Press Commentaries / Excerpts

 
His is a refreshingly unique approach that tips a cap to cultural pluralism while keeping its values at a scrupulously high level of artistic integrity. ...

American Record Guide, January/February 2009

  


Spirituelle Tiefe

... gelingt es Schanderl, mit seiner modalen Schreibweise in den Vertonungen geistlicher Texte in eine über funktionale Kirchenmusik hinausweisende Spiritualität vorzudringen.

nmz 2009

  

 

Der in Berlin lebende Komponist Hans Schanderl ist in der Chorszene ein viel Gefragter.
Er arbeiteterfolgreich mit ambitionierten Laien- und semiprofessionellen Ensembles wie mit Berufschören. Die Attraktivität von Schanderls Musik hat ihren Ursprung in der Bereitschaft
des Komponisten, viele Einflüsse (z.B. klassischer türkischer, indischer und afrikanischer Musik) offen und neugierig aufzunehmen und in die Arbeit einfließen zu lassen.
Schanderl empfindet den europäischen Kunstgesang als einengend, strebt danach, die Vielfalt stimmlicher Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten zu zeigen. Die Interpretation der repräsentativen
Werkauswahl durch den international erfolgreichen Polnischen Kammerchor ist mustergültig.

Herbert Lauermann
CHOR aktuell, 3/2009

  


Passion – Stufen der Hingabe
… In seinem gemäßigt modernen Stil könnte es bald zu einem Klassiker der Kirchenmusik werden.

FAZ 9.6.2006
  
 

... fareastern influences, orchestral dramaturgy of sound and colours; ...
in his personal sound lanquage both big spaces of hymnic developing periods and subtle soundcolouring details with fiddly stuff are growing in exciting dialectics.

Frankfurter Rundschau 10.6.2006
  
 

«once bells will be ringing through myself»
«once bells will be ringing through myself» of Hans Schanderl
fascinated not only by individual characteristics,
but also allowed nature to enter with pleasure in music of art.

Stuttgarter Nachrichten 6.9.2005
  
 

So «once bells will be ringing through myself» of Hans Schanderl
turns out to be a continuing of artistic figural music like Palestrina,
in which melodic linies are crossing in a impressive way.
Softly coloured and fine nuanced in dynamics this musica nova comes out.

Potsdamer Neue Nachrichten 21.11.2005

 

«Shimmering warm and bright»
... a classic worked out string quartett which starts with trills of harmonics
and outswinging open strings like some shakespearean witch music in dusk and white fog,
later the sounds become more dense and is finishing with richest quartett sound.
Then follows a central part equipped with strong glissando sobs
and a final part which is highly musical performed with knife sharp sound producing,
just a sabre dance of tones.
It came into being a good advanced work capable for repertoire,
which fulfills very good the sound qualities of string quartett
and will surely get success in concerts.

Radio 3 concert review by Irene Tüngler 27.8.2001
  
 

Der Maschinist «The man of machines»
Thereto Hans Schanderl is creating sound fascinating proceedings,
the instrumental groups of strings and virtuoso percussions are dominating the accustic
– supplemented by the integrated singing voices,
the orchestra is driven to orgiastic eruptions and lyricly retardation.

Opernnetz.de
  
 


The master of metronome: Magdeburg with «The man of machines» of Hans Schanderl at EXPO: ... The action is essentially borne by the music,
first of all by the orchestra to which the choir is associated as equivalent sound facet.
... Due to the multi coloured and partially georgous wonderful music it is recommended
for reperforming on great stages.

Crescendo Nr.6/2000

  
 
Courageous opening: ...
Schanderl transforms the edginess of a breaking age of machines
into some congenial pulsing sound panorama, which gives
in its enforcement sufficient support of gestural material.

Die Deutsche Bühne 11/2000
 
 

Alienation of tonal sound availabilities:
... the evolvement of the music of a composer who knows how
to intensify the presets of atmosphere and mood given
by the libretto in his very own on tonality based lanquage.
... effective instrumentated rhythmic structures are developing
into indepth vehemence.

Neue Musikzeitung NMZ 11/2000
 
 
Schanderl arrays this five act dream of a better world
in a often vital percussive catastrophic music which is strong rhythmically conceptualized.
Minimalistic shapes are circling within themselves,
funfair music and dance melodies slip into the scenes,
instrumental sounds of machines and factories are bursting out,
a lot of drums are hammering the dramatic part of the story..
It is exciting to listen by which richness of ideas Schanderl is dealing
with these roaring rhythms and oscillations.

Das Orchester 01/2001
  
 

Composers of «well done operas» are conquering german theaters:
... only a few composers dare to neglect demonstrative the conventional forms,
dare to create their own cosmoses:
This in coproduction with EXPO first performed opera «The man of machines» bethinks at the example of the mechanician Johann Nepomuk Mälzel
of the topic of EXPO «man, nature, technology»,
and Hans Schanderl is composing with verve musical mechanisms,
opposes the mechanic tangle to the human errors.

Die Deutsche Bühne 5/2001
 
 

The cultural program of the German Pavillon and Theatre Magdeburg
realized in this way a world premiere, which is worth getting attention.
Hans Schanderl has given to the text what it seems to require.

Der Tagesspiegel Berlin 22.9.2000
 
 

Schanderl succeeded despite his illustrative approach to avoid kinds of filmmusic like truisms, and could fulfil the differenciated aspects of feeling and thinking of the leading characterin multi-layered musicalism.

Braunschweiger Zeitung 19.9.2000
 
 

... Hans Schanderl deals with polyrhythmic disassociations of tonal ciphers;
the music of Schanderl generates a dense atmospheric ground,
which is adjusting flexible to the darmaturgic necessities, sometimes retracting,
sometimes placing stronger emphasis;
quite a lot enforces with sense, effectively instrumented.

Mittelbayerische Zeitung 19.9.2000
 
 
The music of Schanderl reflects the motto of EXPO
Schanderl works with principles of steady permutating repitions,
the irretrieveable fading of time becomes sensually experienceable.
Schanderl works out these strong rhythmically minted passages to polyphonic sound architecture. The theatre Magdeburg succeeded in contributing a highlight
to the cultural program of German Pavillon.

Leipziger Volkszeitung 19.9.2000
  
 


A life between tears and technique
Lutz Hübner has written a uncomplicated libetto, fantastic stuff for a EXPO opera. The music of Hans Schanderl is versatile. There are moments full of emotions,
but also loops of sounds and percussive insertions which pick up again and again the topic of automat.
It is exciting to follow how Mälzel collapses more and more
in his despair despite his economic success where he finally fuddles to death.
Very long applause ...

Bild-Zeitung 18.9.2000

  
 


With a highly dramatic occurance the stage event is starting,
which is profoundly traumatizing the young hero.
Chord clusters on a sound ground of choir and strings are accompanying
with increasing intensity; the musical lanquage of Hans Schanderl
is expressing in a frequent and fast change of dramatic pointed forte passages
and intimate songful lines.
With wide instrumentary, to which the choir belongs as equivalent supplement,
the music of Schanderl impels the drama quite essentially.

Volksstimme Magdeburg 19.9.2000

  
 

a sparkling first night experiences the world premiere of the opera «The man of machines»

Die Welt 18.9.2000
 
 

... Schanderl has composed a lot of musical tableaux of forceful characteristic.
Especially impressive that crescendo with which at beginning of the second part the mechanique forges and brings Mälzel glory and honour.

Opernwelt 11/2000
 
 

The music of Hans Schanderl first needs to find entrance to the ears;
it seems at first too inconvenient but then starts the effect to get used to;
very nice for example the vision of Mälzel of perfection of machines
and thereto this weird music!

Magdeburger Stadtjournal 22.9.2000
 
 


«Christ in front of High Court»
At least the same interesting was the motet «Christus vor dem Hohen Rat»
based on texts of Bert Brecht.
The composer Hans Schanderl seems to feel attracted to romantic sound ideals, he wove in his work in a fascinating way harmony and rhythm from St. Johns Passion of Bach.

Deutsches Allgemeines Sonntagsblatt 28.5.2000

 
 


There raised a eight part a cappella choir piece of Hans Schanderl according
to a poem of Bertolt Brecht in modern vocal technique, overwhelming sound cascades, but also romantic tone painting.

Evangelische Zeitung, EZ Mai 2000