Hans-Jürgen von Bose

Two early works by Hans-Jürgen von Bose, both recorded by the Südwestfunk in 1983: the orchestral suite from Die Nacht aus Blei, his music for a dance-theatre piece after Hans Henny Jahnn, and the Sappho-Gesänge for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra, heard here in a live recording from Donaueschingen.

Bose was born in Munich on 24 December 1953. He studied at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and then composition with Hans Ulrich Engelmann at the Frankfurt Musikhochschule, held Villa Massimo fellowships in Rome in 1980 and 1985, and later taught composition at the Munich Hochschule für Musik. The suite is played by the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks under Matthias Bamert, recorded in May 1983. The Sappho-Gesänge are sung by Liat Himmelheber with Ensemble Modern conducted by Peter Eötvös, recorded in October 1983 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage.

Die Nacht aus Blei (1980-81) is described as a "kinetische Handlung" after Jahnn. It reached the stage at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 1 November 1981, choreographed by William Forsythe, designed by Axel Manthey and conducted by Spiros Argiris. The suite on this disc runs to more than half an hour, in four movements whose titles point to old forms: Introduktion mit Rondo, Isorhythmische Motette, Passacaglia and a short Epilog. The Sappho-Gesänge (1982) set the Greek poet for mezzo-soprano in a single span of about fifteen minutes. Bose also made a version with piano.

Both scores were published by Ars Viva Verlag in Mainz. The two works belong to a period in which Bose drew repeatedly on literature for his stage and vocal music, as in his later Werther scenes, a García Lorca opera and Schlachthof 5 after Kurt Vonnegut. The cover shows sculptures by Rosalie Maria Plank, and the liner notes are by Heinz-Josef Herbort.

CD, Wergo WER 6251 2, released in 1993. It is a reissue of the LP WER 60109, first published in 1985.