Kagel, Mauricio

Kagel, Mauricio (b Buenos Aires, 1931). Argentinian-born composer, conductor, and teacher. Choral coach and cond. at Teatro Colón, 1955–6. Moved to Cologne 1957, working at EMS. Has worked in th. as composer and dir. of his own works since 1963. His mus. uses tape and elec. procedures; also he has demanded ‘screams and yells’ from singers and the sound of balls thrown on a kettle-drum. In his later works, visual and theatrical elements (‘mixed media’) have predominated. Many of the scores involve indeterminacy. Works incl.: Str. Sextet (1953); Tower Music, pre-recorded concrète instr. sounds for 24 groups of loudspeakers, with light projections (1953); Anagrama, 4 soloists, ch., chamber ens. (1957–8); Heterophonie (1959–60); Antithèse, actor, elec., audience sounds (1962); Diaphonie, 2 projectors, ch., orch. (1962–4); Tremens, scenic montage (1963–5); Kommentar und Extempore, soliloquies with gestures (1965–7); Music for Renaissance Instruments (1965–7); Str. Qt. (1966–8); Ludwig Van (1969); Variations without Fugue, orch. (1971); Programm, Gespräche mit Kammermusik, vv., ens. (1971–2); Zwei-Mann-Orchester (1973); 1898, children's ch., instr. (1973); Kantrimusik, Pastorale für Stimmen und Instrumente (1973–5); Die Erschöpfung der Welt (The Exhaustion of the World), mus. th., 6 solo vv., 6 actors, 2 chs., orch. (1974–8); Mare Nostrum (1975); Bestiarium (1975); Die Umkehrung Amerikas, radio play (1976); Variété, concert spectacle (1977); Dressage, 3 perc. instr. (1977); th. piece Ex-Position, with gymnasts (1978); Rhythm-machines, gymnasts or dancers, 2 perc., rhythm-generators (1978); Chorbuch (1978) (arr. of 53 Bach chorales for amp. mixed ch. and pf.); Aus Deutschland, lieder-opera (1981); Lekture von Orwell, stage work (1984); La trahison orale, orch. (1984); 2 Ballads of Guillaume de Machaut (1984); Nach einer Sankt-Bach-Passion (1985); pf. trio (1985); A Letter, mez., orch. (1986); Dance School, ballet (1988); Quodlibet, women's vv., orch. (1988); 3rd str. qt. (1988); Osten, salon orch. (1989); Fragende Ode, ch., wind., perc. (1989).