(b. 7 June 1940, Gersfeld [Rhön] – d. 11 January 2019, Rimsting).
German composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, piano, and organ works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.
Prof. Bieler studied composition with Franz Xaver Lehner and piano with Aldo Schoen and Friedrich Wührer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where he received his diploma in 1965–66.
Among his honours were the Kulturförderungspreis of the city of Nuremberg (1980), the Kulturpreis of the city of Bayreuth (1992) and the Friedrich-Baur-Preis for music of the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich (2008). His music has been performed in Austria, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, and the USA, including once at the Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek in Amsterdam and the ISCM World Music Days in Aarhus (1983).
He was also active in other positions. He founded the Ensemble Musica Viva in Bayreuth in 1980 and served as its artistic director, conductor and pianist.
He taught at the Universität Bayreuth from 1979–2004, where he was Professor für Musikpädagogik from 1988–2004.
His publisher is the Keturi Musikverlag.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
Memorandum für eine Grabklingel (comic-macabre opera in 1 act, libretto by Friederike Kempner), soprano, bass, mixed chorus, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder), mandolin, double bass, piano, accordion, percussion, 1983
ORCHESTRAL:
Rondel, 8 flutes, orchestra, 1983
Konzentration und Ausbrüche (concerto), viola, orchestra, 1995
Musik für Orchester, 1996
Permutation, string orchestra, 1999
Introduktion und Fantasie über 'Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich', organ, percussion, orchestra, 2002 (version of chamber work)
Konzert, piano, orchestra, 2008
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Con – tra – con, clarinet, harpsichord, 1971
Quick fingers, transverse flute, harpsichord, 1973 (also versions for flute/percussion, harpsichord, 1973; percussion, 1973)
Treffpunkte, harpsichord, percussion, 1973
Musik für Fünf, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1974
Bewegung und Ruhe, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1975
Wellenschläge, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder, tenor recorder, bass recorder), tenor viol, harpsichord, 1976 (also version as Ornamente, transverse flute, violin, cello, harpsichord, 1983)
Zwischen Zeit und Raum (sonata), clarinet, piano, percussion, fixed media, 1976
Passacaglia, any melody instrument/any 2 melody instruments, piano, fixed media, 1977 (also version for any melody instrument, fixed media, 1977)
Fantasia, flute (+ clarinet), piano, percussion, fixed media/live electronics, 1977 (also version for fixed media)
Capriccio, soprano recorder, alto recorder (+ transverse flute), harpsichord, 1977–78
Zyklus, guitar, percussion, 1978
Klänge und Figuren, piano, organ, 1979 (also versions for piano, fixed media, 1980; 2 pianos, 2 percussion, 1983)
Konzert, flute, cello, ensemble (clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, 2 percussion), 1979
Pièce, flute (+ alto flute), 1981
Mouvements, flute (+ alto flute, bass flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), 1982
Reprisen, alto saxophone, piano, percussion, 1982
Blöcke und Risse, piano, percussion, 1983
Sounding Colours, 4 saxophones, 1985
Wie ein dünner Schleier, flute/alto flute, 1986
Fantasie, alto saxophone, organ, 1987
Duo, clarinet, cello, 1989 (also versions for flute/alto flute/bass flute, piano, 1989; flute/alto flute/bass flute, organ, 1989; alto flute, cello, 1990; viola, cello, 1990–91)
Stille Musik, contrabass flute, basset horn, 1990
Trio, French horn, violin, piano, 1991
Introduktion und Fantasie über 'Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich', organ, percussion, 1993 (also version for organ, percussion, orchestra)
Bläserquintett II, 'Helle Nachtgedanken', flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1993
Antwort auf Reger, A-clarinet, string quartet, 1993
Abbrüche, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute/contrabass flute), piano, percussion, 1995
Klangwandlungen, contrabass flute, fixed media, 1995 (also versions for tenor recorder, bass recorder, fixed media, 1995; bass flute, fixed media, 1995)
Lyrik und Bewegung, string quartet, 1996
Szenen, 3 guitars, 1996
Epitaph – Gedanken an Reger, alto flute, piano, 1997
Szenen, oboe, bassoon, guitar, viola, 1997
Korrespondenz, flute, clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1998
Rhapsodie, violin, piano, 2000
Intermezzi, French horn, ensemble (violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion), 2000
Bewegte Flächen, French horn, organ, 2002
TOP-Trio, trumpet, organ, percussion, 2004
Herbstmusik, cello, piano, 2005
Exkursion, 4 percussion, 2006
Impulse, 12 saxophones, percussion, 2007
Variabile, flute, violin, cello, piano, 2008
CHORAL:
Miserere Domine (mass), alto, baritone, speaker, mixed chorus, flute, oboe, bass trombone, 2 organs (both + positive organ, electronic organ), 2 percussion, string orchestra, 1984–85
Psalmgesänge (texts from Psalm 90, Psalm 88, Psalm 103, Psalm 104 [German translations]), mixed chorus, organ, 1988–91
Oratio (text from the Bible), baritone, mixed chorus, transverse flute, organ, 1993
Bewahre uns Gott (text by Eugen Eckert), mixed chorus, organ, 1998
VOCAL:
...et in terra pax? (text by Jochen Lobe), soprano, speaker, flute, harpsichord, percussion, 1972
Polymerie I (vocalise), soprano, flute, violin, piano, percussion, 1972
Stimme über den Saiten (vocalise), soprano, clavichord/harpsichord, 1973 (also version for soprano, violin, clavichord/harpsichord, fixed media, live electronics, 1974)
Musicienne du silence (text by Stéphane Mallarmé), soprano, transverse flute, kantele (psaltery from Finland)/guitar, synthesizer, fixed media, 1975 (also version for soprano, bass flute, piano/synthesizer, vibraphone, fixed media, 1980)
Der Ackermann aus Böhmen (text by Dietrich W. Hübsch, after Johannes von Tepl), female voice–speaker, alto, baritone, 2 speakers, organ, synthesizer, percussion, fixed media, 1977, revised 1982 (also version for 2 speakers, organ, synthesizer, percussion, fixed media, 1978)
Sei stille, meine Seele (text from Psalm 62 [German translation]), voice, flute, violin, organ, fixed media, 1977
Polymerie II (vocalise), soprano, transverse flute, piano, percussion, 1980
Cet amour (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, guitar, percussion, 1980
Poème (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, flute, piano, percussion, 1981
Poème d'amour (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, piano, 1983
Vier Gesänge nach Gedichten des bengalischen Vischnuiten Vidyapati (text by Vidyapati), soprano, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute), piano, percussion, 1990–91
Credo in unum deum (text by Wiltrud Schuster, after the Credo), alto, baritone, cello, organ, percussion, 1994
Zwei Gesänge nach Rainer Maria Rilke (text by Rainer Maria Rilke), mezzo-soprano, French horn, piano, 2003
Der Tod ist uns durch's Fenster gestiegen (elegy, texts by Matthias Claudius, Christine Busta, the Song of Solomon), baritone, flute, clarinet (+ alto saxophone), violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 2003
Im Schatten des Kreuzes, mezzo-soprano, baritone, clarinet, violin/flute, organ, percussion, brass band, 2007
PIANO:
Esothén, 1971–72
Schemen und Gestalten, 1977 (also version for piano, fixed media, 1984–85)
...den Klängen nachhören, 1981
Wie rasche Bewegung langsamer wird und versiegt, 1981
Konturen, 1984
Kontraste, 1988 (version of work for harpsichord)
Drei Präludien, 1988
Sieben Stücke für Sieben Frauen, 2003
Drei Stücke für Drei Frauen, 2005
ORGAN:
Musik aus dem Dunkel, organ, fixed media, 1975 (also version of first movement as Musik aus dem Dunkel, fixed media)
Metamorphosen, 1992
Choralmeditation über 'Der du die Zeit in Händen hast', 1993
Choralvorspiel zu 'Der du die Zeit in Händen hast', 1993
Choralmeditation über 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland', 1993
Choralvorspiel zu 'Jesu, Deine Passion', 1993
HARPSICHORD:
Kontraste, 1969 (also version for piano)
Dialog, 2 harpsichords, 1971
Meditation über Debussys Prélude 'Canope', 2 harpsichords (both + piano), 1979–80
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Musik aus dem Dunkel, fixed media, 1976 (version of first movement of work for organ, fixed media)
Fantasia, fixed media, 1977 (version of chamber work)