© GRILL MEDIEN 2015
Komposition mit Blau und… (in memoriam P. M.)
for soprano, percussion and tuba (2007)
Sy. 3785
The analysis, theories and statements of the work by the artist Piet Mondrian gave me the
reason to this composition. I visited three exhibitions of paintings by Mondrian, 1969 in Paris and
1972 in Bern, 2006, The Hague and finally some important paintings in the Fondation Beyeler,
Riehen (Switzerland) which became very influential to me.
This piece was composed in the fall of 2006 to March 2007.
The sections described in the score lead into each other without interruption:
Prolog 1 – Prolog 2 – ‚Refrain 1’ – Zeeland – ‚Refrain 2’ – der Kirchturm (in memoriam Gottfried
Benn) – ‚Refrain 3’ – der blaue, rote Baum, blühender Apfelbaum – ‚Refrain 4’ – blaue Fassade
– ‚Refrain 5’ – Komposition I mit Blau und Gelb (Quadrat auf Eck) – Victory ‚Boogie Woogie’
mit… - Epilog 1 mit Terzett a (vitory[sic!] – Terzett b [wer singt, betet doppelt (Augustinus)] –
Epilog 2. in my opinion without precedent
In this work, I dealt with the evolutionary process of Mondrian’s paintings, who is, in my opinion,
without precedent in the history of art. Piet Mondrian is exemplary for a complexity of problems
which is not limited to trends in the visual arts. This concerns the tension between abstraction
and subjectivity, which also forms the core content of this piece. A new phrase in this
composition, which leads even beyond the examination with Mondrian, shows the trio towards
the end of the piece.
This composition is dedicated to Petra Hoffmann, David LeClair, Daniel Buess and Jürg
Henneberger.
Thomas Lauck
Linien, Farben II
für violoncello and piano (2010)
Sy. 4010
This work was written in December 2009 - January 2010 on request of the young cellist Isabel
Gehweiler for a concert with her duo partner Helge Aurich (piano). This duo was successfully
premiered in Lörrach in the courtyard on March, 21st, 2010 during the concert series "Young
Podium".
Linien, Farben II consists of several merging parts:
‚quasi Focus-prolog’ – ‚abtasten’, ‚Linien – espressivo’, ‚Farben – espressivo’, ‚quasi
scherzando’, ‚Kontrast 1?’, ‚Linien, Farben II – espressivo’ (ist eine Variation meines Stückes
Linien, Farben I für Oboe und Klavier), ‚quasi-Tanz – marcato’, ‚Kontrast 2’, ‚Linien, Farben II –
Hommage an Giorgio Morandi’ (erweiterte Variation von Linien, Farben I), ‚Epilog für I. G.’,
‚Raum – Epilog’.
This composition is dedicated to Isabel Gehweiler and Helge Aurich.
Thomas Lauck
Resonanzen IV
for piano (2008)
Sy. 3874
This piano solo was composed in the spring of 2008 and completed in the fall of 2009, the final
section was expanded later.
In November 1989, I saw a large, epochal exhibition of Wols showing his paintings, watercolors,
drawings and photographs at Kunsthaus Zurich. Since then, I dealt with this artist – even with his
poems - consistently. His "microbial universe," his "gestural pictorial compositions", mostly with a
condensed central point reminding me of solidified explosions *, as well as his poem from 1943,
were the motives for the composition of this piano solo. Some words of this poem are very
important to me and are applied as headings - quasi as a motto - before the individual parts of
resonances IV:
…durch eine Lupe: Felsen I, Echo I (marcato I) – Steine, Fische (leggiero I) – Felsen, Echo II
(marcato II) – Meer, Himmel (marcato III) – abwenden vom Chaos unserer Betriebsamkeit
(semplice) – kleine Wellen des Hafens… (leggiero II) – kleine Wellen, die immer wiederkehren…
(leggiero III) – …zeigen mir die „Ewigkeit” – marcato e lento ‚cantabile misterioso’ – Variation
[Hommage à Russische Streichquartette op. 33 (Joseph Haydn)].
Resonanzen IV is dedicated to Jürg Henneberger.
* Excerpt according to Ulf Küster
Thomas Lauck
Trattati
Scene for mezzo-soprano and percussion (2008/09)
Sy. 3962
This work was created in late 2008 / January 2009. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of
the festival "Ensemblia" in Moenchengladbach.
1. "Trattati" - a tribute to the human senses, enhanced by terms such as drawing, painting,
writing and poetry consists of almost imperceptibly merging parts:
2. The tongue: aria accompanied by various percussion instruments, particularly the tambourine.
Touching, the eyes, seeing, glancing: Canto with the main percussion instruments frame drum
and china-gong. Drawing, painting, writing, writing poetry, singing and drums with different
"tools", as beater, particularly on the frame drum.
3. Short Interlude (Interlude)
4. Summary, vocal and instrumental variations, then a short Spanish song "tambourine"
(tambourine, if I hit you, you have a voice, you have tongue).
5. Epilogue: vocals and percussion instruments: Implied dance movement of the singer
according to the beat of the drummer, the drummer whispers two lines of a love poem by
Michelangelo into the ear of the singer (the “composed” lyrics 1.–3. originate from Leonardo da
Vinci) - the singer listens till into silence ...
Thomas Lauck
Vibraphonie (mit Papier & Co.)
3. Solo-scene for percussionist (2005/06)
Sy. 3751
The piece was premiered successfully in Zurich in 2007, Vals, Basel and Lucerne in the concert
series "The Swiss Australian Collectables' by Daniel Buess.
"Vibraphonie" consists of different long merging segments (af). On one hand, the paper develops
in the first part with all its congeners to a musical instrument in comparison of performing with six
small percussion instruments and a pedal drum, then low sounds of a vibraphone. On the other
hand, this Part A creates a sensitivity to listen to the upcoming: rhythmic, harmonic and melodic
progressions with resonances in each different pitches of the vibraphone with sound
enhancements in low pitches, particularly by the A and E-flat gong (also A-flat gong), and the
accentuation of the middle pitch of the vibraphone underlined by a B gong. The last part (f) of the
"Vibraphonie" indicates an expansion of the vibraphone sound in very high pitches with seven
crotales while continuing the low gong-sound and with an additional low D gong as
enhancement and development of sound. All together happens - simplistic formulated - a
process of development of rhythmic "Paper & Co" - sounds to different part music (especially by
the vibraphone, the five gongs and the crotales) instead. In the last part (f) paper sounds are
again woven in the composition (especially with the vibraphone), which creates a new sound
due to a different surround.
At the end of 2008, the first and final parts were expanded.
This composition is dedicated to my parents and Daniel Buess.
Thomas Lauck