Biography

André Werner a étudié la composition à la Hochschule der Künste de Berlin avec Frank Michael Beyer et vit dans cette ville où il se consacre exclusivement à la composition depuis 1982.

Il a reçu différents prix, notamment le prix de composition de la ville de Stuttgart, le Förderpreis de la ville de Berlin. Il a été pensionnaire à la Villa Massimo à Rome, ainsi qu'en résidence à Paris à la Cité des Arts.

Un CD portrait vient d'être publié chez Wergo.

En plus de ses oeuvres de musique de chambre, pour bande ou pour orchestre, il se consacre à l'opéra ; ainsi ont vu le jour un opéra pour enfants La Fata Turchina, (1997), un opéra d'après William Shakespeare Titus Andronicus (1994-1999) ainsi qu'un opéra commandé par la biennale de Munich d'après Christopher Marlowe The Jew of Malta (2001).

Parmi ses dernières œuvres, citons Schattengitter, pour orchestre (2008), Augen-Blicke (2009) pour alto et ensemble de chambre.

http://www.andrewerner.eu/

Work

Schattengitter

For orchestra

NOTICE

"Schattengitter" (lit. shadow grids) originates from studies of the "ombres chromatiques", developed by two groups of strings, the second provided a quarter tone lower than the first.

There are also some "ombres intérieures" generated by differential structures of sounds from three piccolos in the third movement.

Along with two groups of strings, a large brass section and instruments to the extreme of the frequency spectrum - two bassoons, three piccolos and two glockenspiels - characterize the sound of each of the three movements of "Schattengitter."

In the first movement, after the "note-ombre" of fa hash (which will return in the third movement as at the same time a different sound and as a real note), and a general pause, the two groups of strings outline a mesh in the quarter- tones. In the second part of this movement the relationship is played between a soft section of glissandi, the strings tuned a quarter tone, and the comings and goings of the tones of copper, which occur and then disappear.

The second movement combines "concertanto" piano with bass horn, bassoon and strings. Alternating with sequences of piano, the bass sound helps create a rhythmic accelerated movement.

After another intervention of two groups strings tuned a quarter of a tone, the third movement, explores the high end of the spectre, with cells of different sounds played by the piccolos punctuated with the glockenspiel.

The whole forms a continuous frequency with internal fluctuations punctuated with stressed accents.