Manfred Stahnke

Manfred Stahnke (born 30 October 1951) is a German composer and musicologist from Kiel. He writes chamber music, orchestral music and stage music. His music is notably known for his use of microtonality.

Life

Stahnke studied composition with Wolfgang Fortner (1970-73), with Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough (1973-74), and with György Ligeti (1974-79). In addition, he studied piano; his primary piano teacher was Edith Picht-Axenfeld.

He also holds a doctoral degree in musicology, with a thesis on the subject of Pierre Boulez' Third Piano Sonata (1979, under Constantin Floros in Hamburg).

In 1979-80 he went to the United States to study with the microtonalist Ben Johnston in Urbana, Illinois, and with the computer music researcher and composer John Chowning at Stanford University, California.

Currently, he is a professor of composition and music theory at the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik und Theater

Works

• 1983-86 HEINRICH IV. (nach Pirandello), Oper, with small orchestra, Kiel 1987
• 1986 TWO SCALES, 2 microtonal played Fagotte, American Festival of Microtonal Music Ensemble: April Chapman, Johnny Reinhardt, New York
• 1982-85 PARTOTA, Pno ad lib. in Vallotti-Stimmung, Hubertus Dreyer, Hamburg 1986
• 1987 EN CET HYBRIDE TAMPS, Kammerensemble mikrotonal, 4 Cl, 2 Vl, 2 Vla, Harfe, Yamaha DX7-II Synthesizer, 2 Perc, ensemble modern, Saarbrücken 1988, UA Neufassung Szombathely 1990
• 1988 BRATSCHENSONATE, Christian Stahnke, Mike Rutledge, Hubertus Dreyer Hamburg 1990-92, Neufassung 2005
• 1990 CENTONAGE, Kammerensemble mikrotonal, Fl, Ob, Cl, Trp, Pos, Perc, Harfe, Yamaha DX7-II Synthesizer, 3 Vl, Va, Vc, ensemble modern, Frankfurt
• 1991 ANSICHTEN EINES KAEFERS, Sologitarre in scordatura, Teil-UA Frank Pschichholz, Moskau 1992; 1. Gesamt-UA Satoshi Oba, Odense 1995
• 1992 PARTOTA II - FUER GYOERGY LIGETI, für MIDI-Flügel und Sampler, Hubertus Dreyer, Hamburg
• 1993 SAITENSPIEL, 7 V, 3 Va, 3 Vc, Kb, in scordatura, Hamburger Camerata, Dir. Claus Bantzer, Hamburg
• 1994 STREETMUSIC I, Posaune und Steeldrums, Metal Brass, Mainz 1995. Version für Bassflöte und Steeldrums, l'art pour l'art, Hamburg 1997
• 1997 TRACE DES SORCIERS, Orchester mikrotonal, SWR Sinfonieorchester, Dir. Olav Henzold, Donaueschingen
• 1999 LUMPENGALERIE, Fl, Cl, V, Vc, Pno, Perc, Ensemble Est!Est!!Est!!! Bonn
• 2000 IV. STREICHQUARTETT, München
• 2001 ORPHEUS KRISTALL, Oper für Bühne und Peripherie, Sopran, 2 Mezzosoprane, Bariton. Solo-Percussion, 4 externe Musiker (z.B. Internetmusiker), Fl, Cl, Trp, 2 Pos, 3 Vl, 3 Va, 3 Vc, Kb, 75', Munich Biennale 2002
• 2003 SCALES OF AGES, Saxophone Symphony. Altsaxophon und Orchester, 25', John-Edward Kelly, Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg, Dir. Thomas Kalb, Heidelberg 2004
• 2005 PARTOTA IX - Tanz und Tod, Duo für Akkordeon und Pno, Andreas Nebl, Oliver McCall, Trossingen 2006
• 2006 SKINS&STRINGS, Percussion, Va, Vc, Rumi Ogawa, Jagdish Mistry, Michael Kasper, Frankfurt/M
• 2006 DE DANZBODNLOCK - Violinsinfonie, Violine solo und Orchester, Barbara Lüneburg, SWR-Sinfonieorchester, Dir. Hans Zender, Donaueschingen

External links

• homepage
• Interview (in German)
• Zwischen Schrift und Schriftlosigkeit Article (in German)
• Orpheus Kristall Information about the opera
• Streichquartette
• Calling Works for the bells of the churches of Hamburg with two choirs.
• Kulturnetz Schleswig-Holstein
• Sisyphos Multimedia work
• Hybrid Thinking in Meloharmony Lecture University of Montreal 2007