Stäbler, Gerhard
Stäbler, Gerhard
Stäbler, Gerhard, German organist, teacher, and composer; b. Wilhelmsdorf, near Ravensburg, July 20, 1949. He studied at the North West German Music Academy in Detmold (1968–70) and with Nicolaus Huber (composition) and Gerd Zacher (organ) at the Essen Folkwang Hochschule (1970–76). He also attended courses with Stockhausen, Schnebel, Kagel, and Ligeti. In 1982 he won the Cornelius Cardew Memorial Prize in London. He taught at the Essen Folkwang Hochschule from 1982 to 1984, and again from 1989 to 1994. In 1983 and 1986 he worked at the Stanford Univ. computer music center. From 1985 he toured widely in Europe and the U.S. as an organist in programs ranging from Bach and Bull to Ligeti, Cage, and himself. He also gave lectures and taught. From 1986 he worked with Aktiv Musik, a touring concert/lecture series. In 1989 he oversaw “Actik Musik ’89” in N.Y. In 1991 he co-founded the Gesellschaft für neue Musik Ruhr. He made a concert and lecture tour of Japan and Korea in 1991. In 1992 he was composer-in-residence at Northwestern Univ. in Chicago, and returned there as a guest prof. in 1993. In 1994 he was awarded a Japan Foundation scholarship; in 1995 he made concert and lecture tours in Brazil and Japan. In his music, Stäbler has charted his own avant-garde, and even radical, course. All the same, he has attempted to reestablish a working relationship with the public. His work is infused with a political and social consciousness.
Works
Dämpfe, 5-fold chamber music (1968–70); Mo-ped for Organ and Motorcycle (1970–71); drüber … for 8 Active Screamers, Cello, Synthesizer, and Tape (1972–73); Gehörsmassage for Active Audience (1973); Cage-Mix, arrangement with Animal Voices (1973–74); Suchen nach…, experiments with historical materials for Various Ensembles (1976–80); Drei Lieder zu Gedichten von Gert Udo Jems for Voice, Drum, and Piano (1979–82); Hitlerchoräle IV-VI for Chorus and Electronic Organ (1980); …fürs Vaterland, 3 songs for Instruments, Voices, and Speaking Chorus (1981–82); Reisegepäck, traveling works (1981–84); Den Toten von Sabra und Chatila for Voice, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Piano (1982; rev. for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trombone, and Piano, 1988); Das Sichere ist nicht sicher, spiraling rondo for 8 Instruments and Tape (1982); Windows: Elegien for Chamber Ensemble (1983; various other versions, 1983–85); Schatten wilder Schmerzen for Orch. (1984–85); Die Spieldose for Percussion, Tape, and Visual Media (1984–85); California Dreams: Lullaby (poisoned), Shooting Stars, Soul Trap, and Crack of Dawn for Accordion (1986); Hart auf Hart, improvisatory music for Ensemble (1986); rasend still for Euphonium or Trumpet (1986); Warnung mit Liebeslied for Harp, Accordion, and Percussion (1986); Mit wachen Sinnen for Chorus and Drums (1986–87); Ruck-VERSCHeiBEN Zuck for Accordion and Orch. (1986–88); …strike the ear …for String Quartet (1987–88); auf dem Seil, auf scharf gespanntem Seil for Flute, Violin, Trombone, and Piano (1987–88); fallen, fallen…und liegen und fallen for Soprano or Alto, Accordion, Tuba, and Tape (1988–89); Nachbeben und Davor for Cello and Accordion (1988–89); Oktober for Flute, Violin, and Double Bass (1989); Affiliert for Ensemble (1989–90); Den Müllfahrern von San Francisco for 17 Instruments (1989–90); Co—wie Kobalt for Double Bass and Orch. (1989–90); …Im Spalier … for Brass Quintet (1990); Ungaretti Lieder for Mezzo-soprano or Baritone and Percussion (1990); Zeitsprünge for Accordion and Percussion (1990); Sunde. Fall. Beil., opera, after Dumas’ Catherine Howard (1990–91; Munich, May 16, 1992); Traum 1/9/92 for Saxophone, Cello, Piano, and Ensemble (1992); CassandraComplex, music theater, after Christa Wolf (1993–94; Wiesbaden, April 29, 2000); Beppu, “Thoughts on 3 Haiku by Matsuo Basho,” for Trumpet and Percussion (1994; also for Trombone or Tuba and Percussion); [Apparat] for Chorus, Clarinet, Accordion, Double Bass, and 3–6 Percussion (1994–95); Karas. Krähen. for Tape (1994–95; also for Vocalists, Sho or Accordion, Double Bass, Percussion, and Tape); news1, projected performance with or without a player (1995) and 2 for 11 Vocalists and Projectors (1996); Radierung for Oboe (1995); Spuren for Saxophone Quartet (1995); Winkelzüge for Flute Quartet (1995); Winter, Blumen for Countertenor, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass (1995); Zeichnung for Recorders (1995); INTERNET 3.2 for Mezzosoprano (Alto), Piano, and Percussion (1995–96); INTERNET 3.1 (Fragment) for Mezzo-soprano (Alto), Clarinet, and Percussion (1995–97); …am Grunde der Moldau wandern die Steine … for Ensemble or Keyboards and Percussionist (1996); Belfast Breakfast Songs for Voice (1996); Dalím Música màgica para piano (1996); INTERNET 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 for Piano (all 1996); Journal 9’1119 for Flutes, Percussion, Tape, and Odors (1996); MOON’SCAPE for Flute and Guitar (1996); POETIC ARCS for 15 Instruments (1996); Unstern! Sinistre, arrangement of Liszt’s late piano work for 15 Instruments (1996); BRIDGES for Voice and Accordion (1996–97); INTERNET 1.2 for Accordion (1996–97); INTERNET 4 (Adriatico) for Piano(s) and Percussion (1996–97); [voix(time)], multimedia project (1996–98; in collaboration with various artists); Dreizehn (ThirteeN) for 11, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53… Performers (1997); Fall.Zeit for 1 or 2 Percussionists (1997); hyacinth—liquids.scent for Percussion (1997); INTERNET 4 (N.Y./Francesco Clemente) for 4 Pianos (1997); SPEED for A Group (or Groups) of 3 Vocalists (1997); TAP for Organ Pedal (1997); WOLKEN.BILDER for Orchestrion (1997); Ausnahmezustand—Musikalischer Diskurs über das Unheil der Automation for Orch. (1997–98); TRAMA/GEWEBE for Chorus (1997–98); beats for String Quartet and Percussion (1998); estratto for Bassoon and Harmonica (1998); futuressence 1 for Trombone, Percussion, and Accordion (1998); HarbourMarks for Horns, Brass Ensemble, and Percussion (1998); katalekt for Cello with a Roundbow, ad libitum (1998); KRUSTEN/CRUSTS for Cello (1998); Luna, electroacoustic music (1998); Secrets—Songs on Poems by Wolf Wondratschek for Alto/Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, and Piano (1998); SpringLight for Tape (1998); MetalSeasons for Violin, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, Percussion (4 Players), and Airplanes (1998–99); playmanic for Playerpianos (1998–99); Time for Tomorrow, music for 25 acts for Trombone, Percussion, and 8-Track Tape (1998–99); EarPlugs I & II (1999); elements (edged)—Fragment for CD/Tape (1999); frictions (unlimited)—Fragment for CD/Tape (1999); …ohne netz und doppelten boden … for Ensemble (1999); open sky (1) for Chamber Orch. (1999; also for Accordion, Strings, and Timpani); Supreme Particles Rill, interactive environment (1999); …vom Wasser … for Soprano and CD/Tape, after Leonardo da Vinci (1999); 5 performance pieces: Handstreiche, Footprints I & II, AugenTanz, Mundstücke, and NasenTraum (all 1999); energy-light-dream for Soprano, Orch., and Ensemble of Baritone and Tapes, after Heiner Müller (1999–2000); …müd des Festen … for Ensemble and Tape (1999–2000); spatial ayres for Soprano, Ensemble, and Tape, after Müller (1999–2000); Strafkolonie for Baritone (or Other Voice) and Tenor Drum (2000).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire