Quick Facts
Biography
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 makes extensive 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), opera, with small orchestra, Kiel 1987
- 1986 TWO SCALES, 2 microtonally played bassoons, American Festival of Microtonal Music Ensemble: April Chapman, Johnny Reinhardt, New York
- 1982-85 PARTOTA, Pno in Vallotti tuning, Hubertus Dreyer, Hamburg 1986
- 1987 EN CET HYBRIDE TAMPS, microtonal chamber ensemble, 4 Cl, 2 Vl, 2 Va, Harp, Yamaha DX7-II Synthesizer, 2 Perc, ensemble modern, Saarbrücken 1988, UA
- 1990 CENTONAGE, microtonal chamber ensemble, Fl, Ob, Cl, Tp, Tb, Perc, Harp, Yamaha DX7-II Synthesizer, 3 Vl, Va, Vc, ensemble modern, Frankfurt
- 1991 ANSICHTEN EINES KAEFERS, solo guitar in scordatura, Satoshi Oba, Odense 1995
- 1992 PARTOTA II - FUER GYOERGY LIGETI, MIDI-Piano & sampler, Hubertus Dreyer, Hamburg
- 1993 SAITENSPIEL, 7 V, 3 Va, 3 Vc, Cb, in scordatura, Hamburger Camerata, Dir. Claus Bantzer, Hamburg
- 1994 STREETMUSIC I, Tb & Steeldrums, Metal Brass, Mainz 1995.
- 1997 TRACE DES SORCIERS, microtonal orchestra, 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, Opera with Internet Munich Biennale 2002
- 2003 SCALES OF AGES, Saxophone Symphony, alto saxophone & orchestra, 25', John-Edward Kelly, Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg, Dir. Thomas Kalb, Heidelberg 2004
- 2005 PARTOTA IX - Tanz und Tod, Accordion & Piano, Andreas Nebl, Oliver McCall, Trossingen 2006
- 2006 SKINS&STRINGS, Percussion, Va, Vc, Rumi Ogawa, Jagdish Mistry, Michael Kasper, Frankfurt/M
- 2006 DANZBODNLOCK - Violin Symphony, Violin solo & Orchestra, Barbara Lüneburg, SWR-Sinfonieorchester, Dir. Hans Zender, Donaueschingen
- 2008 HINTERHOFMUSICK, Orchestra (3 Ob Tp Perc, 32 strings in microtuning), Düsseldorfer Hofmusik & Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker, dir. Mark-Andreas Schlingensiepen
- 2008 TANZ DER TASTEN, Organ & Piano (also a piano solo version: KLAVIERTANZ 2013)
- 2009 CHANGGUflage, Changgu (Korean drum) & String trio - a camouflage between "Sanjo" and "Chambermusic", Il-Ryun Chung & ensemble, Berlin
- 2002/2009 "InnenOhr" 14 Solo Strings
- 2010 RISS, Orchestra
- 2010 ASYMMETRISCHER HOLZSCHNITT, V & Vc, Lisa Lammel, Sonja Lena Schmid, Hamburg 2011
- 2011 HOLZSCHNITT, V Va Vc, 2 Pnos in quartertone distance, Mondrian ensemble, Basel, Luzern etc. 2011
- 2011 CANTUS INFIRMUS, Pno & Keys in quartertone distance, 1 player, Bernhard Fograscher Hamburg 2012
- 2011 ASYMPTOTICS, Fl & E-git, Sonja Horlacher, Flavio Virzi, Köln 2013 Microfest
- 2011 "Such(t)maschine", Chamber Orchestra, ensemble modern, Frankfurt 2012