Thomas Fortmann

Thomas Fortmann (* 1951 in Gerzensee BE ) is a Swiss composer and founder of the Accademia Amiata, Toscana delle Culture, ClaZZ Festival.

Youth and pop careers

Thomas Fortmann, also known as Tommy Fortmann, son of the Swiss soprano Greta Saar and the entrepreneur Rudolf Fortmann, was born in Gerzensee in the canton of Bern as the first of two children. At 17, he wrote his first pop / rock hit, which was released in 27 countries. Then, in collaboration with the producer Dieter Dierks, over 100 of his titles were published by United Artists, CBS, EMI, Decca-Telefunken, Ariola, Phonogram, Hansa u. a. During this time he worked with Demon Thor (crocodile) , Jürgen Drews , Love Generation , Cockpit, Su Kramer , Jay C. Corry, Alexis Korner , Toni Vescoli, Daniela Davoli and others. a. At the end of his rock / pop career, music turned into a musical Tell , in which Udo Lindenberg played the leading role.

Contemporary music career

At the age of 26 he turned to studying classical music. Afterwards he composed mainly chamber works, but also two symphonies, an oratorio, concerts, songs and several stage music works with commissions and grants from the Swiss Federal Office for Culture, Zurich Opera House, Open Opera St.Gallen, Canton Ticino, City of Zurich, EU Kaleidoscope, Espace Nuithonie Friborg, Connaissez-vous Basel, Murten Classics, Gaia Festival, Mozart Festival Trento, Murten Classics, Salerno Pianofestival, University of Houston, Carnegie Hall NY u. a.

Constant further development and search for the appropriate form, corresponding to the content of a new work, allow him to develop original ideas; and through his personality, even heterogeneous and often even contradicting impulses of modernity can playfully combine to form a unity. Construction and vitality, logic and sensual effect are by no means mutually exclusive in his compositions.

In the mid-eighties, Thomas Fortmann moved with his family to Tuscany, where, in addition to his composing work with musicians from the provinces of Grosseto and Siena, he founded the Accademia Amiata and directed the "Toscana delle Culture" festival for several years. In 2016 he founded the international ClaZZ Festival. All works are with Verlag Müller & Schade, Bern.

Works

Duos

• Sonata for Violin & Piano "A Southern Diary" 16 ', WP: Laufenburg, CH, (2009) Cd: Métier
• Sonata for alto saxophone and piano, 13 ', WP: Wolfsburg, D, Italian Cultural Institute (2006) Cd: Métier
• "Quintcello Sonate" for cello and piano16 ', WP : Carnegie Hall, New York (2013), CD: Blue Griffin
• Duo for violin & piano , "Grafeneck Variazioni"
• Duo for alto sax & piano, "BachCab" 06 ', WP : Orbetello Piano Festival, 2015, Cd: Métier
• Concert for 2 pianos & ad.lib drums , "Warriors of the Night", 50 ' WP , Salerno Piano Festival
• Sonatina for 2 saxophones (S&T) "The Goretti Thing" 5 'Cd: Métier
• Pieces for oboe d 'amore or soprano sax & piano "From the tropics" , 11'

Trios

• "Prolitheus Suite" piano trio (Vl, Vcl, Pno), 30 ', WP: College Station, Texas University, USA (2010), CD Métier
• "Con Pepe e Zucchero" Trio for 2 violins & piano, 16 ', Interharmony Festival, Arcidosso, I (2016)
• "Schabernack Suite" trio for violin, clarinet & piano
• "Grafeneck Concert", violin, percussions & piano plus recordings, 38 ', premiere: Schloss Grafeneck, D (2015)
• "Elena e Greta" Burlesque for 2 flutes & piano, 7'30 '', WP: Arosa (2016), radio recording DRS2
• "Ladyboy" string trio (Vl, Vla, Vcl), 13'30 '', WP: Zyklorama, Zurich, CH, (1994), Cd: Divine Art
• "Etude Pytagorienne No.3" piano trio, WP : Center Culturel Suisse, Paris, radio recording: RSI
• "Catholic Blues" Trio for 2 saxophones (A&B) and piano, 6'07 ''. WP: European Cultural Center Erfurt ", Cd: Métier
• "Three Piggies in Clover" Trio for 2 saxophones (S&A) and piano, 4'40 '', Cd: Métier

Quartets

• String quartet, "Tango Catolico", 20 ', UA: Kulturviertel, Kiel, D, (1993) Cd: Divine Art and Pentaphon
• Saxophone quartet, "Songkran", 4'30 '' , WP: Mozartfestival Rovereto, I, (1995), Cd: Métier
• Saxophone quartet, "A little American Night music", 6'30 '' , WP: Mozartfestival Rovereto, I, (1995) Cd: Métier
• Saxophone quartet "Pop Oh Kakapitl" , 2'45 '', WP: Mozart Festival Rovereto, I, Cd: Métier

Song cycles

• "Requiem for an unborn child", clear, Vl, Vcl, Pno and medium voice, 30 ', UA: Musikakademie Basel, CH, (1990) Cd: Divine Art and Pentaphon
• "Stories" piano trio (Vl, Vcl, Pno) and high voice
• "Hoffmannsthal Verse", piano trio (Vl, Vcl, Pno) and high voice
• "Schubert's Winterreise" string quartet with baritone, 60 ', premier: Basel-Riehen, CH (2012)
• "Der Süsse Ton", string quartet with baritone, 15 ', premier: Basel-Riehen, CH (2012)
• "At the end of the corridor, 4th floor" for tenor, Via & Uno, 8 ', premiere: Laufenburg, CH (2017) Cd: edition.vokalmusik

Ensembles

• "Concertino Gregoriano" septet for Ob (EH), Cl (bsCI), Fag, Pno, Vl, Vla, Vcl, 15 ', WP: Interharmony Festival Arcidosso, I (2014)
• "The Murder of a Buttercup" for flute and string quintet (ad.lib. With pantomime or dancer), WP: ClaZZ Festival, I (2017)
• "Burlesque" for flute, string quintet and piano 7'30 '' WP: Gaia Festival, CH (2017)
• "Andante for a Somersault" for flute, string quintet and piano 4 'WP: Gaia Festival, CH (2017)
• "Rag'n Blue" for violin, alto sax, drums, piano, accordion & bass
• "Arenal Fantasy" for violin, clarinet, percussions, piano & accordion, 30 '
• "Suite for Leontine" for Fl, Kl, Pno, Vl, Vcl, KB
• "Pinocchio Suite no.2" for 2Trp, Hrn, Pos, Tub, 15 '

Orchestral works

• Symphony no.1 "Pythagorian", SATB - choir ad lib. - 2F l (Pic), Ob, EH, Kl, Bs.Kl, S.Sax, B.Sax, 2Fg, 2Hrn, 2Trp, 2Pos, Pkn, Perk, Pno / Cel, Vl1 & 2, Vla, Vcl, KB, 35 ', WP: Toscana delle Culture, Orbetello, I,
• Symphony no.2 "Etruria",   2.1 (EH) .1. (BKlar) .2 - SSax.BSax - 2.2.2.0. - Pk - Perc (2). - Strings, 35 ', WP: Moore's Opera House, Houston USA, Cd: Métier
• "Oratorio Francescano", soloist & choir (5 voices), Fl, Ob, Kl, aS, Fg, Pkn / Perk, Org, Vl1, Vl2, Vla, Vcl, KB, full-length, (WP old version: Magadino, CH 1982) Premiere new version: Zurich-Wollishofen, 2016
• "Arenal Concierto" -2Fl (Pic), 2Ob (EH), 2Kl (Bs.Kl), Sax, 2Fg, 2Trp, 2Hrn, Mba, Sch.zg, Pno, Vl1 & 2, Vla, Vcl, KB, 20 '

Musical theater

• "Schabernackoper", 3 acting musicians (Vl, Kl, Pno), full-length
• "Collodis Pinocchio", 5 musicians (Vl, 2Sax, Schlzg, Pno) & 6 singing actors, full-length, WP: Nuithonie, Friborg, CH, (2005) Cd: Klick Records
• "Vaudeville for Leontine", Fl, Kl, Schlzg / Perk, Pno, Vl, Vcl, Bs, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, full-length, WP: Murten Classics, CH, (2017)
• "Pinocchio" Musical, Fl (Pic), Ob, EH, Kl, Bs.Kl, Sax (S&A), Fg, Hrn, 2Trp, Pos, Bs.Pos (or Tb), Pkn, Perk, Pno, KB, Singer & Choir, full-length, premiere: Zurich Opera House, CH, 1989, out of print and only available on request
• "Tell Musical", 2el.Gtr, Pno, Schlzg, el.Bs, orchestra, singer, choir & ballet, full-length, WP: Zurich, CH, 1977 LP: Telefunken-DECCA

Web links

• Website by Thomas Fortmann
• Fortmann Music
• Literature by and about Thomas Fortmann in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Portrait (.pdf)