
Dieter Schnebel
About Dieter Schnebel
When time becomes an instant, it is transformed into space. Every spatial construction and each spatial distance is temporal: a temporal unit in which time is consolidated. (Dieter Schnebel)
Dieter Schnebel was born in Lahr/Baden on 14 March 1930. He began his studies at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg in 1949, simultaneously attending lectures given by Martin Heidegger at the University of Freiburg, and forged close contacts with the Kranichsteiner (now Darmstadt) Summer Courses for New Music (Adorno, Varèse, Messiaen, Nono, Stockhausen and later Cage). Schnebel then studied Protestant Theology (Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann), Philosophy (including the works of Ernst Bloch) and Musicology (Walter Gerstenberg, doctoral thesis on dynamics in the music of Schoenberg) in Tübingen from1952 to 1956. He was subsequently employed as a teacher and pastor in Kaiserslautern, Frankfurt/Main and Munich. A position as professor for experimental music and musicology was specially created for Schnebel at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin in 1976, a post he occupied until becoming professor emeritus in 1995. He continued his theological activities as a preacher at the Johann-Sebastian-Bach church in Berlin-Lichterfelde and the church of St.Anne in Berlin-Dahlem. He wrote numerous musicological essays and books on subjects ranging from Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner, Mahler and Debussy to Cage and Kagel.
Schnebel was originally a strict serial composer: Stücke für Streichinstrumente (1954/55), dt 31,6 (1956-58) and Compositio (1955/56), before an increasing anti-dogmatism spurred him on to develop experimental concept and process composition methods: Glossolalie 61Das Urteil (1959/60), (based on Kafka, 1959) and Ki-No (1963/67) in which he exploits the use of the human voice in previously unknown dimensions ranging from whispering and wheezing to screaming. He also produced compositions of a sacred character (Für Stimmen (…missa est) (1956-69), Dahlemer Messe (1984/87), Magnificat (1996/97) and missa brevis (2000-02), arrangements of Bach chorales and organ works), including works for the church pavilion at the EXPO 2000 and the documenta 2001. Through the creation of the theatre group "Die Maulwerker" at the Berlin Hochschule der Künste, Schnebel was able to systematise his open work concept which was only partially based on “fluxus” (réactions 1960/61, visible music 1960/62 and anschläge-ausschläge 1965/66) in which the musicians were instructed to participate in spatial actions involving the unconventional utilisation of their instruments and voices (Harley-Davidson for 9 motorbikes and trumpet 2000, Flipper for slot machine, performers, instruments and tape recorder 2002/03).
Each of the following work cycles originated in compositional processes over a period of several years: Maulwerke, Körper-Sprache, Schulmusik, Laut-Gesten-Laute, Museumsstücke, Schau-Stücke and Bachmann-Gedichte. In the cycles Re-Visionen (1972-92) and Tradition (1975-95) and also in the chamber music series Psycho-Logia (incl. Pan 1978/88 and Medusa 1989/93) with its references to Greek mythology, the composer developed innovative concepts in the relationship between traditional and new or experimental music. The opera Majakowskis Tod - Totentanz (1989/97), the large-scale vocal work Ekstasis (1996/97/2001) and the monumental Sinfonie X (1987/92/2004) can be counted among Schnebel’s key works.
In 1991, Schnebel was awarded the Lahr Culture Prize and was the first recipient of the European Church Music Prize awarded by the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd in 1999. He is a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin, the Free Academy of Arts in Leipzig (both since 1991) and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts (since 1996).
Worklist
Chronology
"Museumsstücke I ", "MoMA, Museumsstücke II " for flexibel voices and instruments, "Numbers" for solo vocalist, "Schau-Stücke" Body etudes for voice and gestures, "Worte-Töne-Schritte" Musical story for voice, synthesizer and percussion
Vocal music:
"Motetus I " for two choirs, "Lamento di Guerra" for voice and organ, "Amazones" for five female voices, "Kaschnitz-Gedichte" for voice and piano, "Quintessenz´" for vocal quartet with piano, "Mit diesen Händen" for voice and violoncello
Instrumental music:
"Toccata mit Fugen" for large organ and percussion, "Lamah" for string trio with voice
Heart attack, bypass surgery
"Motetus II ", "Magnificat" for schola, chor and percussion, "Missa brevis", "Psalm 139" for voice and percussion, "Aschermittwochsmusik" for schola, choir, organ and percussion, "David-Project"
"Y2K" (at 1.1.2000) for voices, "Harley-Davidson" for 9 motorcycles and trumpet, "N.N." for flexible voices and instruments, "Flipper" for pinball machines, voices, performers, instruments and tape, "Fontanta-Mix-Musik" for 2 performers, 2 instruments and tape, "Zimzum-Musik" Project for string trio, voice, synthesizer and projection
Further chamber music:
"Verschattungen" for bass clarinet, viola and tape, "Anfänge..." for guitar (saxophone, percussion ad lib.), "Bachmann-Gedichte" for voice, saxophone and percussion
Products
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for choir (and organ or synthesizer ad lib.)Composer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Chamber Choir
Instrumentation: choir a cappellaProduct number: SKR 20069As low as€10.99Incl. Tax -
Bachmann Poems IIComposer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: PartiturSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: female voice, clarinet or saxophone, violin, cello, piano and percussionProduct number: ED 20911As low as€46.99Incl. Tax -
"in space"Composer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ED 20297As low as€47.99Incl. Tax -
Textfragmente aus "Penthesilea"Composer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Chamber Choir
Instrumentation: female choir (SSMezAA)Product number: SKR 20038As low as€10.99Incl. Tax -
(Versuche I)Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Saiteninstruments and percussion
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Anregungen I,2 (aus Schulmusik)Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: E-score PDFSeries: Workshop
Instrumentation: 5–12 player (wind instruments, strings or gemischtEb ensemble)Product number: WKS 45 Q42345€7.99Incl. Tax -
(Modelle No. 5) Szenische Variationen für 3 InstrumentalistenComposer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Performing scoreInstrumentation: flute, cello and harpsichordProduct number: ED 6641€43.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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Composer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Vocal and performing scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: Schola, mixed choir, organ and percussionProduct number: ED 9817As low as€18.99Incl. Tax -
Sechs kleine Klavierstücke€23.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
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Contrapunctus XI from "The Art of Fugue"Composer: Johann Sebastian BachArranger: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Bach-Contrapuncti
Instrumentation: 20 Vocalists (5S/5A/5T/5B)Product number: ED 6681As low as€18.99Incl. Tax -
Contrapunctus VI from "The Art of Fugue"Composer: Johann Sebastian BachArranger: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Bach-Contrapuncti
Instrumentation: 20 Vocalists (5S/5A/5T/5B)Product number: ED 6680As low as€23.99Incl. Tax -
Contrapunctus I from "The Art of Fugue"Composer: Johann Sebastian BachArranger: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Edition Schott
Bach-Contrapuncti
Instrumentation: 20 Vocalists (5S/5A/5T/5B)Product number: ED 6420As low as€17.99Incl. Tax -
As low as€16.99Incl. Tax
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(Johann Peter Hebel)Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: speaker and chamber ensembleLanguage: German
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(Re-Visionen I,2)Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: Chamber Ensemble
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(zu Re-Visionen I,5: Schubert-Phantasie)Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: string orchestra
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for horn and celloComposer: Dieter SchnebelEdition: Performing scoreSeries: Il Corno
Edition Schott
Instrumentation: horn and celloProduct number: COR 21As low as€13.99Incl. Tax -
für OrchesterComposer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
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Composer: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Canones
Instrumentation: orchestraProduct number: ED 8835€41.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
Composer: Dieter SchnebelInterpreter: Juan Allende-Blin | Guiseppe G. Englert | Carla Henius | William Pearson | Gisela Saur-Kontarsky | Gerd ZacherOrchestra/ensemble: Interpretenensemble DarmstadtConductor: Dieter SchnebelMedia Type: CDProduct number: WER 62872€18.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping