William Blank
01.08.1957
William Blank was born in Montreaux. He graduated (percussion, composition, piano) from Geneva conservatory, where he now teaches percussion and is first percussionist with the orchestra of the 'Swiss Romande'. He has played in concerts both in Switzerland and abroad, including appearances with the 'Ensemble Contretemps'. In 1986 he won the city of Geneva Compositions Prize.
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William
Blank 56, ch. François-Chavaz CH-1213 Onex Fon: +41 (0)22 793 14 01 E-mail: williamblank@freesurf.ch Web: http://www.williamblank.net |
Scores
Hesse-Lieder (1978, rev. 1984)
Order No: 0401, sFr. 42.00, € 28.00
Texts: Hermann Hesse The fruition of a study of the Viennese School, especially of Webern. Blank regards this piece as classical, inspired by a respect for the song tradition. The seven songs vary in their instrumentation. Only the fourth - Centre of Cycle - brings all five performers together.
3 Intermezzi (1980)
Order No: 0402, sFr. 12.00, € 8.00
Written in the spirit of the late works of Brahms, these short pieces use, in essence, reduced thematic material and develop it according to the principle of perpetual variation.
Canti d'Ungaretti (1983)
Order No: 0403, sFr. 48.00, € 32.00
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti This piece is based on eight poems by Giuseppe Ungaretti taken from his ‘La Vita d'un Uomo’ (1914/1970), which in turn belong to two distinct cycles and epochs. The instrumentation represents a sort of reduced orchestra, this must allow the intimate timbre of chamber music to be heard yet simultaneously create a 'symphonic' ambiance.
Omaggi (1985/86)
Order No: 0404, sFr. 48.00, € 32.00
Written for a large orchestra in which a quintet for piano, clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello occasionally provide relief. The piece grows out of an eleven bar motive and develops into perpetual variations, this is expressed by a canon in reversed movement by the violin and the cello and more freely by the viola and clarinet - the piano plays a supporting role only. Direct references are occasionally made to the original motive. The quintet, as a composite soloist, is not treated with a traditional concertanto approach but rather in such a way that the more intimate sonorities of a chamber orchestra are allowed to emerge. The result is not a dialogue between the quintet and the orchestra (which is seldom heard en masse) but is rather more a variety of instrumental groupings playing against the quintet.
Fragments I (1986/87)
Order No: 0405, sFr. 32.00, € 21.00
An experimental piece, the form of which can be defined as a unified whole which develops by combining numerous fragments set in a contrasting or superimposed manner. Idiomatic playing techniques (pizzicato, glissando, flageoletto, col legno, ponticello, tasto etc.) are utilised to produce smooth phrases, that is to say an unintended natural assimilation bringing about sound effects not necessarily anticipated by the composer.
Fragments II (1987)
Order No: 0406, sFr. 30.00, € 20.00
‘Fragments II’ is the creation of a rather contemplative character. The cello writing bears the same characteristics as in ‘Fragments I’. On the other hand, here the piano does not always crave dialogue, but is busy colouring the sound field, adding rhythm and structure. It is used in a traditional way, i.e. without preparation and using only the keyboard.
Chants (1993)
Order No: 0407, sFr. 58.00, € 38.00
Texts: Elvio Romero, Peter Huchel, Mario Luzi, Charles Juliet The first two poems testify to the physical and mental suffering caused by the repression and censorship of totalitarian regimes. The two proceeding poems were written in free countries, but they bear witness to the suffering of human beings in the drawn out process of inner development. The declamation is entrusted to a dramatic soprano. For each poem, one of the four groups of instruments is brought to the fore, appearing in relief against the remaining three, whose respective timbres fill the background. The solo marimba part forms a link bridging the vocal and instrumental parts by proclaiming its importance and its complementary relation to the vocal part. It is also the fulcrum around which the various motives, themes and moods originate, at times engaging with the orchestra, developing and supporting.
Nachtmusik (1994)
Order No: 0408, sFr. 26.00, € 17.00
In memory of Kurt Joos, a friend of my youth who was found hanged in a house of correction. He was eighteen years old.
Discs
Grammont Sélection 1. Uraufführungen aus dem Jahr 2007
Bettina Skrzypczak: Initial
Alfred Zimmerlin: Cuellis par la mémoire des voûtes
Eric Gaudibert: A... In Wonderland
Rico Gubler: RIT
Ulrich Gasser: Zeit/Züge II
William Blank: Dans l'instant
Xavier Dayer: D'un amour lancé
Mischa Käser: Drei Sätze für Streichquartett
Klaus Huber: Vida y muerte non son mundos contrarios
International Competition for Musical Performers Geneva CIEM 1994
Fritz Voegelin: Ecstatic Prelude
Eric Gaudibert: Jardins d'est
Renzo Rota: Colour-Frame
Balz Trümpy: Nachtgesang
William Blank: Nachtmusik
Jost Meier: A l'origine
(Bieler Sinfonieorchester)
Rudolf Kelterborn: Canto appassionato
(Orchestre de la Suisse Romande)
William Blank
Trio à cordes
Anacrousis pour percussion solo
Cris pour piano et ensemble
...Ebbe(n) pour grand orchestre
(Trio Contrechamps; Michael Tschamper; David Lively; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Fabio Luisi)
Quatuor Sine Nomine
William Blank: Quatuor à cordes
Michel Hostettler: Quatuor à cordes
Frank Martin: Quatuor à cordes
Jean Perrin: Quatuor à cordes
Henri Scolari: Quatuor à cordes
Julien-François Zbinden: Quatuor à cordes
(Quatuor Sine Nomine)
Further Discs:
CD Guilys GLY 509: Canti d'Ungaretti, Omaggi, Fragments I, II
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