THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Peter Ruzicka

(b. 3 July 1948, Düsseldorf).

German composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, and vocal works that have been performed throughout the world; he is also active as an administrator, conductor and writer.

Prof. Ruzicka initially studied music theory and piano with Peter Hartmann and oboe with Egbert Gutsch at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg from 1963–68. He later studied law and musicology in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin from 1968–76 and earned his doctorate under the supervision of Wilhelm Nordemann in 1977.

Among his honours are the Kompositionspreis from the city of Stuttgart (1969, for Esta Noche [Trauermusik für die Opfer des Krieges in Vietnam]), a prize in the competition Bartók in Budapest (1970, for 2. Streichquartett, '...Fragment...' [withdrawn]), a mention in the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers (1971, for Metastrofe [Versuch eines Ausbruchs]), First Prize in the competition of the Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek in Amsterdam (1972, for In processo di tempo...), the Bach-Preis der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg (1972), and the Louis Spohr Musikpreis Braunschweig (2004, for his œuvre and his promotion of new music). He has been a member of the Akademie der Künste in Munich since 1985 and of the Freie Akademie der Künste in Hamburg since 1987.

As an administrator, he served as artistic director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin from 1979–87, as director of the Staatsoper Hamburg and the Hamburger Staatsphilharmoniker from 1988–97 and as artistic advisor of the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam from 1997–99. He served as artistic director of the Münchener Biennale from 1996–2014, has served as president of the Bayerische Akademie für Theater since 1999 and served as artistic director of the Salzburger Festspiele from 2001–06.

As a conductor, he has often led orchestras in his own music, as well as works by 20th-century composers, such as George Enescu, Hans Werner Henze, Helmut Lachenmann, Gustav Mahler, Allan Pettersson, and Franz Schreker. He has worked with orchestras in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

As a writer, he has contributed more than 50 articles to publications, many of which appear in the collection Erfundene und gefundene Musik (1998, edited by Thomas Schäfer, Wolke Verlag).

He has taught as Professor für Kulturmanagement at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg since 1990.

In addition to the works listed below, he prepared an edition of the Klavierquartett by Gustav Mahler in 1973.

His publisher is the Internationale Musikverlage Hans Sikorski.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: http://www.peter-ruzicka.de/

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

Outside-Inside (Modelle für musikalisches Theater) (vocalise), female voice, 3 actors, cello, piano (+ electronic organ), 3 percussion, fixed media, 1972

Celan (Musiktheater in sieben Entwürfen) (text by Peter Mussbach), boy soprano, lyric soprano, 3 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, alto, soubrette, 2 tenors, 4 baritones, 2 basses, silent character, actress, 2 actors, mixed chorus, moving mixed chorus, orchestra, 1998–99

Hölderlin, eine Expedition (Musiktheater in vier Akten) (text by Peter Mussbach), 6 female voices, 7 male voices, mixed chorus, large orchestra, 2006–07

ORCHESTRAL:

Metastrofe (Versuch eines Ausbruchs), large orchestra (87 players), 1971

In processo di tempo... (Materialien), cello, small orchestra (26 players), fixed media, 1971

Torso (Materialien), large orchestra in 3 groups (74 total players), cassette recorder (with 2 loudspeakers), 1973

Versuch (Sieben Stücke), 42 strings, 1970–74

Befragung (Fünf Stücke), large orchestra (74 players), noise generator, 1974

Abbrüche (Neun Phasen), large orchestra (88 players), 1977–78

Annäherung und Stille (Vier Fragmente über Schumann), piano, 42 strings, 1981

...den Impuls zum Weitersprechen erst empfinge... (Musik), viola, large orchestra (69 players), 1981

Satyagraha (Annäherung und Entfernung), distant trumpet, large orchestra (79 players), 1984 (also version for small orchestra [17 players], 1995)

Fünf Bruchstücke, large orchestra (79 players), 1984–87

Metamorphosen über ein Klangfeld von Joseph Haydn, 3 off-stage trumpets/fixed media, large orchestra (67 players), 1990

...das Gesegnete, das Verfluchte..., large orchestra (79 players), 1991

Tallis (Einstrahlungen), large orchestra (79 players), 1993

Nachtstück (– aufgegebenes Werk), large orchestra (69 players), 1997

...Vorgefühle..., 1998 (section of Celan Symphonie; may be performed separately)

Nachklang (Spiegel), 1999 (section of Celan Symphonie; may be performed separately)

Erinnerung (Spuren), clarinet, large orchestra (72 players), fixed media, 2000

Memorial, large orchestra (82 players), 2001

Affluence, distant trumpet, large orchestra (88 players), 2003

...ins Offene... (Musik), 22 strings, 2004–05

Vorecho (Acht Ansätze), large orchestra, 2005, revised 2007

Maelstrom, large orchestra, 2007

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Drei Szenen, clarinet, 1967

Sonata per violoncello, cello, 1969

Introspezione (1. Streichquartett) (Dokumentation), string quartet, 1969–70

Stress, 8 ensembles of percussion (8 total players), 1972

Stille (Vier Epiloge), cello, 1976

...über ein Verschwinden (3. Streichquartett), string quartet, 1992

Tombeau, flute (+ alto flute, bass flute), string quartet, 2000

Sturz (5. Streichquartett), string quartet, 2004

Nachschrift (Drei Stücke), cello, piano, 2008

CHORAL:

Sinfonia (vocalise), 16 mixed voices, orchestra (6 percussion, 25 strings), 1971, revised 1974

Feed Back (vocalise), 6 mixed voices–speakers, large orchestra in 4 groups (73 total players), 1972

Emanazione (vocalise), flute (+ bass flute, treble recorder), 6 mixed voices, orchestra in 4 groups (56 total players), 1975

Gestalt und Abbruch (Sieben Fragmente) (text by Paul Celan), 16 mixed voices, 1979

...Inseln, randlos... (text by Paul Celan), violin, 16 mixed voices, large orchestra (67 players), 1994–95

Recherche (– im Innersten) (text from the word "Jerusalem"), mixed chorus, orchestra, 1998

VOCAL:

Esta Noche (Trauermusik für die Opfer des Krieges in Vietnam) (cantata, text by Jesús López Pacheco), alto/tenor, flute, English horn, viola, cello, 1967

Todesfuge (scene, text by Paul Celan), alto, speaker, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, fixed media, 1969–70

...der die Gesänge zerschlug (Stele für Paul Celan) (text by Paul Celan), baritone, flute (+ bass flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), trumpet, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 2 percussion, 1985

Acht Gesänge nach Fragmenten von Nietzsche (text by Friedrich Nietzsche), mezzo-soprano/baritone, piano, 1992, revised 1997, 2007 (also version as Die Sonne sinkt [Acht Gesänge nach Fragmenten von Nietzsche], mezzo-soprano/baritone, large orchestra [65 players], 1997–2007)

...sich verlierend (4. Streichquartett) (texts by Cesare Pavese, Ingeborg Bachmann, Theodor W. Adorno, Hugo von Hofmannsthal), male speaker, string quartet, 1996

Celan Symphonie (text by Paul Celan), mezzo-soprano, baritone, large orchestra, 1998–2002 (two of its sections may be performed separately: ...Vorgefühle...; Nachklang [Spiegel])

...und möchtet ihr an mich die Hände legen... (Fünf Fragmente von Hölderlin) (text by Friedrich Hölderlin), baritone, piano, 2006–07

Erinnerung und Vergessen (6. Streichquartett), soprano, string quartet, 2008

PIANO:

Ausgeweidet die Zeit... (Drei Nachtstücke), 1969

Préludes (Sechs Stücke), 1987

Parergon (Sechs Skizzen zu 'Höderlin'), 2006

ORGAN:

Z-Zeit, 1975

DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)

Gestalt und Abbruch (Sieben Fragmente). Clytus Gottwald/Schola Cantorum Stuttgart (Harmonia Mundi: 1027) (LP)

Esta Noche (Trauermusik für die Opfer des Krieges in Vietnam). Mechthild Stock, alto; Gerhard Otto, flute; Egbert Gutsch, English horn; Paul Kohnen, viola; Gerhart Stenzel, cello (Metronome/Stern: 121 122) (LP)

Tallis (Einstrahlungen). Giuseppe Sinopoli/Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (amado DVD-classics) (DVD)

Drei Szenen (nos. 2, 3). Daniel Bollinger, clarinet (AMP: 5056)

...der die Gesänge zerschlug (Stele für Paul Celan). Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Ernest Bour/Ensemble Modern (Ars Musica: AM 0825)

Acht Gesänge nach Fragmenten von Nietzsche (nos. 1–6). Christiane Iven, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Grubmüller, piano (Ars Musica: AM 2066)

Sinfonia; Feed Back; Befragung (Fünf Stücke); Metamorphosen über ein Klangfeld von Joseph Haydn. Michael Gielen/SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR; Ernest Bour/members of the Zürcher Kammersprechchor, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg; Moshe Atzmon/NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester; Gerd Albrecht/WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln (classic production osnabrück: cpo 999 053-2)

...das Gesegnete, das Verfluchte. Peter Ruzicka/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (classic production osnabrück: cpo 999 095-2)

Introspezione (1. Streichquartett) (Dokumentation); Ausgeweidet die Zeit... (Drei Nachtstücke); Sonata per violoncello; Stille (Vier Epiloge); Préludes (Sechs Stücke). Matthias Lorenz, cello; Carol Tainton, piano; Hamburger Streichquartett (Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm: MDG 625 0549-2)

Introspezione (1. Streichquartett) (Dokumentation); ...Fragment... (2. Streichquartett) (withdrawn); Klangschatten (withdrawn); ...über ein Verschwinden (3. Streichquartett); ...sich verlierend (4. Streichquartett). Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, speaker; Arditti String Quartet (ECM New Series: 1694)

...Fragment... (2. Streichquartett) (withdrawn). Ute Sauerbrey, Susanne Yablonski, violins; Manon Gerhardt, viola; Cosima Gerhardt, cello (Harmonia Mundi: 2058)

Annäherung und Stille (Vier Fragmente über Schumann); Satyagraha (Annäherung und Entfernung); Fünf Bruchstücke; Préludes (Sechs Stücke). David Levine, piano; Peter Ruzicka/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Koch International Classics: KIC-CD-3-1108-2)

Z-Zeit. Friedemann Herz, organ (Koch International Classics: KIC-CD-3-1389-2)

Torso (Materialien); Etym (withdrawn); Annäherung und Stille; ...das Gesegnete, das Verfluchte; Tallis (Einstrahlungen). Justus Frantz, piano; Philipp Moll, piano, celesta; Lucas Vis/WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln; Peter Ruzicka/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester; Günther Herbig/SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg; Semyon Bychkov/Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Thorofon: CTH 2220)

...Inseln, randlos...; ...Vorgefühle...; Gestalt und Abbruch (Sieben Fragmente); Die Sonne sinkt (Acht Gesänge nach Fragmenten von Nietzsche) (nos. 1–6). Andreas Schmidt, baritone; Christian Tetzlaff, violin; Werner Hagen/NDR Chor; Vladimir Ashkenazy/RIAS Kammerchor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Peter Ruzicka/hr-Sinfonieorchester, orchestra of the Schleswig-Holstein-Festival (Thorofon: CTH 2402)

Metastrofe (Versuch eines Ausbruchs); ...Fragment... (2. Streichquartett) (withdrawn); Stress; In processo di tempo... (Materialien); Bewegung (withdrawn). Claus Kanngiesser, cello; Westphal-Quartett; Percussionsensemble Siegfried Fink; Michael Gielen, Peter Ruzicka/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (WERGO: 286 071 2)

Metamorphosen über ein Klangfeld von Joseph Haydn; ...den Impuls zum Weitersprechen erst empfinge (Musik); Abbrüche (Neun Phasen); Emanazione. Karl-Bernhard Sebon, flute, bass flute, treble recorder; Wolfram Christ, viola; Riccardo Chailly, Cristóbal Halffter, Peter Ruzicka/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (WERGO: 286 518 2)