Niels Frédéric Hoffmann

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Niels Frédéric Hoffmann (born July 28, 1943 in Hamburg ) is a German composer and music teacher.

Life

Hoffmann's father was the psychotherapist Bernt Hoffmann, he wrote the "Handbook Autogenic Training". His older brothers are the psychiatrist and psychologist Sven Olaf Hoffmann and the art historian Detlef Hoffmann .

Niels Frédéric Hoffmann spent his childhood and elementary school in Neuchâtel (French-speaking Switzerland) and then attended a high school in Hamburg. He performed his first theater music at school. As a schoolboy he attended the Darmstadt summer courses in 1963 . In 1970 his radio opera “It can't go on like this, but it goes on like this” was performed at the “Tage für Neue Musik Hannover”.

In 1975 Hoffmann finished his studies with a diploma as a music theorist and the 1st and 2nd state exams as a music teacher. He then worked in the school service with several interruptions. He has been a freelance composer since 1992. Niels Frédéric Hoffmann has written over 60 theatrical music, radio play music and operettas, including six commissioned operas. He also gave over 800 children's concerts. From 1968 to 1980 Hoffmann directed the “Hamburg Song Group” and since 1984 the “Hamburg Trade Union Choir”, for which he wrote over 80 choral movements. Hoffmann wrote five collective compositions, three of them with Hans Werner Henze .

Characteristic of the work

In his first ballet “Affenspiele” in 1966 and in his first opera “It can't go on like this, but it goes on like this” (1970), Niels Frédéric Hoffmann broke the rules of the Darmstadt School (serial composition). He criticizes all forms of absolute musical thinking by pointing out that different musical genres call for independent aesthetic procedures. With this thesis he comes in contradiction to the “proletcultism” of the West German left and especially to “New Music” and its successors “New Simplicity” and “New Subjectivity”.

Niels Frédéric Hoffmann feels most aesthetically carefree in the genre “Music for Children”. His latest compositions in this field include "The Little Prince", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Tom Sawyer".

In 2014 he published his "Berliner Liederbuch" at Elsengold Verlag in Berlin . In this book, Hoffmann tells stories and anecdotes around 20 classic Berlin songs.

Most important works

Songs

  • Photos. Songs for alto and chamber ensemble. Text: Japanese haikus by various poets. World premiere: Days for New Music, Hanover 1966.
  • De Profundis ex Libris Profanis. Chamber oratorio for mezzo and small orchestra. Text: collage of advertising, magazines, brochures. World premiere: ars nova, Nuremberg 1969.
  • Arguments and comments. Songs for high voice and chamber ensemble. Text: Heine, Fuhrmann, Prutz, Laux. World premiere: Concert of the Bach Prize Fellows, Hamburg 1972.
  • Different stories. Songs from the opera Zweierlei Maß for violin, cello and drums. Text: Original and English translation by Bernhard Laux. World premiere: German Week, London 1974.
  • Information about a teacher. Song for alto voice and clarinet. Text: Peter Maiwald. World premiere: Opera stable, Hamburg 1977.
  • Love and freedom. The life of the romantic poet Petofi Sandor. Songs for low voice and chamber ensemble. Texts: Petöfi Sandor. First broadcast: NDR 1978.
  • Heinelieder for soprano and tenor. Chamber ensemble. Text: Heinrich Heine. World premiere: Fabrik, Hamburg 1981.
  • Declarations of love. Songs for baritone and piano. Text: Szymborska, Brecht, Atila, Goll. World premiere: Galerie der Sparkasse, Schleswig 1997.
  • The elephant's gut. Songs for actors based on texts by Thomas Höpfner. World premiere: Theatersaal UdK 2006

Choirs

  • The strong wind has settled. Choir cycle for different choir groups, piano and percussion. Text: Heinrich Heine. Choir Festival of the German Singers Association. World premiere: Berlin (West) 1976.
  • Germany. A winterstory. Choir, soloists and piano. World premiere: 30 Years Choir of Hamburg Trade Unionists, Hamburg 2009.
  • Singing the ninth in the street. Excerpt from the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for choir and marching band (can also be expanded with a piano solo from the choir variations). May 1st, On the street and the forecourt of the Museum of Labor. Hamburg 2010.

Small cast with spoken text

  • The life and death of the exiled composer Alexander Alexandrovitsch Nussbaum-Ramovsky. Small version for speaker and piano reduction. Large version for piano, tutti ratchet, large orchestra with four percussionists without strings and wind instruments. Text: NF Hoffmann. World premiere: Small version in the Gasthof zur Bockshaut, Darmstadt 1974.
  • Large version at the General German Music Festival, Stuttgart 1973.
  • Battle. For speakers and double bass. Text: Hubert Wiedfeld. World premiere: Opera stable, Hamburg 1996.

Small occupations

  • Divertimento. Music for 7 solo instruments. World premiere: Neues Werk NDR, Hamburg 1975
  • Grandpa Schulze Suite. Music for 3 melodicas, sounds or drums. World premiere: 2nd Cantiere Internationale dArte, Montepulciano 1977.
  • Stock exchange, stock exchange. Instrumental play for 5 instruments and 2 actors. World premiere: Steirischer Herbst, Graz 1982.
  • Buenos Aires. Tango variations for wind quintet. World premiere: NDR, Studio 10, Hamburg 1989.
  • Klezmer. Paraphrases for clarinet trio. World premiere: Trio DeVienne, Kultursommer Nordhessen 1999.

Music for solo instruments

  • Etudes Rhétoriques or General Opinion on Political Issues, with particular reference to the Vietnam question. For cello solo. World premiere: Brahmssaal, Hamburg 1968.
  • Attitudes brillants. For piano solo. World premiere: Giessener Musiketage, Giessen 1968.
  • Rondo in D minor or where does Herr Roggenkamp get the beautiful notes from?
  • For piano solo. World premiere: Amerikahaus, Hamburg 1970.

Big orchestra

  • March Overture and Finale. Symphonic orchestra, 2 saxophones and 2 drums. World premiere: Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie / Mito Bernd Schmid, Nagold 1979.
  • Concerto Grosso. For string orchestra, wind quintet, trombone quartet, rock band, African percussion and saz ensemble. Musical direction: NF Hoffmann. Commissioned by the European Youth Music Festival. World premiere: Musikhalle, Hamburg 1990.

Ballet and mimes

  • Monkey games. For a singer, a dancer and a musician. Choreography: Fred Eckhard. Text: NF Hoffmann, collage from newspapers and literature. World premiere: University of Fine Arts, Hamburg 1966.
  • The corps de ballet numbered today. Tape music realized in the electron. Studio Bratislava. Choreography: Christiane Meyer-Rogge. World premiere: University of Fine Arts, Hamburg 1968.
  • Kurt, Edgar and Alice or Why Kurt hesitates For 3 instrumentalists, a timpanist and a singer. Concert version. Text: NF Hoffmann based on secondary literature on Strindberg. World premiere: Musikhalle, Hamburg 1969. Concert version. Text: NF Hoffmann and Fred Eckhard after various ballet reviews. Choreography: Fred Eckhard. World premiere: State Opera, Hamburg 1969. Ballet version.
  • Living pictures. For violoncello and piano. Pantomime: Elmar Gehlen. World premiere: Kunsthalle, Hamburg 1971.

Operas

  • It can't go on like this, but it goes on. For 4 singers, 4 actors, 4 instrumentalists, 4 percussionists and 4 loudspeakers. Text: NF Hoffmann, collage from newspapers and dime novels. World premiere: Main workshop of the German Music Council, Bremen 1970.
  • Two degrees or why it is so difficult to realize human rights. For 6 actors, 6 singers, 12 instrumentalists. Text: Bernhard Laux. Director: Johannes Scharschmidt. World premiere: Congress of the FIJM, Augsburg 1972.
  • The great slaughter. Studio opera for 8 singers and 8 instruments. Text: Bernhard Laux based on a novella by Mark Twain. Director: Elmar Gehlen. World premiere: Bühnen der Hansestadt Lübeck, 1980.
  • The value of the bill. Studio opera for 5 singers and 7 instruments. Text: Bernhard Laux. World premiere: Bühnen der Hansestadt Lübeck, 1982.
  • The pirates. Historical opera in one court hearing and 13 retrospectives. For 10 soloists, choir and large orchestra. Text: Bernhard Laux. Theaters of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, 1985.
  • The transformation. Opera based on the story of the same name by Franz Kafka. Text: Bernhard Laux. Director: Sven Severin. World premiere: Pfalztheater, Kaiserslautern 1993.

Theater and radio play music

  • Casimir and Karoline von Ödön von Horváth. Music for violin, violoncello, trombone, saxophone, percussion and organ. Director: Ulrich Heising. World premiere: Ruhrfestspiele, Recklinghausen 1978.
  • Claus Störtebeker. Music and songs for different instrument groups in one piece for students. Text: Wolfram Moser. Director: collective. World premiere: Steilshoop Comprehensive School, Hamburg 1978.
  • Kater lamp by Emil Rosenow. New version: Bernd Schroeder and Ulrich Heising. Songs and stage music for 3 instrumentalists. Director: Ulrich Heising. World premiere: Freie Volksbühne, Berlin (West), 1979.
  • Oh how are we going to chat. Play with texts by Heine and Lessing. Compilation: W. Beck, H. Clasen, W. Jansen, B. Laux and M. Schlicht. Director: Bernhard Laux. World premiere: Malersaal des Deutschen Schauspielhaus, Hamburg 1980.
  • The long look at Hagen. Music for a radio play by Hubert Wiedfeld. Director: Hans Gerd Krogmann. First broadcast: WDR / NDR / SFB / RB, 1981.
  • The Offenbach affair. Play by Andreas Rosgony and Dorothea Dahlen. Musical arrangement and paraphrasing of various models by Jacques Offenbach. Lyrics: Charly Nissen. Direction and staging: Karl Paryla. World premiere: Ernst-Deutsch-Theater, Hamburg 1981.
  • Evening star. Music for a radio play by Hilmar Sonderberg. Six-part male choir with piano accompaniment. Direction and radio equipment: Hans Gerd Krogmann. First broadcast: NDR / HR, 1981.
  • The Entenhausen World Theater. Theater music and chansons for a piece by Bernhard Laux, Wolfgang Beck and Wolfgang Jansen. Piano and tape. Director: Bernhard Laux. World premiere: Kampnagel, Hamburg, 1982.
  • The dead heart. Music for a radio play by Hubert Wiedfeld. Trombone quartet and small orchestra. Director: HG Krogmann. First broadcast: WDR / NDR / BR, 1982.
  • Overcoming the subherzyme pelvis. Music for a radio play by Hubert Wiedfeld. Chanson and spa concert for morbid alto and small salon cast. Director: HG Krogmann. First broadcast: WDR / SR, 1983.
  • The long moment of death. Music for a detective radio play by Hubert Wiedfeld for three button accordion and percussion. Director: HG Krogmann. First broadcast: NDR / SR, 1983.
  • Gasparone. Operetta in three acts by Carl Millîker. Revised edition: E. Gehlen. Lyrics: H. Deeken. Musical arrangement and instrumentation for Paris Salon Orchestra: NF Hoffmann. World premiere: Theaters of the City of Dortmund, 1984.
  • Mirage. Music for a radio play by William Kotzwinkle and Jörg Laederach. Director: Rosenbauer. First broadcast: NDR 1985.
  • The end of the sledge building. Radio piece in five parts along with an opera sinistre. Text: Hubert Wiedfeld. Director: Norbert Schaeffer. First broadcast: RB, WDR, NDR 1986.
  • Democracy. Music and songs for a play by V. Bronsky. Director: Ulrich Heising. World premiere: Schauspielhaus, Hamburg 1991.
  • Stubbornness and honesty. Chansons for a comedy by Johann Carl Wezel. Director: Peter Siefert. World premiere: Staatstheater, Kassel 1992.
  • The KTown Story. Musical. Text: Jürgen Hofmann. Director: Pavel Fieber. World premiere: Pfalztheater, Kaiserslautern 1993.
  • Berlin Bertie. Music and chansons for a play by Howard Brenton. Director: Dieter Reible . World premiere: Staatstheater, Kassel 1993. Children's version of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. Director: Andreas Franz. World premiere: Staatstheater, Kassel 1993.
  • I served the English king. Musical based on a model by Bohumil Hrabal. Text: u. A. Jürgen Hofmann. World premiere: HdK, Berlin 1996.
  • Battle. Radio play for speaker and double bass. Text: Hubert Wiedfeld. Director: Norbert Schaeffer. First broadcast: NDR 1997.
  • Viennese blood. New facilities for large Parisian salon orchestra. World premiere: Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe 2000.
  • Journey to a dark heart. Musical based on Peter Hoeg. Text: 7th year students Scenic writing. World premiere in the theater hall UdK Berlin, 2005.

Film music

  • MS Otto Hahn. Production: Rhythmoton, Decker & Co. Director: Decker. Hamburg, 1969.
  • Impressions in E. Production: Rhythmoton. Director: Decker. Hamburg, 1970.
  • Hamburg economic plan. Production: Cinoki on behalf of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Director: Michael Engler. Hamburg, 1971.
  • The crucial first year. Production: Rhythmoton. Director: Decker. Hamburg, 1971.
  • Grandpa Schulze. Production: Südwestfunk Baden-Baden. Direction and script: Erika Runge. First broadcast: ARD, 1975.
  • The day that Uncle Herbert came. TV play in the series Bettkantengeschichten. Script and direction: Gerburg Rohde-Dahl, first broadcast: ARD 1986.

Shows, happenings and revues

  • Action lecture. Texts: NF Hoffmann, collages. Choreography: Christiane Meyer-Rogge. Objects: Thomas Peitner. World premiere: University of Fine Arts, Hamburg 1968.
  • 25, An artist celebrates his birthday. Texts: NF Hoffmann. Choreography: Christiane Meyer-Rogge. Objects: Jörg Mîller. World premiere: University of Fine Arts, Hamburg 1968.
  • Art and tilting. Pantomime and film: Elmar Gehlen. World premiere: Kunsthaus, Bielefeld 1969.
  • About the historical consciousness of the newest musicians. Texts: including Bernhard Laux, NF Hoffmann. Premiere:. Justus Liebig House, Darmstadt 1974.
  • The life and death of the exiled composer Alexander Alexandrovitsch Nussbaum-Ramowsky. One-man show. World premiere: Darmstadt 1975.
  • Music in everyday life. Public presentation of a seminar result. Main workshop of the Institute for New Music and Music Education. World premiere: Justus Liebig Haus, Darmstadt 1981.
  • 110 years of NGG. Soloist: Gisela May. CCH Hamburg. 1990
  • Association congress of the DPG. Soloist: Jochen Baumert. ICC Berlin. 1991
  • 100 years of IGM. Soloist: Konstantin Wecker. Kampnagelfabrik, Hamburg. 1991
  • Congress DPG. Soloist: Jochen Baumert, Kuppelsaal, Hanover. 1993
  • Museum of Labor. Opening of the new house with musical events in all rooms. 1999
  • Money or life. Musical revue. Text based on Karl Marx. Speaker: Rolf Becker 2002
  • Four peoples concert. Red City Hall Berlin. Beethoven's Ninth for piano solo, singer, saz ensemble, choir and wind orchestra 2005
  • More is not possible. Musical revue. PI lecture hall at the University of Hamburg 2006
  • The invigorating effect of money. Cabaret revue, Hamburg Politburo 2008

Songs

  • Based on texts by Bernhard Laux, Joachim Fuhrmann, Richert Limpert, Bertolt Brecht, Peter Maiwald and others, arrangements and paraphrases of songs, folk songs and songs of the labor movement.

Collective compositions

  • Strike at Mannesmann. Scenic cantata for actors and small orchestra. Text: Erika Runge. Music: Boekle, Henze, Hoffmann, Jahn, Lombardi, Steinbrenner. World premiere: Berliner Ensemble, Berlin (East), 1972.
  • The oven. Comic opera in 5 acts and 3 intermediate acts for 12 singers, choir and wind orchestra with percussion. New version by W. Florey using a template by F. Hintzer and K. Konjetzky with texts by Jahn, Hoffmann and Süverkrüp. Music: Blackford, Brauel, Denhoff, Henze, Hoffmann, Jahn, King, Maxwell-Davies, Pinto, McQueen, Zobel. World premiere: Staatstheater Kassel, 1991.
  • Homage to Weill. Song cycle for mezzo and small ensemble. Text: contemporary poetry. Music: Blackford, Brauel, Henze, Hoffmann, Jahn, Lombardi, Vacci, Zobel. World premiere: London Sinfoniette, Berlin (West) 1976.
  • Mongomo in lapis lazuli. Singspiel for 6 actors and a small ensemble. Music and text: Hinz & Kunst group (Asche, H. Florey, W. Florey, Hoffmann, Jahn, Wulfert). World premiere: Cantiere Internationale d`Arte, Montepulciano, 1978. 1st prize Künstlerhaus Boswil 1978.
  • Come on, Colli, we're going into the oil. Musical comedy based on a model by Traven. Text and music: Hinz & Kunst group (B. Asche, W. Florey, H. Florey, NF Hoffmann, T. Jahn, H. Schneider). World premiere: Steirischer Herbst, Graz 1981.

Music for children

Stage music / operas

  • Beauty, speed and hard work. Demonstration for piano and percussion. World premiere: Brahmssaal, Hamburg, 1968.
  • The story of the musicians. Piano trio and speaker. Text: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann. World premiere: Giessener Musiktage, 1971.
  • Elegant retrospect or the life of a private music teacher in distiches. Piano etudes for one or two players and speaker. Text: Bernhard Laux. World premiere: Institute for New Music and Music Education. Darmstadt, 1972.
  • The snow Queen. Theater music for chamber ensemble. Text: Elmar Gehlen based on a novella by Christian Andersen. World premiere: Theater der Stadt Düsseldorf, 1981.
  • The story of fire. For small ensembles and speakers. Text: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann based on Indian myths. Marionettes: Irene Nestler. World premiere: Kampnagelfabrik, Hamburg, 1989.
  • Bona notte, dear Lotte. A Mozart program for primary school students. Drawings: Stefan Siegert. World premiere: State Opera Hamburg, 1992.
  • Hansel and Gretel. Children's version of Humperdinck's opera. Director: Andreas Franz. World premiere: Staatstheater Kassel, 1993.
  • Hit the kettledrum Elise. A Beethoven program for elementary school students. Drawings: Stefan Siegert. World premiere: State Opera Hamburg, 1994.
  • Wagnerlaweia. A Wagner program for children. Drawings: Stefan Siegert. World premiere: Hamburg State Opera, 1998.
  • Bach, noise, coffee gossip. Bach program for children. Drawings: Stefan Siegert. World premiere: State Opera Hamburg, 2003
  • Gods, dwarfs and the treasure in the Rhine. Children's opera based on "The Ring of the Nibelung" by Richard Wagner. World premiere: State Opera Hamburg, 2009.
  • The little Prince. Music for speakers and symphony orchestra. Text: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. World premiere: Hamburger Symphoniker, Musikhalle Hamburg, 2009
  • Alice in Wonderland. Music for speaker and symphony orchestra. Text: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann based on Lewis Carroll. World premiere: Theater Trier, direction: Valtteri Rauhahammi, February 5, 2012
  • Tom Sawyer. Music for speaker and small symphony orchestra. Text: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann after Mark Twain. World premiere: Kammerorchester unter den Linden, conductor: Andreas Peer Kähler, staging and speaker: Niels Frédéric Hoffmann, Berlin Philharmonic, October 21, 2012

School musicals

  • Claus Störtebeker. Music and songs for different instrument groups in one piece for students. Text: Wolfram Moser. Director: collective. World premiere: Steilshoop Comprehensive School, Hamburg, 1978.
  • The Eulenspiegel gang. Play with music for students. Project “Artists and School” of the Federal Ministry for Education and Science. Text: Goesen, Högele, Huller. World premiere: Steilshoop Comprehensive School, Hamburg, 1978.
  • The house in Montevideo. Music for a play by Kurt Goetz in a new version for schoolchildren. Director: Teamwork. World premiere: Steilshoop Comprehensive School, Hamburg, 1980.
  • The conference of animals. Musical for student choir and percussion. Stick playing and flute orchestra. Text: Students and teachers of the GS Fritz-Schumacher-Schule based on a template by Erich Kästner. World premiere: Fritz-Schumacher-Schule, Hamburg, 1983

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.dtv.de/buecher/handbuch_autogenes_training_36208.html
  2. ↑ http://www.kunst.uni-oldenburg.de/12199.html
  3. ^ Choir page CHG for the choir association
personal data
SURNAME Hoffmann, Niels Frédéric
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH July 28, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg