Schwebstoff #4
ERNSTALBRECHT STIEBLER is a composer of minimalist and reductionist contemporary music. Having attended the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music from 1958 onwards, Stiebler decided in 1963 to leave serial music behind and instead opt for his own reductionist style built on minimalist structures and repetitions, though not in any way related to the so-called Minimal Music but rather influenced by Minimalism in visual art. In terms of composers of his time, the closest stylistic relationship that could be drawn is to Morton Feldman. Stiebler’s approach is best summarized in his own words: “Music is too important to burden it with emotions.”
His honors include the Bach-Preis Hamburg (1966) and a prize from the Stille Musik composition seminar in the Künstlerhaus Boswil (1991). Moreover, two of his productions for Hessischer Rundfunk received the Prix Italia Special Prize: Piece for Peace by Alvin Curran and Die Blinden by Walter Zimmermann.
Mr. Stiebler is also active in other positions. He served as director of new music for Hessischer Rundfunk from 1969-95 and founded the concert series Forum Neue Musik there in 1989. He co-produced numerous CDs for Hessischer Rundfunk in collaboration with the Hat Hut label, including the series devoted to the New York School (John Cage, Morton Feldman and Christian Wolff). In addition, he has written numerous essays for Musik-Konzepte, MusikTexte, and other music journals, as well as booklet notes for the Montaigne Auvidis CD of Words and Music by Morton Feldman.
Schwebstoff/Leuchtstoff is a series alternating between acoustic and electro-acoustic forms of experimental music. (Curators: Burkhard Beins, Werner Dafeldecker, Simon James Phillips)