Ulrich Gasser

Although this monograph has the features of a biography, it is not intended to be understood as such. It does not follow the life and work of Ulrich Gasser according to the course of his life. It aims to focus on the connection between the person and the work of this composer and thus also to draw attention to the special nature of his music in the context of the music of the second half of the 20th century and the present day. This is why, in addition to rigorous analyses, pictorial and sometimes poetic approaches are also chosen. For Gasser's music is not only highly rational, but also eminently emotional.

The essayistic chapters show how diverse Gasser's approach to the world and thus the "worldliness" of his music is. The reader will experience him as a curious and educated person. The "Places of life" chapters provide information about this. They tell of where Gasser lived and lives, make it clear how much he was influenced by landscapes and places and how much his music is inspired by them. They also show him as a composer "between the generations" and one between "little" Switzerland and the "big" world.

Several essays describe the various aspects of Gasser's composing, in particular his enthusiasm for stones and sound stones, his love of the visual arts, his theology, his fascination with literature and poetry. In addition, there are extensive "digressions" on the self-image of his artistic profession, his compositional style, his instruments and the possibility of listening to and understanding his music. Detailed descriptions of his compositions, arranged thematically, make it possible to orient oneself in his sound worlds. A detailed chapter on his understanding of time, which gave the book its title, makes it clear that "suspended time" for Gasser does not mean something that has been done or stored away, but rather something that can be consciously remembered in the process of composing or that suddenly, unintentionally and unplanned, forces its way to the foreground, into consciousness and into the present. What appears to be sedimented suddenly takes on new life, new topicality. Gasser's extensive oeuvre bears eloquent witness to this.

contents

free shipping within Germany