Current project:
Amazing Grace Variations
One of my goals is to hide the gospel into the music I am able to create. To elaborate further, music should be connected to life and convey a wide range of emotions, including joy, mystery, beauty, hope, as well as tragedy, sin, brokenness, and evil. Both of these sides are important and undeniable parts of life. Yet God's grace is present in all of these cases.
Psalm 139: 1-12 by David;
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Hänsel & Gretel Variations
Chamber music is a demanding for young pianists, which is why this piece was written for a chamber music project in our music school. Recognizing this challenge, my aim was to compose good music that remains approachable for younger musicians. This melody from Hänsel & Gretel is one that I often encounter in piano methods, so I chose to use this melodic material that most of my students are familiar with for a set of variations. It turned out to be quite difficult, yet still doable with a lot of work. I was so pleased with the final composition that I decided to create a solo version for my own performance!
Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hänsel & Gretel was first performed in 1893. The opera was based on the fairy tale of the same name by the Grimm Brothers. The tale revolves around two children who are subjected to mistreatment and unwelcome by their stepmother. In an act of desperation, she endeavors to dispose of them, leading them to become lost in the vast expanse of the woods. While lost, they find a house made of honey bread and cookies where a witch lives. They are allured and trapped by her through their hunger. Her plan is to fatten Hänsel so that she can later bake him. Gretel manages to throw the witch into the oven instead and frees both of them. In the woods, they pray to find their way back home to their father.
Found
This project began when Matthias asked me to write a piece for him. Since I am not a guitarist, this piece is truly a collaborative effort. Matthias encouraged me to just write it and deal with the practical problems later. And so we did! Working with Matthias was very enriching, and I am most thankful that he trusted my work.
The overall mood of the piece evokes a sense of introspection, as if the artist is contemplating the inherent imperfections and brokenness of life. The majority of the variations are characterized by a sense of heaviness and conflict. However, it is only towards the conclusion that a sense of relief and hope emerges.
Diligit
Together with Ellis Potter and Santiago Sauer, this was my first film project. The word "Diligit" is a declination of the Latin verb "to love." In the film, music is not the main subject, but rather a supporter of the message, especially regarding the questions. Thus, these short pieces are actually musical questions. If you are curious, watch the short film!
Notenbüchlein
The inspiration for these miniatures began with the pieces Les Cinq Doigts from Stravinsky, as I was amazed by how the composer created such excellent music with almost "nothing"!
However, the end result would not have been nearly the same without Tirza’s artwork! The images are stunning, impactful, and seamlessly intertwined with the content of the music, making my own creations seem almost secondary. Schumann's desire for illustrations for his Album für die Jugend went unfulfilled, so these artworks are a tremendous gift.
