Michael Bach (cellist, composer, visual artist)
Encyclopedia
Michael Bach is a German cellist, composer, and visual artist, also known as Michael Bach Bachtischa.
and Janos Starker
, then embarked on a career of international concert activity as well as performances on radio, recordings, and television.
He made numerous significant contributions to the art of contemporary cello performance; his publication Fingerboards & Overtones proposes new ideas concerning overtones and harmonics and is considered a pioneering work in the literature on contemporary technique. In 1990 he developed the Curved Bow
(BACH.Bogen) for the cello, violin, and viola, which, in polyphonic playing, permits the simultaneous sounding of multiple strings, with the high arch of the bow allowing for full, sustained chords. During the years 1997 and 2001 Mstislav Rostropovich has been intimately involved in its development. In 2001 he invited Michael Bach for a presentation of his BACH.Bow to Paris (7ème Concours de violoncelle Rostropovitch).
Several contemporary composers, among them John Cage
, Dieter Schnebel
, Walter Zimmermann and Hans Zender, have composed works especially for the BACH.Bow.
Bach Bachtischa is also a composer. His purely musical compositions are idiosyncratic and highly personal, described by him as “free from compositional conventions.”
In collaboration with the visual artist Renate Hoffleit he has created strikingly original string installations.
Michael Bach's visual works include Fingerboards (1990–2010), which capture the hand’s choreography on the cello fingerboard as color impressions, Fieldwork (1994), Mit diesen beiden Händen (1994), Lagauche (1995), and Olévano (1995-).
The German postage stamp „75 Jahre Donaueschinger Musiktage, Deutschland 1996“ shows his composition and drawing 18-7-92, Scetches to Ryoanji (1992).
Notation 2 for 15 STRINGS and 5 Players (1992), First Performance: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany 1994
Notation 1 and 2 for Voice (1993–94), First Performance: Stuttgart, Germany 1994
55 Sounds (1995) for Cello with Curved Bow
, First Performance: Schloss Monrepos, Ludwigsburg, Germany 1995
50 Sounds (1995) for Accordion, First Performance: ZKM Karlsruhe, Germany 2010
+Murbach (2000) für Cello, First Performance: Printemps Rhénan, SWR, France 2000
A-E-G-C (2000) for Microtonal Piano, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
Karpfens'bug (2000) for String Players and Singers, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
Karpfens'teich (2000) for wind instruments, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
NURHAUFFÜGUR 1-7 for Cello with Curved Bow
and Live-electronics, First Performance: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany 2000
57 Sounds (2001) for Organ, First Performance: Rheinischer Frühling, SWR, Worms, Germany2001
Notation for Chamber Orchestra (2001), First Performance: Rheinischer Frühling, SWR, Worms, Germany 2001
5 Pitches, 13 Notes (2005) for Cello with Curved Bow
, First Performance: MANCA Festival Nice, France 2005
18-7-92 (1992/2004) for Cello with Curved Bow
and 3 Tapes, First Performance: Other Minds Festival, San Francisco, USA 2008
namen.los (2008) for Clarinet, First Performance: Treffpunkt Rotebühl, Stuttgart, Germany 2008
ONE13 (1992/2006) for Cello with Curved Bow
and pre-recorded Media (Co-Author: John Cage), First Performance: Other Minds Festival, San Francisco, USA 2008
versbrechen - ein Fingerboard für Kirchner (2010) for Cello with Curved Bow
, First Performance: Galerie Stihl, Waiblingen, Germany 2010
Michael Bach, Die Suiten für Violoncello von Johann Sebastian Bach, in: Das Orchester 7-8/1997, Mainz, Germany
Rudolf Gähler: Der Rundbogen für die Violine - ein Phantom?, ConBrio-Fachbuch, Band 5, ConBrio Verlagsgesellschaft Regensburg, Germany 1997, ISBN 3-930079-58-5
MUSICAGE, pages 246-290 and 296, Editor: Joan Retallack, Wesleyan University Press, Hanover, USA 1996, ISBN 0-8195-5285-2
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Centennial Edition, Vol. 1, pages 173/174, Editors: Nicolas Slonimsky and Laura Kuhn, New York, USA 2001
Jeremy Barlow: The Bach Bow, in: Early music today, London, Great Britain 2003
"The BACH.Bogen", Moderation: Sabine Fallenstein, 10 minutes, SWR Baden-Baden, Germany 2000
Interview with Michael Bach concerning the „BACH.Bogen", Moderation: Andreas Lindahl, 20 minutes, Sveriges Radio, Sweden 2007
"Daimei No Nei Ongakukai", Moderation: Toshiro Mayuzumi, Michael Bach and the Tokyo City Philharmonic, Naozumi Yamamoto, Shibuya Public Hall, TV Asahi Tokyo, Japan 1990
Donaueschinger Musiktage 1994, Concert on October 14, 1994, SWR TV Baden-Baden, Germany 1994
Biography
He studied cello with Gerhard Mantel, Boris Pergamenschikow, Pierre FournierPierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists," on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound....
and Janos Starker
János Starker
János Starker |Kingdom of Hungary]]) is a Hungarian-American cellist. Since 1958 he has taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he holds the title of Distinguished Professor.- Child prodigy :...
, then embarked on a career of international concert activity as well as performances on radio, recordings, and television.
He made numerous significant contributions to the art of contemporary cello performance; his publication Fingerboards & Overtones proposes new ideas concerning overtones and harmonics and is considered a pioneering work in the literature on contemporary technique. In 1990 he developed the Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
(BACH.Bogen) for the cello, violin, and viola, which, in polyphonic playing, permits the simultaneous sounding of multiple strings, with the high arch of the bow allowing for full, sustained chords. During the years 1997 and 2001 Mstislav Rostropovich has been intimately involved in its development. In 2001 he invited Michael Bach for a presentation of his BACH.Bow to Paris (7ème Concours de violoncelle Rostropovitch).
Several contemporary composers, among them John Cage
Number Pieces
The term Number Pieces refers to a body of late compositions by John Cage. Each piece is named after the number of performers involved: for instance, Seven is a piece for seven performers, One9 is the ninth work for one performer, and 101 is a piece for an orchestra of 101 musicians...
, Dieter Schnebel
Dieter Schnebel
Dieter Schnebel is a composer. From 1976 until his retirement in 1995, Schnebel served as professor of experimental music at the Berlin Hochschule der Künste.-Career:...
, Walter Zimmermann and Hans Zender, have composed works especially for the BACH.Bow.
Bach Bachtischa is also a composer. His purely musical compositions are idiosyncratic and highly personal, described by him as “free from compositional conventions.”
In collaboration with the visual artist Renate Hoffleit he has created strikingly original string installations.
Michael Bach's visual works include Fingerboards (1990–2010), which capture the hand’s choreography on the cello fingerboard as color impressions, Fieldwork (1994), Mit diesen beiden Händen (1994), Lagauche (1995), and Olévano (1995-).
The German postage stamp „75 Jahre Donaueschinger Musiktage, Deutschland 1996“ shows his composition and drawing 18-7-92, Scetches to Ryoanji (1992).
Compositions
Ohne Titel (1992) for Cello and 3 Tapes, First Performance: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany 1994Notation 2 for 15 STRINGS and 5 Players (1992), First Performance: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany 1994
Notation 1 and 2 for Voice (1993–94), First Performance: Stuttgart, Germany 1994
55 Sounds (1995) for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
, First Performance: Schloss Monrepos, Ludwigsburg, Germany 1995
50 Sounds (1995) for Accordion, First Performance: ZKM Karlsruhe, Germany 2010
+Murbach (2000) für Cello, First Performance: Printemps Rhénan, SWR, France 2000
A-E-G-C (2000) for Microtonal Piano, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
Karpfens'bug (2000) for String Players and Singers, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
Karpfens'teich (2000) for wind instruments, First Performance: Internationale Musikakademie Schloss Kapfenburg, Germany 2000
NURHAUFFÜGUR 1-7 for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and Live-electronics, First Performance: Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany 2000
57 Sounds (2001) for Organ, First Performance: Rheinischer Frühling, SWR, Worms, Germany2001
Notation for Chamber Orchestra (2001), First Performance: Rheinischer Frühling, SWR, Worms, Germany 2001
5 Pitches, 13 Notes (2005) for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
, First Performance: MANCA Festival Nice, France 2005
18-7-92 (1992/2004) for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and 3 Tapes, First Performance: Other Minds Festival, San Francisco, USA 2008
namen.los (2008) for Clarinet, First Performance: Treffpunkt Rotebühl, Stuttgart, Germany 2008
ONE13 (1992/2006) for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and pre-recorded Media (Co-Author: John Cage), First Performance: Other Minds Festival, San Francisco, USA 2008
versbrechen - ein Fingerboard für Kirchner (2010) for Cello with Curved Bow
Curved bow
The curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
, First Performance: Galerie Stihl, Waiblingen, Germany 2010
First Performances
- 1986 SOLO (1965) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
with digital delay machines. Michael Bach, Cello and the Experimentalstudio des SWF, Hans-Peter Haller, Freiburg, Germany.
- 1986 Sonata in E-flat Major, opus 64 by Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
with Berhard Wambach, piano, Karlsruhe, Germany.
- 1987 Kadenzen (1913) by Arnold SchoenbergArnold SchoenbergArnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
for the Cello Concerto in g minor by Matthias Georg Monn with the Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn, conductor: Georg Schmöhe, Bonn, Germany.
- 1991 ONE8 and 108 (1991) for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and Orchestra by John CageJohn CageJohn Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
, dedicated to Michael Bach and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart (without conductor), Stuttgart, Germany.
- 1992 Mit diesen Händen (1992) for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and Voice by Dieter SchnebelDieter SchnebelDieter Schnebel is a composer. From 1976 until his retirement in 1995, Schnebel served as professor of experimental music at the Berlin Hochschule der Künste.-Career:...
, dedicated to Michael Bach, together with the singer William Pearson on the occasion of the "Heinrich-Böll-Woche" in Cologne, Germany.
- 1993 ONE13 (1992) for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and 3 Tapes, composition by John Cage and Michael Bach Bachtischa, festival musica in Strasbourg, France.
- 1998 TIERKREIS by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
, version for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
by Michael Bach Bachtischa in Bayreuth, Germany.
- 2004 Capriccio 1828 for Violin solo by Niccolò PaganiniNiccolò PaganiniNiccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
, version for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
by Michael Bach Bachtischa in Worms, Germany.
- 2008 New version of ONE13 (1992/2006) for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
and 3 Tapes, composition by John Cage and Michael Bach Bachtischa, in San Francisco, USA and Stuttgart, Germany.
- 2010 versbrechen - ein Fingerboard für KirchnerErnst Ludwig KirchnerErnst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a...
(2010) for Cello with Curved BowCurved bowThe curved bow for string instruments enables string players to control the tension of the bow hairs in order to play one, two, three and four strings simultaneously and to change easily among these possibilities...
by Michael Bach Bachtischa, Galerie Stihl Waiblingen, Germany.
Publications
Michael Bach, Fingerboards & Overtones, Pictures, Basics and Model for a New Way of Cello Playing, German and English, edition spangenberg, München, Germany 1991, ISBN 3-89409-063-4Michael Bach, Die Suiten für Violoncello von Johann Sebastian Bach, in: Das Orchester 7-8/1997, Mainz, Germany
Rudolf Gähler: Der Rundbogen für die Violine - ein Phantom?, ConBrio-Fachbuch, Band 5, ConBrio Verlagsgesellschaft Regensburg, Germany 1997, ISBN 3-930079-58-5
MUSICAGE, pages 246-290 and 296, Editor: Joan Retallack, Wesleyan University Press, Hanover, USA 1996, ISBN 0-8195-5285-2
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Centennial Edition, Vol. 1, pages 173/174, Editors: Nicolas Slonimsky and Laura Kuhn, New York, USA 2001
Jeremy Barlow: The Bach Bow, in: Early music today, London, Great Britain 2003
Radio and TV
"The Cellist Michael Bach", Moderation: Sabine Fallenstein, 60 minutes, SWR Baden-Baden, Germany 1998"The BACH.Bogen", Moderation: Sabine Fallenstein, 10 minutes, SWR Baden-Baden, Germany 2000
Interview with Michael Bach concerning the „BACH.Bogen", Moderation: Andreas Lindahl, 20 minutes, Sveriges Radio, Sweden 2007
"Daimei No Nei Ongakukai", Moderation: Toshiro Mayuzumi, Michael Bach and the Tokyo City Philharmonic, Naozumi Yamamoto, Shibuya Public Hall, TV Asahi Tokyo, Japan 1990
Donaueschinger Musiktage 1994, Concert on October 14, 1994, SWR TV Baden-Baden, Germany 1994