updated 18 May 2022
© Stefan Fuhrer

Clemens Gadenstätter

Austrian composer born 26 July 1966 in Zell am See.

Clemens Gadenstätter was born in Austria in 1966. He studied composition with Erich Urbanner and Helmut Lachenmann, while also learning the flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. From 1989 to 1992, he was the flutist for the Klangforum Wien. With Florian Ernst Müller, he co-founded the neue musik—wien ensemble in 1990. In 2001, he co-founded the Vienna arts organization “werkschaft” with Ilse Kilic, Lisa Spalt, and Fritz Widhalm.

Gadenstätter’s music explores the compositional synthesis of perception, feeling, and emotion. His recent work has focused on acoustically triggering the transformation of pre-formed feelings, as in the series E.P.O.S. —*Les premiers cris* (2016), Les cris des lumières (2014), Les derniers cris (2015). He has also explored this idea in an article titled “Hören Verstehen Komponieren“ (“Hearing, Understanding, Composing”) which appeared in MusikTexte in 2014. Gadenstätter is also interested in daily work and the concept of the banal, which he explores in Semantical Investigations I (2006) for violin and ensemble, Semantical Investigations II (2007) for small ensemble, and in his essay “Was heißt hier banal?“ (“What does banal mean here?”) He also works on the poly-modality of listening through the trinity of listening, comprehension, and composition in his series Paramyth (2012-2017), his three string quartets, the minimalist opera ES (2011) for voice, ensemble, and film, and the E.P.O.S. series. He also explores “musical iconography,” notably in his series Iconosonics (1-3).

Recently, Gadenstätter expanded his musical research to include new media; for example, Les cris des lumières was written for ensemble and lights, while Daily Transformations (2017) was composed for voice, instruments, electronics, video, space, and light, in collaboration with Anna Henckel-Donnersmark for the film element and Lisa Spalt for the text.

He has received commissions from the Music Biennales of Berlin and Salzburg, the Neue Vokalsolisten of Stuttgart, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Trio Accanto, Wien Modern, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Contrechamps, and L’Instant donné.

Since 2003-2004, he has taught music theory, analysis, and composition at the University of Music Graz. In 2013, he was a guest professor at the University of Music and performing arts Carl-Maria von Weber in Dresden, and in 2017-2018, he was a guest professor for composition at the Nordic Music High School in Oslo. In 2014, Clemens Gadenstätter taught at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse für Neue Musik; in 2013 and 2015, he taught at the Impuls Academy in Graz.

From 1995 to 2000, Gadenstätter edited ton, the music journal of the Austrian section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). Until 2002, he organized many events including SALON13, which was six evenings of music, literature, cinema, art, and science at the Vienna Echoraum.

His music was published by Ariadne Verlag from 1990 to 2005 and since then has been published by Rai Trade and Rai.com.

Awards and Honors

  • Erste Bank Kompositionspreis, Vienna (2003)
  • City of Vienna Förderungspreis (1997)
  • SKE-Fonds Publicity-Preis (1997)
  • Jahresstipendium Composition Prize, awarded by the state of Salzburg (1995)
  • Staatsstipendium Composition Prize awarded by the Austrian government (1993, 1999)
  • Forum Junger Komponisten Prize (1992)
  • City of Vienna Arbeitsstipendium (1987, 1994)

© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2021

Sources

Site du compositeur ; col legno ; The Living Composers project.

Liens Internet

(liens vérifiés en mai 2022).

Bibliographie sélective

  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, « Icosonic Beethoven », catalogue de l’exposition Beethoven Moves, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, 2020.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, « Arbeit an der Welt, an mir in dieser Welt. Hören Verstehen Komponieren », in MusikTexte n°140, février 2014, lire ici.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, « What does banal really mean? (Was heißt hier banal?!) », in Musical Material Today. New Music and Aesthetic in the 21st Century, vol. 8., Hofheim, Wolke Verlag, 2012.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, « Semantical Investigations. Notizen zu einer kompositorischen Poetik », in MusikTexte n°113, mai 2007.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, « Helmut Lachenmann (Short Portrait with Self-Portrait) », in Contemporary Music Review, 2004.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Lisa SPALT, Tag Day: Schreibspiel, Graz-Vienne, edition gegensätze, 2000.
  • Michael REBHAHN, « Clemens Gadenstätter – Portrait », Neue Musikzeitung, octobre 2008.
  • Simon WARD, « “Connecting” Literature and Music. On the Collaborative Work of Clemens Gadenstätter and Lisa Spalt and Its Interpretation », in Katya KRYLOVA (dir.), Blueprints for No-Man’s Land. Connections in Contemporary Austrian Culture, Oxford, Peter Lang, 2005, pp. 209-228.

Discographie

  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Studies for a Portrait, Yaron Deutsch : guitare, dans « 33 RPM », 2020.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Semantical Investigations I ; Semantical Investigations II ; Sad Songs ; Figure — Iconosonics I ; Bodies — Inconosonics II ; Pictures of an Exhibition — Iconosonics, Ensemble Nikel, L’Instant Donné, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, dans « Semantical Investigations », 3 CDs Kairos, 2019.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, bersten/platzen, Florian Kitt : violoncelle, Aima Maria Labra-Makk, piano, dans « Florian Kitt • Aima Maria Labra-Makk », 1 CD ORF, 2012, CD 3179.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Fluchten/Agorasonie 1 ; Auf Takt ; Ballade 1, dans « Portrait », 1 CD Col Legno, 2012, WWE 1CD 20408.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, WEH, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, dans « Madrigali », 1 CD col legno, 2012, WWE 1CD 20412.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Musik für Soloflöte, dans « Spiegelungen », 1 CD Edition Zeitklang, 2011, ez-44046.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Songbook #0-11 ; Akkor(d/t)anz, dans « Songbook “… Neuen Unverbrauchten Sinn Einhauchen …” », 1 CD Col Legno, 2008, WWE 1CD 20256.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Staffel I ; Staffel II ; Staffel III, Florian Müller : piano, Klangforum Wien, Mark Foster : direction, dans « Comic Sense », 1 CD Kronos, 2004.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Streichtrio II (Friktion) ; Variationen und Alte Themen, Ensemble Neue Musik — Wien, Streichtrio Klangforum Wien, dans « Chamber Music I », 1 CD Durian records, 2001, durian 015-2.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Polyskopie, dans « Donaueschinger Musiktage 2001  », 2 CD Col Legno, 2001.
  • Clemens GADENSTÄTTER, Klangforum Wien, RSO Wien, « SchniTt • Versprachlichung • Musik Für Orchesterensembles », 1 CD ORF, 1999, CD 221.