Andreas Grün

Works

Works

Solo pieces • Chamber music • Vocal music • Fixed media music • Music for ensemble, orchestra or choir • Stage music • Arrangements

From early on, inventing my own music was just as important to me as performing existing works. Even before I began my formal studies, I appeared in public not only as a guitarist but also achieved my first successes as a composer during my school years with my music for the text-and-performance collage Weissagung (after Peter Handke), performed, among other occasions, at the Franco-German Theatre Days in Kehl.
Encouraged during my studies in music education by my otherwise rather strict teacher of music theory, Rudolf Kelterborn, to continue composing, and later admitted to the composition class of the then rising star Wolfgang Rihm, I wrote numerous works in the 1980s and 1990s which were subsequently performed in several countries at concerts and festivals (Neue Reihe Musik im 20. Jahrhundert Freiburg; adevantgarde Munich; Darmstädter Frühjahrstagung; Lucerne Festival; versija 2–7 Vilnius; among others).
As a musician who plays an instrument with a historically broad repertoire, I have often drawn inspiration from the musical past. The result is a stylistically multifaceted oeuvre, unafraid of engaging with material that might be considered worn or overused. If, for example, the soggetto cavato of my most frequently performed work — the virtuosic, subtly minimalist flute solo Capriccio on mi-chae-la — outlines the A minor triad through the very sequence of notes derived from the name Michaela, this does not trouble me in the least. Why should a consonant triad not serve as compositional material just as much as chromaticism, dissonance, sound continua, or noise?
For all the diversity of means employed, what has remained essential to me is a close connection to performance practice. As a guitarist, I have often found myself confronted with unplayable or even destructive works by fellow composers placed on my music stand for their premieres. Thus, when in my Hyperion trilogy for low instruments — … in die Nacht des Unbekannten …, … für des Menschen wilde Brust …, … wie der Sonne Strahl die Pflanzen … — I explored the possibilities of micro-intervals to their extremes, this was not a speculative exercise, but a practical and listening-based process, with the quarter-tone guitar in my hands. In doing so, the sixfold subdivision of the conventional semitone revealed itself to me as the limit of perceptibility — and therefore the limit of meaningful composition.
It has always been my wish not merely to pursue artistic self-gratification, but to create music of immediate and suggestive impact, both for performers and for audiences — music that is not merely “paper music,” but can be experienced directly — music that may, through explanation and analysis, reveal further layers of meaning, yet that, before anything else, must speak through sound.

Solo pieces

Toccata & Fugue

for organ

1984 (premiere 27/6/1990 Karlsruhe)
variable duration (ca 30–40 min.)

Capriccio on mi-chae-la

for flute

1985/88 (premiere 13/6/1989 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1991)
5 min.
published by Musikverlag Zimmermann Frankfurt, ZM 32300
more information
play

Rhapsody

for oboe

1986 (premiere 14/2/1989 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1991)
7 min.
complete score (PDF)
play

Aria

for violin

1986 (premiere 20/7/1990 Freiburg)
13 min.

Hommage

for violin

1986 (premiere 19/6/1991 Karlsruhe)
7 min.
more information (German)

… in die Nacht des Unbekannten …

for bass clarinet

… into the night of the unknown …
1990 (premiere 10/2/1992 Karlsruhe, SWF radio recording 1994)
8 min.
(simultan performance possible together with … für des Menschen wilde Brust … and/or … wie der Sonne Strahl die Pflanzen …)
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play simultan performance

… für des Menschen wilde Brust …

for double bass

… for man’s wild breast …
1990–91 (premiere 22/1/1994 Freiburg, SWF radio recording 1994)
7 min.
(simultan performance possible together with … in die Nacht des Unbekannten … and/or … wie der Sonne Strahl die Pflanzen …)
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play simultan performance

Eingang zu einem Steinbruch

for guitar solo or guitar and speaker

see Vocal music

Die Hölderlin-Vertonungen des Josquin Desprez — 1. Buch

for guitar

The Settings of Hölderlin by Josquin Desprez — First Book
1997–99 (premiere 28/3/1999 Tel Aviv)
16 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play: I • II • III • IV • V • VI

Die Hölderlin-Vertonungen des Josquin Desprez — 2. Buch

for piano

The Settings of Hölderlin by Josquin Desprez — Second Book
1992–2002 (premiere 25/1/2003 Karlsruhe)
20 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)

Chamber music

Bagatelles

for violin and guitar

1982 (premiere 23/5/1985 Karlsruhe)
2½ min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)

Adagio

for flute and oboe (or flute and violin or violin and oboe)

1986/2020 (premiere 16/10/1988 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1991; first performance of the new version 11/7/2020)
9 min.
more information (German)
play (version 1986)

String Trio No 1: schatten … spuren … splitter … — …

for violin, viola and violoncello

shadows … traces … splinters … — …
1987 (premiere 6/7/1987 Tübingen)
17 min.
more information (German)
play

Hin

A concert for travers flute, viola da gamba and harpsichord with pieces by …

1988–91 (premiere 18/10/1991 Freudenstadt)
full-length concert (ca 20 min. plus ca 40 min. old music)

Three Pieces

for flute and guitar

1988–89 (premiere 10/2/1989 Kaiserslautern)
ca 8 min.
more information (German)

Ricerca(r)

Fragment for alto flute, clarinet and bass clarinet

1989 (premiere 2/2/1990 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1990)
commissioned with government support
20 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play

Reflexionen

Moment musical for flute, clarinet, percussion, harp, violin and viola
or for piano and speech

Reflections
1990; 1990–91 (premiere 30/1/1991; 5/6/1992 Karlsruhe)
7 min.

… in die Nacht des Unbekannten …

for bass clarinet

see Solo pieces

… für des Menschen wilde Brust …

for double bass

see Solo pieces

Piano Trio No 1

for violin, violoncello and piano

1990–91 (premiere 28/6/1992 Munich)
15 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play: I • II • III

Da es aber nicht so ist

Five movements for string quartet

For it is not so
1991 (premiere 4/10/1991 Lucerne)
8 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play: I • II • III • IV • V

MiniMusic ⅔

A trip to the mountains for 4 electric guitars

1991/92 (premiere 23/10/1992 Karlsruhe)
5 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play

Ein scheinbares Thema, neckischer Ernst, abrupte Chromatizismen und herzliche Grüsse

A change of direction for two guitars

A seeming theme, roguish earnestness, abrupt chromaticisms and warm regards
1993 (premiere 2/5/1993 Essen)
7 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play

… wie der Sonne Strahl die Pflanzen …

for bass flute and piano

… as the sun’s ray the plants …
1993 (premiere 22/1/1994 Freiburg, SWF radio recording 1994)
commissioned with government support
6 min.
(simultan performance possible together with … in die Nacht des Unbekannten … and/or … für des Menschen wilde Brust …)
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play play simultan performance

Red Noise Blues

for flute, viola and guitar

1993 (premiere 19/5/1995 Karlsruhe)
12 min.
more information
complete score (PDF)
play

Odyssey

for cello and piano

2001–02 (premiere 25/1/2003 Karlsruhe)
commissioned with government support
14 min.
complete score cello part (PDF)

d’autres jeux interdits

a trio for two duos for guitar and flute and/or cello

2002–03 (premiere 25/1/2003 Karlsruhe)
15 min.
more information (German)
complete score guitar part flute part cello part (PDF)

Vocal music

Der Bann

for baritone and piano (words by F. Grillparzer)

The Ban
1988 (premiere 8/12/1989 Karlsruhe)
11½ min.

Reflexionen

Moment musical for flute, clarinet, percussion, harp, violin and viola
or for piano and speech

see Chamber music

on the verge / requiem for holofernes

for electric guitar, percussion, flute, soprano, clarinet, string trio, trumpet, harp, accordion and double bass

see Ensemble

Die Sonne

for any human voice(s) and instruments (words by Georg Trakl)

The Sun
1992 (premiere 23/10/1992 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1993)
5½ min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play

Eingang zu einem Steinbruch

for guitar and speaker or guitar solo

(the speaker’s part may be played back from a recording)
Entrance to a Quarry
1992 (premiere 23/10/1992 Karlsruhe)
duo version ca 13 min., solo version ca 11 min.
more information (German)
play

Gesang zur Nacht

12 Lieder for low voice and piano (words by Georg Trakl)

Songs for the Night
1992–93 (premiere 27/10/1994 Karlsruhe)
35–40 min.
more information (German)
play play: I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII

Volkslieder und andere Alltagsgeräusche

11 pieces for mezzo soprano, flute, piano, percussion and audio recording

Folk Songs and other Everyday Noises
1992–93 (premiere 19/3/1993 Heidelberg)
20 min.
more information (German)
play play: I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI

Fixed media music

Heisse Luft

for audio recording and hot air ventilator

Hot Air
1996 (premiere 10/2/1996 Karlsruhe)
20 min.

Music for ensemble, orchestra or choir

Orchesterstück (aufhebung)

(3.3.3.3-4.0.0.1-timp-str)

1983
9 min.
more information (German)

Pavane blanche

(2.2.2.2-4.0.3.1-hp-perc-timp-str)

1987
17 min.

Drei Gedichte von Enzensberger und ein Intermezzo

for choir

Three Poems by Enzensberger and an Intermezzo
1988/89 (premiere 23/10/1992 Karlsruhe)
5 min.

fragwürdig

episode for violin, trumpet and string orchestra
(alternative version: violin, clarinet and string orchestra)

questionable
1989 (premiere 27/6/1993 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1993, first performance of the alternative version: 26/5/1998 Vilnius)
24 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)
play (YouTube)
play version with clarinet

MiniMusic ½ (trial and error)

for 11 instruments (fl-ob-clar-fag-trp-pos-pno-2perc-v-db)

1989 (premiere 24/3/1990 Blaubeuren)
10 min.

Anmerkungen zu Vivaldis „Jahreszeiten“

for solo violin and strings (6v-2va-2vc-db)

Comments about Vivaldi’s “Seasons”
1990/2011 (premiere 21/4/1990 Karlsruhe, SDR radio recording 1990; first performance of the new version 17/7/2011 Karlsruhe)
30 min.
more information (German)
complete score (PDF)