EINKREISUNG for eight alphorns (or natural horns)

Basel , 2020 (8')

Commission of the Basle Symphonic Orchestra for their horn section and the group Hornroh for the reopening of the Casino concert hall Basle

12 Mico - Bagatelles (or: 12 Visitations) for piano trio

Basel, 2020 (24)

Commission of the Trio Gaspard. Premiered at the Lockenhaus Festival

ATLAS - Concerto for Cello and string orchestra with timpani

Kartause Ittingen, 2019 (25 min)

Atlas was commissioned by Nicolas Altstaedt for the Pfingst-Festival Kartause Ittingen. Barnabas Kelemen conducted the Lockenhaus Strings. 

Vis- à- vis Goya 7 Miniatures for cello and piano

Premiere at the Italian Academy of Columbia University in New York, 2019 (14 min)

commissioned by Francesco Dillon and Emanuele Torquati, these seven miniatures were written for their complete edition of Beethoven Sonatas. Each of these short pieces is based on another drawing by Goya- a contemporary of Beethoven.

Diurne - a movement for piano trio

2018 (9‘)

The piece was a commission of the Hamlet Trio

KLE-E-NGEL for Violin and Accordion

The premiere of these eight pieces was at the festival le printems du violon in Paris, 2018 (22‘)

All of these short pieces have been inspired by an Angel drawing by great Swiss painter Paul Klee.

Also every single one is dedicated to different  friends of mine.

Ronde des Lutins

UA at Lucerne Festival with the filk group sCHpillit, 2017 (40‘)

The puece is based on Poetry by Anna Maria Bacher and some folksongs and texts. It is set for a small choir of mens voices (8) 2 swiss dulcimers, 2 accordions, 2 clarinets (one bass- clarinet) violin and contrabass

Canto Circolare- Concerto for Violin and Strings

The premiere was in Arosa, played by Sofia Suldina and conducted by Sebastian Gottschick, 2017 (15‘)

SUONEN for flute quartet (piccolo, flute in C, flute in G, contrabass-flute) and SUONEN I for flutes and voice

Basel(Romainmotier, 2017 (22')

This flute quartet was inspired by the Suonen (artificial waterways) of the Wallis, a swiss mountain region.

It is very difficult to play and needs a clicktrack and several soundfiles. It was written for Vibrations4 - a swiss group. It is dedicated to Joop Colijn.

Double concerto for two recorder flutes, strings and harpsichord

Basel, 2017 (18)

Commission of the Bachfest Schaffhausen

SKAN for Orchestra (Wind, Brass, Percussion)

Basel, 2017 (18)

Commission of the Symphonic Orchestra of St. Gallen

PAPA HAYDN's PARROT for String Quartet

Amsterdam, Basel, 2016 (18)

This quartet is a commission of the Privatstiftung Esterhazy and was permiered by the Schumann Quartett on castleEsterhazy at Eisenstadt, Austria. It is a paraphrase in 8 movements on the bird quartet by  Haydn (Op 33 no 3.)

Messages from a pure land

2016 (10 min)

This work is set for a beautiful combination of Asian and Western Instruments: Shakuhachi, Koto, Tsuzumi, Trumpet and a String Quintet.

It refers to one of the most important schools of Buddhism, called Amida or pure- land- buddhism.

It was commissioned by Ensemble Nomad in Tokyo and performed there in March 2016 with Norio Sato conducting. 

"Poezia sin pureza" for violin and harp in overtone tuning

Basel, 2016 (20')

Commission of the Lucerne Festival

On poems by Pablo Neruda

The Clock - Streichquartett No 3

The Premiere was at the Engelberg Festival - played by the Merel Quartet whi also commissioned the work, 2016 (12)

This work was inspired by the 12th sonnet by William Shakespeare. In the end the title of the porm manifests quite literally as the bells of the cloisters of engelberg with whom the quartet enters into a dialogue. whenever the quartet is played in a different location, one needs to use the recording of these bells.

Bacchanalia for clarinet, violin, violoncello and piano

2016 (20')

Commission of the music festival MARSAC, France

the movements references in many (sometimes humorous ways) Messiaens Quatuor pour la fin du temps

Canto 33 for vocal ensemble and three instruments

chamber music, 2015 (60 min)

This work is written for 8 male voices, 9 female voices (all soloists), 1 countertenor,  Harp, Percussion and Contrabassclarinet. It is based on the 33rd song of paradise from the divina commedia by Dante Alighieri. It is a very demanding, spectralist work with microtones. It has been premiered at the MelosLogos festival in the Cathedral of Erfurt by the Latvian Radio choir. It was recorded there by Deutschlandradio Kultur.

Keeping watch for oboe d'amore and string quintet

Basel, 2015 (15 min)

This work is based on a poem by the great persian poet Hafiz. It was commissioned by the Ernen Music festival and the premiere has been played by the dutch oboe player Bart Schneemann.

In the meantime I have also created another version of the piece for oboe d'amore, viola d'amore and string orchestra which is dedicated to Garth Knox.

It is with its ornamental gestures and its references to an indian rag (Subha Pantuvarali) quite similar to a much earlier work, the flute quintet Song of the Reed (based on a poem of Rumi)

Three Intermezzos, Prae - Luder, Feuillet d'Al-boom, Ch-ango for Violoncello and Akkordeon

Basel, New York, 2015 (15 min)

These three pieces have been commissioned by Viviane Chassot and David Pia for their Ambassador award tour through Great Britain.  The first piece Prae - Luder is a Hommage to J.S.Bach, Feuillet d'Al-boom is a Hommage to Robert Schumann and Ch-ango is a Hommage to Astor Piazzolla - all three are composers who have been played in the same program. All three pieces integrate elements of Swiss folk music.

VierEinig

Basel, 2014 (25')

Eight new songs for mixed vocal group and instruments. Commissioned and premiered by: Basler Vokalsolisten. 12 voices, Swiss Dulcimer, Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, Contrabass and Cornetto

Louange for Baryton, Viola and Violoncello

Basel, 2014 (15 min)

This piece was commissioned by Barytonist Jessica Horsey and premiered at the camerata variabile concert series at Gare du Nord Basle. The Baryton is treated as a solo instrument- with the other two instruments acting as a kind of resonance chamber which is corresponding with the sympathetic strings of the Baryton. In the middle section cello and viola are going their own ways and the piece becomes a bit fiercer in expression. The piece stands in the tradition of the in nomine - a sacral kind of work which was written by almost every composer in the 16th century in England.

Four swiss dances

Basle, 2013 (15 min)

These four  virtuosic pieces for piano four hands are asking also for some talent in acting because the third one is a little theatrical scene. They were written for the piano festival in St. Ursanne and premiered by Dana Ciocarlie and Christiane Baume - Sanglard.

Aria, Ignis, Terra, Aqua for Flute/alto-flute/Piccolo Solo

Basel, 2013

These pieces are dedicated to four flutists: Eva Oertle, Isabelle Schnöller, Roy Amotz and Alain Winkelman.Each piece has a length between 5 and 8 minutes.

Spells and charms of ancient times

Basle/Aerö, 2013 (40 min)

Latvian pre - christian spells and old swiss sayings and alpine blessings were the source of this music which I wrote for the Latvian Vocal group Putni and the camerata Variabile in a setting of Hackbrett, Clarinet, Cornetto, Violin, Cello and Contrabass. It has become a most unusual world of sounds and atmospheres. It was a commission of the Aloentöne - festival and has been supported by Pro Helvetia.

Resonance of rock

Berlin, 2012 (11 min)

This work is for string trio, Sheng, (Chinese mouth organ) Daegum (Korean bamboo flute) and Changgu (Korean drum) It is a commission of the Asian Art Ensemble in Berlin.

Bandes Dessinées

Basel and Berlin, 2012 (15 min)

A very fun and virtuosic piece about three hungry animals for chamber orchestra (only strings - min. 6,5,4,3,1.)It is based on a graphic sketch which I drew in 10 minutes for a string trio of friends in Amsterdam who asked their audience for graphic scores and then would sightread/improvise them on the spot.

Traumdeutung (Interpretation of dreams)

Basel, Marrakech, 2011 (20 min)

Four poems of four poetesses - Johanna Arp, Irène Gayraud, Friederike Mayröcker and Tal Nitzan were the basis of four short, fragile and haunting pieces for harp in overtone tuning, clarinet, flute and string quartet. The compositions use the texts as a living element during the performance. Ideally the poetesses read them while the pieces are played. Traumdeutung was a commisson of the Festival Zeitkunst in Berlin and has been performed there at the Radialsystem and later at the centre pompidou in Paris.

Miorita - double concerto for alphorn and trumpet

written in Wales and Basel, 2011 (20 min)

Commission of the Basle chamber orchestra. Soloists are Balthasar Streiff (Alphorn, Büchel and Cowhorns) and Simon Lilly (Trumpet, Büchel and Cowhorns) Premiere: 14th of January 2012 in Glarus and on the 15th at the Martinskirche Basel.The piece can be extended by 40 minutes. a long prologue which is working with a graphical score and allows the participation of children. This Extension uses similar materials as the double concertos and some of the orchestra members and soloists take part in it

Quadriga Quartet

Basel, Amsterdam, Romainm ,Paris, 2011 (26 min)

String Quartet in 4 Movements. Dedicated to Eberhard Feltz. Commissioned by the Chamber Music Society Basle. Particularity: first movement: all four strings in unison. Second movement: only two voice counterpoint in a devilishly fast SCHERZO. Third movement: on Mandelstam poems (fragments) is throughout 4-voice counterpoint and polymetrics. The fourth Movement is almost entirely set in 8 voices- often in parallel motion. It is very very demanding for the performers - technically and in synchronisation.

Tree Talk

Basel, 2011 (11 min)

for two solo cellos and chamber orchestra (strings only, min 5,4,3,3,1) Commissioned by the camerata Zurich - dedicated to Thomas and Patrick Demenga who also premiered the work at Tonhalle Zürich in March 2011)

In an old park

Basel, 2010 (16 min)

Work for soprano/alto saxophone, mallets (marimba), piano, e-guitar, percussion, accordion.It features an old waltz from St.Gallen and features among trees, birds, a pavillon, overgrown pathways and other things a forest monster...therefore not for the fainthearted...it was written for the Kantonsschule am Burggraben, St.Gallen.

Satancia

Basel, 2010 (45 min)

Chamber Opera/Music Theatre for bassbariton and actressPiccolo/Flute, Clarinet/Bassclarinet, Percussion, Bandoneon, Piano (scordatura) Synthesizers, Contrabass, Violin and Live Electronics (Max)

Chill't Horn and Quodli Beat

Basel, 2010 (12 min)

Two short works for an ensemble of folk musicians (with some experience in contemporary music) Hackbrett, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Contrabass.Chill't Horn is very slow with a lot of harmonics - a scordatura of the string instruments is needed. Quodli Beat is making fun of Techno music. It is based on different folk dances from my home place Schaffhausen.Both pieces need pickups. Reverb for Chill't horn and simple amplification for Quodli - Beat.Commission of the Lucerne Festival

Extravagancia (on a play by Rafael Spregelburd, Buenos Aires)

Basel - Romainmotier, 2010 (90 min)

Chamber Opera: for Mezzosoprano and Bassbariton and an Ensemble consisting of: Bandoneon, Synthesizer, Clarinet/s, Flute/s, Contrabass, Violin, Percussion (Set, Timpani, Mallets)Premiere at the Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires with Cecilia Arellano, Mezzosoprano; Robert Koller, Bariton and the Ensemble Phoenix, Basle (Jürg Henneberger, conductor)

"Vestibula" - for harp in overtone- tuning, clarinet(s), flute(s)

London, Basle, Romainmotier, 2009 (16 min)

This piece was commissioned by Musikfabrik Koeln. It is based on six Poems by Giuseppe Ungaretti, a poet very close to my heart whose poetry I know already for a long time. These six miniatures are very particular- and I like their strange sound - resulting from the overtone tuning of the harp - very much. they are as emotinal as they are alien(ating). They are all dedicated to personalities which have been of great importance for my musical development.(György und Marta Kurtag, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Unger, Edwin Villiger, Hansheinz Schneeberger, Georg Friedrich Haas.)

Moiren - Trio for violin, Violoncello and piano

London, 2009 (25 min)

This piece was commissioned by the trio Montin, Berne and it is based on the three mythological women, Klotho, Lachesis, Atropos. Klotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis measures it and Atropos cuts it off - so they are the three agents of destiny. It is a huge very challenging trio.

Vers l'ouvert for Orchestra

Vienna, Romainmotier, Basle, 2008 (16 min)

This is my first orchestra work, a commission by the sinfonietta Basle. It is based on an experiment with associative lines of thought and It is a very demanding work for the orchestra. The basic harmonic concept is mainly spectral. For more information on this work see "Interview 3" which is published on this website.

Pulsed Rainbow

Basle, 2008 (9 min)

for Organ and Dancer. The work has been commisioned by organist Babette Mondry and has been permiered by her and dancer Oliver Dähler at the Peterskirche Basle in April 2008.

Appel à la licorne

Basle, 2008 (4:30 min)

for 12 hunting horns and one french horn. It is a commission by the festival of the forests, close to Paris. It could not be performed, because of its rhythmical difficulties and the fact that most of the players there don't read music.One year later it was played by professional natural horn players and it was a great success.

Song of the reed

Amsterdam, Romainmotier, Basle, 2008 (30 min)

A huge quintet for alto - flute/piccolo and string quartet, based on a wonderful Poem by Rumi. (13th century, Persia) The melodic Material is derived from three Indian raags (Puriya Danashri, Marwa and Iman Kalyan).Spectralism is of a huge importance again as well as polymetrics. It has been commissioned by Nicholas Berwin/IMS Prussia Cove.

Praelu-Duell for 2 Violinists in tails

Basle/Hübenthal/Avignon, 2008 (10 min)

A piece which demands quite some acting skills of the players - one has to act dying (falling with the fiddle while playing needs some practicing) the other needs to shoot his opponent. Quite dramatic and incredibly funny. It is dedicated to my old friend and mentor Hansheinz Schneeberger with whom I also play it.It has been premiered on occasion of the centennary of the Music Academy of Basle.

Scenes of a marriage

Basle, 2008 (ca 7 min)

It is a musical Joke and a very personal wedding present to Karin Dornbusch (Clarinet) and Sascha Armbruster (Saxophone)The piece musically portraits as well these two individuals as also some things couples love doing together like: conversation, touch, copulation, sleep, fights... the succession of these activities can be freely determined by the players while performing. It is for soprano - sax and Bassclarinet

Sehnsuchtslied (Song of longing)

Basle, 2008 (7 min)

This song for piano and soprano is on a poem by Selma Meerbaum - Eisinger. It is dedicated to my composition teacher. It has been performed by Silke Gäng and Tiffany Butt at the Music Academy Basle during a birthday concert for Roland Moser.

5 Haiku for bassbariton, string trio and guitar

Songs, 2007 (14 min)

These short pieces for Bassbariton, string trio, guitar and some small percussion instruments (played by the singer and the guitarist) are dedicated to the great Swiss singer Kurt Widmer.They are very thoughtfully crafted miniatures, my most intense attempt to make philosophical thought communicate through musical structures. The first performance was at my Diploma in composition at the Leonhardskirche Basel, 14th of June 2007. They were written in Dorset, England.

Impromptu for piano solo

Romainmotier, Basle, rev. Oxford, 2007 (12 min)

This spectralist piano work was written for french pianist Dana Ciocarlie and was first permiered by her at the piano festival in St. Ursanne, Switzerland. It also was played later in Avignon.

"From the Ashes" for ensemble

Music Academy Basle, Switzerland, 2006 (45 min)

This composition is dedicated to the Ensemble Phoenix Basle and was premiered on the first of July 2006. It is for thirteen instruments: Celesta, Harpsichord (amp.) old synthesizers, string quintet (amp) percussion/timpani, piccolo/altoflute/bassflute, e-flat clarinet/bass clarinet/contrabassclarinet, trombone, horn/alphorn. It is about the phoenixmyth and the planet constellations of the first of July.

Dante: Inferno, fifth song - for violin and an effect device

Diessenhofen, Church "Paradise", 2006 (10 min)

This work is the first piece of a series of works that have yet to be written - in the end it will be a kind of cyclus for different instruments in different formations - all based on Dantes Divina Commedia. It is a project that will take years to be completed.

Fremdländler for clarinet, violin, viola, cello, bass and Hackbrett

Tokyo, Basle, 2006 (15 min)

This work was written for the camerata variabile basle and first performed in october 2006 at the Gare du Nord, Basle. It is based on Franz Hohler's story "s'totemügerli" which is a nightmarish tale finding place in the mountains. It is told my made - up words, where the meaning can only be guessed. So also the music uses a lot of Swiss folk music materials twisted, quoted and abused in many different forms. It is for clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass and swiss Hackbrett. (our cymbalom) It is a fun piece but very hard to play well. the première was at the Goetheanum Dornach.

Rota Orat Taro Ator for violin and piano

Den Haag/Basel, 2005 (15 min)

A work commissioned by the Harvard Musical Association, Boston. Performed in Boston and New York (Weill recital hall) Recorded by Radio WBGH Boston. A very difficult piece for both performers. It is based on a game of Tarot Cards - so the creative process had - at least in character and structure an aleatoric element.

Sämi's piece for piano

Basle, 2003 (4')

Dedicated to pianist Samuel Wettstein, this short, jazzy piece was originally a part of the program played by the Avalon String Ensemble.

“Ligaturae” for violin, tamtam, Tibetan sounding bowls (4) and a little bell

Basel, 2002 (7 min)

Ligaturae is a quiet meditation on a succession of I, IV, V ,I (played by Tibet. bowls) It is dedicated to my mother and was first performed in Altstätten on a "finissage" (end of an exhibit)on may 1st 2002.It is dedicated to my mother Regula Winkelman.

Ciaccona for Violin solo

Akureyri/Basel, 2002 (6 min)

This short piece was written for Chiara Banchini. It actually was written for baroque fiddle, but it also can be played on a normal fiddle.

Gravitation I and II for violin and piano

Basel, 2002 (13 min)

Gravitation I is dedicated to Hansheinz Schneeberger and was first performed on the 4th of April 2002 by him and Stefka Perifanova at the “Gare du Nord”, Basel.Gravitation I wrote a year later. The first performance was only in 2012 in Sighisoara, Romania. Dana Ciocarlie and myself played it. It is a very extreme piece with its high technical and musical demands.

“VBG”: (fallen from the Mountain) for violin and piano

Basel, 2001 (9 min)

This piece was written for Isabelle Ladewig, a friend and colleague of mine. The name of this piece originates from her falling from a mountain just before she should have come to Paris to play string quartet with me. It was premiered by her and Jan Schultz in Dec.2001 in Winterthur.

„Herrgott und Teufel“ for 2 speakers, 2 percussionists, 2 schalmeis, string quintett (second edition), and piano

Basel, 2001 (33 min)

This piece is probably the craziest thing I have done so far. It is dedicated to the two “Thomas” that were involved in its creation: Thomas Brunnschweiler, who wrote the Anagram, that is the basis of the piece and Thomas Demenga who actually asked me to perform it at the International Music Festival of Davos. The first performance was in the old great room of the “Schatzalp” hotel near Davos and the players were: Samuel Wettstein, piano; Matthias Würsch and Daniel Stalder, percussion; Stéphanie Meyer, Violoncello, Raphael Sachs, Viola; Helena Winkelman, Violin; Ann Allen and Isacco Colombo, Schlameis; Christoph Dangel and Lucas Roessner, Speakers. They all were absolutely great, putting together an unbelievably hard piece in a very short time. Thanks to "Credit Suisse" for the commission.

Review of "Herrgott und Teufel" from "Ostschweizer Zeitung"

Review of "Herrgott und Teufel" from "Davoser Zeitung"

"Golem" for violin, tamtam, and two zymbals

Basel, 2001 (08:06 min)

Golem is a very dark piece - it has been written immediately after attacks on New York on September 11th 2001. Nevertheless there are very few dissonances since the Tamtam and Zymbals won’t resonate with them. It is dedicated to my father with whom I usually play it.

“Rondo with a Janus-head” for violin and violoncello

Basel, 2000 (8 min)

This duo for violin and violoncello is with its light- hearted, jazzy refrains very close to the music of Dave Brubeck, but in its middle sections it very often drifts off into more experimental realms. It is dedicated to friend and cellist Christoph Dangel and was first performed on a private party in Dec.2001

“Immediation” for violin, tamtam, Tibetan sounding bowls (4) and two Zymbals

Basel, 1997 (03:30 min)

This piece was written in very few days but still is one of my personal favourites. Since the instruments needed are very specific, no one except myself can perform it – I often use it my solo recitals. Although it is called Immediation, it is a great opening piece and has been premiered by myself at the opening of an exhibition by visual artist Brigitte Uttar Kornetzky in Altstätten, Switzerland.