuosis” for chamber ensemble, premier Berlin Kulturtage New York 1977
  • “En trois couleurs” for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, WP Braunschweig 1977
  • “Tango appassionato” for string quartet, premiered at the Berliner Festwochen 1977
  • “Tango noir” for flute, clarinet, percussion, violin, viola, cello and double bass, premiere Das Neue Werk Hamburg in Turin 1978
  • "The future is already here" for speakers and small ensemble, UA Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Kreuzberg 1978
  • "Brass sounds" for 4 trombones and organ, premier 12-Apostel-Kirche Berlin 1978
  • “Der Wettlauf” for alto voice and flute, UA Amerikahaus Berlin 1979
  • “Der Tierbändiger” for speaker and piano, premiere SFB Musikforum live 1983
  • “Nocturnal dances by Tuscan virgins in Florentine gardens during the heyday of the Inquisition in 4 movements” for cello and double bass, premiered in Gütersloh 1983
  • "Scherzando, Ritmico e Fugato per tre flauti in 3 sentences" (I am, grant me the request, the third in your league), premiered at Richard Strauss Conservatory, Munich 1986
  • "Elegy des Sisyphus" string quartet in 2 movements, UA Akademie der Künste Berlin 1987
  • “Drums-Trip Concertino” for drums quartet, premier Hotel Intercontinental Berlin 1988
  • “Spirale” for percussion quartet in 3 movements, WP Fürth a. B. 1988
  • "Brass quintet in 4 movements" WP Frankfurt a. M. 1989
  • "Hidden - in us - Duo concertante" for violin and piano in 3 movements, premiered at the BKA Berlin 1989
  • "Largo Barbaro in 3 Sentences" for chamber ensemble, premiered in Düsseldorf 1989
  • “The great awakening” east-west chamber music for the exhibition Gerhard Andrees, premiered in Halle 1992
  • "Only in oneself" for solo cello, premier Berlin 1992
  • “Romantic Rhapsody” for piano, premiered in Hamburg 1993
  • "In harmony ..." for oboe and violoncello, UA Akademie der Künste Berlin 1994
  • "Echospiele" for 5 brass instruments, premier Haus am Waldsee Berlin 1994
  • “Present and Past” for flute, percussion and violoncello, UA Theater der Stadt Brandenburg 1996
  • “Silence avoiding, sounds shimmering” for flute, violoncello and tape, premier church Satemin Wendland 1997
  • “Vergewalt im moment” for flute, marimba and violoncello, premier at Kunstamt Wilmersdorf Berlin 1998
  • “Impression de temps perdu et de déjà vu” for flute, piano and violoncello, premier at Kunstamt Wilmersdorf Berlin 1999
  • “Bachandante” for flute, marimba and violoncello in 2 movements, premier at the Hochschule für Musik Weimar 2000
  • “Zwischenraum” for flute, violoncello and harp, WP Lüchow-Dannenberg 2001
  • "Liebeswandel" Variations for string quartet, premier Haus am Waldsee Berlin 2002
  • “Déjà vu à trois” for flute, piano and violoncello, premier at Kolbe Museum Berlin 2002
  • “Side by side with each other” in three movements for violin, clarinet and piano, UA BKA Berlin 2003
  • “Dreisam” for flute, piano and marimbaphone in 2 movements, premier at Konzerthaus Berlin 2004
  • “Jeu musical pour trois” for oboe, harp and violoncello, premiere at Kolbe Museum Berlin 2004
  • “Tango burlesco” for tenor sax., Bass clear., Vibra., Electrogit., Violoncello and double bass, WP 6th Weimar Spring Days for Contemporary Music 2005

Piano music

  • “Classicist Sonatina” for piano in 3 movements, premier at the Berlin Conservatory 1959
  • “Children's Suite” in 5 movements for piano, premiered in Grafschaft / Wilhelmshaven 1967
  • “Tango Rag” for piano, premiere at the Hamburg University of Music 1978
  • “Tango Rag” for piano 4 hands, premiered at the British Center Berlin 1980
  • “Bye-Bye, Bayreuth” for piano, premier Hamburg University of Music 1984
  • “Toccata Appasionata” for piano, premiere at the Lübeck University of Music 1986
  • "Paradiesvogel" burlesque for piano, premier Hamburg University of Music 1987
  • “Sonate de l'Exposition” for piano, premier Orangery Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin 1998
  • "Gershwin meets Mozart" piano variations, UA Museum for Applied Arts Gera 2002

Choral music

  • “You shall not kill” cantata for orchestra, choir, speaker and tape, premiered 1969
  • “Passioni” for 4-part choir, solo soprano and 3 instruments, premiered at Kaiser-Friedrich-Gedächtnis-Kirche Berlin 1973
  • “TV anthem” for large choir, premiered at the Berliner Festwochen 1982
  • “Magnificat mundus pacem” for soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, choir and orchestra, premiered in 1984
  • “Fugue an die Industrie” for 4-part choir, UA Akademie der Künste Berlin 1987
  • "Friedensoratorium (Beginning and End of the World)" for soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, choir and orchestra, premier 2005

Film music

  • "The fratricide after Kafka" TV film without language. Manuscript and direction: Lothar Geissler, UA Filmakademie Berlin 1969
  • "The Plapperschlange" Surrealistic film by H. Otterson. Premiere at the Tiergarten Berlin Art Office in 1972
  • “Questions to Reality” film and image project by Gerhard Andrees, premiered in London-Lewisham 1975
  • "Water: Pulsating" Two experimental films by Ernst Reinboth , UA Academy of the Arts 1977
  • "Kyritz-Pyritz" Altberliner Posse based on H. Wuttig and O. Justinus, edited as a television musical by Stefan Wigger and KH Wahren, director: Stefan Wigger, premiere ARD 1979
  • "Herzlichen Glückwunsch" Socially critical fictional film by W. Voigt and A. Quest, premiered at Hofer Filmtage 1982
  • “City-Space-Landscape” film by Gerhard Andrees, Landscape today, from its historical development, premiered TV Offener Kanal Berlin 1989
  • “Me and Christine”, script and direction: Peter Stripp; with Götz George, Christiane, Paul, Daniel Morgenrot, Jutta Speidel, Maximilian Wigger and others, UA Filmbühne Wien Berlin 1992
  • “ Metropolis ” two-hour silent film from 1927, book: Thea von Harbou, director: Fritz Lang , music for large symphony orchestra together with Bernd Wefelmeyer on behalf of the Babelsberg film orchestra, premiere 5th Film & Musikfest Bielefeld - Oetkerhalle (October 22, 1994)
  • " The Strange Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks ", silent film grotesque, USSR 1924, D: Lew Kuleschow , music: Bernd Wefelmeyer and KH Wahren, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, premiere 13th FilmFestival Cottbus (November 4, 2003)

Discography

  • "Ricordandi a Verdi (memories of Verdi)", 3rd string quartet - Florestan Quartet (Bielefeld), Verlag für Neue Musik, Kreuzberg Records , LC 255 No. 10033
  • “Les Fleurs du Mal et les Fleurs de l'Innocence”, Universal Ensemble Berlin - Direction: Karl Heinz Wahren, (as well as works by Gerald Humel, Rainer Rubbert, Wilhelm Dieter Siebert), CD-Largo 5116
  • "Spirale for percussion quartet", Percussion Art Quartet Würzburg, CD Thorophon Capella CTH 3063
  • "Piano music", Karl Heinz Wahren and Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Peter Roggenkamp (Hamburg) - piano, CD-Largo 5121
  • “Me and Christine”, original soundtrack for the Götz George film by Peter Stripp, Swing Studio Ensemble Berlin - conductor: Karl Heinz Wahren, CD-ZYX-Music 20264-2
  • “Self and to the vastness of the night”, Universal Ensemble Berlin - Direction: Karl Heinz Wahren, CD-Interconti Production - Nau Verlag Berlin
  • “You shouldn't kill”, cantata for speakers, jazz soloists, choir and orchestra, RIAS orchestra, RIAS chamber orchestra -, conductor: Klaus Martin Ziegler, CD-Pelca - PSRX 40602
  • "Klangdenkmal", A Monument in Sound for the Victims of the Holocaust, for String Quartet - individual movements by 28 composers, 2002 MTA - TIM The International Music Company AG

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ German composers' association: composer Karl Heinz Wahren died , accessed on December 14, 2021
  2. ^ Obituary for Karl Heinz Wahren
personal data
SURNAME True, Karl Heinz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer and pianist
BIRTH DATE April 28, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Bonn
DATE OF DEATH December 14, 2021
PLACE OF DEATH Berlin