your participation
60@60 Project
To celebrate my 60th year in 2024 I’d like to initiate at least 60 performances of own works anywhere in the world and anytime within that year. From my output of about 40 years of composing I have compiled a selection of works that I consider most successful and meaningful. Scores and performance material of these compositions are available to anyone interested in performing them and thereby participating in the 60@60 project.
Brief descriptions of the selected works are provided below – complete with links to perusal scores and recordings. Happy browsing! Should you discover a piece that speaks to you and would like to try it out, please follow the ‘download pdf’ links for scores and performance material in digital format free of charge. (Please note that this offer only holds for unpublished music; published works must be purchased from the respective publishing houses.)
In return I ask that you schedule performing the chosen work(s) in one (or more) of your concerts during 2024 and/or beyond and kindly inform me about the date, place and venue of your concert(s). You thereby consent that I list you as a 60@60 project participant and advertise your performance(s) on the 60@60 calendar. Should you subsequently be able to provide any recordings of your performance(s), I invite you to share them with project participants and a wider audience via the 60@60 project page.
You are welcome to request programme notes on individual compositions, as well as practical and artistic advice. Note however, that I cannot offer any financial or organisational assistance with regard to individual concerts and performances.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope for many celebratory collaborations!
Hans
Solo pieces
Southern Nocturnal (2003)
| for solo guitar single movement ca. 10’ |
A nod from the global South, acknowledging Benjamin Britten’s landmark contribution to the solo guitar repertoire, yet also attempting a post-colonial response to his iconic Nocturnal some forty years later. Paraphrasing the Afrikaans song Op my ou ramkietjie corresponds with Britten’s reverse variations on Dowland’s Come, Heavy Sleep, yet expresses a radically different way of dealing with life’s challenges: Dowland’s evocation of sleep as momentary relief from pain and imperfection is brushed away in characteristically insouciant South African manner. Unabatedly the singer strums away on his one-stringed banjo, regardless of his despair:
Op my ou ramkietjie, met nog net één snaar, speel ek in die maanskyn, deurmekaar. |
Responsorium (1992)
| for solo violin (with recorded birdcalls single movement ca. 6’ recording view score download score download bird calls for playback |
playful composition inviting the violinist to engage musically with the calls of a number of common South African birds: an indigenous cuckoo species, two types of doves and an owl; part of Huyssen’s category of ecological compositions – works that deliberately reference, involve or incorporate certain aspects of their originating environments and contexts
Technical note: Performances of this work require a precisely synchronized playback of the birdcall recordings (supplied as mp3 files), following the cues in the score. |
Ugubhu (1996)
| for solo cello single movement ca. 5’ |
short and energetic character piece alluding to the Ugubhu gourd-bow as it is employed in indigenous isiZulu music; homage to the musical bow as arguably the most ancient ancestors of all string instruments; starts off with col legno imitations of idiomatic Ugubhu playing but subsequently exploits the full range of the cello as a representative of the present-day descendants of the musical bow; stays clear of conventional cello lyricisms and instead requires articulate and rhythmically precise playing, as motivic figures and groupings of elementary pulses keep on changing quickly throughout the piece |
Zeitverlust (1992)
| for solo cello three movements ca. 14’ recording: I. II. III. |
technically demanding European counterpart of the African solo cello piece Ugubhu; reflects images and metaphors from Hans Günter Saul’s poem Zeitverlust; keywords from each of the three verses find their corresponding musical expressions in the three movements respectively: Wind, Leere, Sterne (wind, emptiness, stars); a further association of the last verse with dawn and inception inspired the paraphrase of the chorale melody Brich an, du schönes Morgenlicht (of Christmas Oratorio fame), which permeates the last movement |
9 Choral Preludes (1982-2024)
| for organ view score download pdf |
chorale preludes on selected Lutheran hymns; occasional compositions intended for functional use in church services |
Instrumental Ensemble
Nonet (2018)
| for period instruments of the Classical period: traverso, basset horn, horn, bassoon, forte-piano, violin, viola, cello, violone two movements, ca. 18′ |
nonet in the spirit of Mozart, specifically written with the colours of period instruments in mind; can also be performed on modern instruments |
EisTauTrio (2011)
The cattle have gone astray (1999)
| trio for flute, cello & piano single movement ca. 10′ |
intercultural piece based on a 50 year old filed recording of a Sena Tonga herding song, played on a Mujanji flute
|
Love Song Quartets (1995)
| for string quartet three movements ca. 12′ recording: I. II. III. |
three movements for string quartet, each one based on a traditional German folk song:
I. Feinsliebchen, du sollst mir nicht barfuß geh’n
|
Love Song Trios (1993)
| for string trio three movements ca. 10′ recording: I. II. III. |
three movements for string trio, each one based on a traditional German folk song:
I. Ich freue mich auf die Blumen rot
|
Little Portrait of the World (1993)
| for woodwind quintet five movements ca. 20′ recording: I. II. III. IV. V. view score download parts |
allegorical woodwind quintet with each instrument featuring as soloist in one of the movements to evoke the historical period of its origination: I. Umtshingo – flute with Bugandan nursery rhyme II. Aulos – oboe with ancient Greek poetry III. Hêrhorn – horn with a medieval German ballad IV. Basson continue – bassoon with La Rochefoucault Maximes V. more like a sax – clarinet with Oscar Wilde aphorisms |
6 Pieces for a Pianist and a Child (1991)
| for single piano, three & four hands six movements ca. 13′ |
character pieces for the potential use of a piano teacher-learner duo, introducing learners with even only elementary playing skills to dialogical, dramatic and expressive music making;
I. Ouverture, II. Spazierstück, III. Zankstück, |
Ensemble with voice
Floral Miniatures (2020)
| song cycle for soprano & cello (or guitar) ca. 8′ |
setting of 5 plant Haikus by Antoinette Huyssen
1. Strelitzia |
Autumn #28 (2020)
| for baritine & piano single song, ca. 4′ |
setting of a poem by Leonidas Sapkidis
|
was brauchst du? (2015)
| solo voices (SSATB) & vc single movement ca. 6′ |
multilingual setting of Friederike Mayröcker’s poem was brauchst du? in its original German version, as well as French, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English translations – all sung simultaneously |
Brunnenränderlieder (1984/2003)
| for soprano & string quartet four movements ca. 10′
recording: I. II. III. IV. |
song cycle based on (German) poetry by Georg Trakl, Josef Weinheber and Hilde Domin
I. Verfall |
Silence where a song would ring (2000)
| for baritone, violin & percussion four movements and two intermezzi ca. 10′ |
song cycle based on English translations of /Xam texts
I. The string is broken |
Die Stimmen (1992)
| for baritone & guitar seven movements ca. 14′
recording: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. |
song cycle consisting of an introduction and settings of six poems from Rainer Maria Rilkes cycle Die Stimmen (from: Das Buch der Bilder, part 2)
|
Andreas Gryphius Karfreitags-Sonett (1992)
| for counter tenor, oboe d’amore & viola single movement ca. 5′ |
lent lamentation based on a text by Andreas Gryphius (1616 – 1664): Auff das Fest des Todes JEsu Christi / |
Choir a cappella
Kwarantyn Kwatryne (2023)
| for six part mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella four songs ca. 12′ |
settings of poetry by Ina Rousseau (1926-2005)
I. Ons soek mekaar |
Geistliche Chormusik (1982-2022)
| 3-6 part mixed choir a cappella collection of 12 independant motets ca. 30′ recordings: Note: |
compilation of occasional sacred choral pieces, written over a period of 40 years;
1. Spruchweisheit |
Weggewerp (2019)
| for 4 to 11-part mixed choir a cappella four movements ca. 12′ program note view score download score |
song cycle of Afrikaans poetry by W.E.G. Louw, C.L. Leipold and an old translation of Psalm 102; I. Wie sing? |
Wir sind Verlassene in der Zeit (2001)
| for 4-part mixed choir (SATB) a cappella two movements ca. 10′ recording score download score |
setting of a compilation of texts by Simone Weil (1909-1943) in a German translation by Friedhelm Kemp (1914-2011) |
Wunderhorn Lieder (1992)
| for S, A, B soloists & mixed choir a cappella three movements ca. 10′ |
song cycle consisting of three settings of poems from Des Knaben Wunderhorn
I. Wunderhorn |
Orchestra
Concerto for an African Cellist (2012)
| for solo cello, mbira, marimba & orchestra four movements ca. 29′ recording: I. II. III. IV. view score download score download parts |
I. Partida II. Passacamino III. Mahororo IV. Mapfachapfacha
|
Proteus Variations (2006)
| for orchestra eight movements ca. 22′
recording: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. |
musical portrayal of eight plant families of the PROTEACEAE found in the Cape Floristic Kingdom; no ‘theme’ – variations only!
I. AULAX – Call and Response |
Audite Africam! (1997)
| for string orchestra five movements ca. 25′ recording: I. II. III. IV. V. |
African Suite for strings |
4 Britting Songs (1995)
| for baritone & orchestra four movements ca. 9′ recording: I. II. III. IV. |
song cycle on poetry by Georg Britting
I. Der Morgen |
Lassus Fantasie (1994)
| for large orchestra single movement ca. 11′ |
orchestral elaboration of one of Orlando di Lasso’s two part fantasies |
Cantata
Mein guten Werk, die galten nicht (2017)
| for SATB soloists, mixed choir, brass, strings & bc nine movements ca. 30′
|
Commemoration cantata for the 500th centenary of the Protestant Reformation on texts by Martin Luther, Simone Weil and from the bible
I. Chorale-Fanfare |
Unerlässliches Leid (1997)
| for SATB soloists, mixed choir & Baroque orchestra six sections ca. 40′
recording: I. II. III. IV. |
Lent cantata on texts by Simone Weil in German translations by Friedhelm Kemp
I. Choral: Christus, der uns selig macht |
Instrumental Arrangements
12 Pieces for String Ensemble (2021)
| arrangements for 2 – 7 violin parts & cello 12 independant pieces ca. 30′ |
written for the first generation of Muzukidz learners, as part of their ensemble training during the Covid lockdown of 2020
|
Orchestral arrangements
Shalom chaverim (2022)
| for mixed choir (SATB) & orchestra single movement ca. 5′ |
arrangement of the well-known Jewish round: Shalom chaverim le hitraot, shalom. |
Meguru (2022)
| for mixed choir (SATB) & orchestra single movement ca. 5′ view score download score download parts |
arrangement of a well-loved Rukwangali hymn: Tatu tungu mambo getu kapi tu nakura ra ro. |
Joe Clark's Boogie (2022)
| for mixed choir (SATB) & orchestra single movement ca. 3′ view score download score download parts |
arrangement of a piano Boogie by Denes Agay (alias Gerald Martin) for school- or community orchestra |
Lachend (2020)
| for mixed choir (SATB) & orchestra single movement ca. 3′ view score download score download parts |
arrangement of a song by Cesar Bresgen for school or community orchestra and childrens’ choir
Lachend, lachend kommt der Sommer über das Feld… |