Ulrich Gasser. Die aufgehobene Zeit

Although this monograph bears some resemblance to a biography, it is not intended to be understood as such. It does not trace the life and work of Ulrich Gasser in chronological order. Rather, it aims to highlight the connection between the composer and his work, thereby drawing attention to the distinctive nature of his music within the context of 20th-century and contemporary music. For this reason, alongside rigorous analyses, the book also employs vivid, and at times poetic, approaches. For Gasser’s music is not only highly rational but also eminently emotional. The essayistic chapters demonstrate the diversity of Gasser’s engagement with the world and, consequently, the “worldliness” of his music. The reader will come to know him as a curious and well-educated individual. The chapters titled “Places of Life” provide insight into this. They recount where Gasser lived and lives, making clear how deeply he has been shaped by landscapes and places, and how much his music is inspired by them. They also portray him as a composer “between generations” and one situated between “little” Switzerland and the “big” world. Several essays describe various aspects of Gasser’s composing, particularly his enthusiasm for stones and sound stones, his love of the visual arts, his theology, and his fascination with literature and poetry. In addition, there are extensive “digressions” on his understanding of his artistic profession, his compositional style, his instrumentation, and the possibility of hearing and understanding his music. Detailed descriptions of his compositions, arranged thematically, allow readers to navigate his sonic worlds. A detailed chapter on his understanding of time—which gave the book its title—makes it clear that for Gasser, “suspended time” does not mean something that is finished or preserved, but rather something that can be consciously recalled in the act of composing or that suddenly, unintentionally, and unplanned, pushes itself into the foreground, into consciousness, and into the present. What appears to be sedimented suddenly takes on new life, new relevance. Gasser’s extensive body of work bears eloquent witness to this.