Claus Steffen Mahnkopf

Life

Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf was born in Mannheim, West Germany, and studied composition with Brian Ferneyhough, Klaus Huber und Emanuel Nunes and music theory at the music academy in Freiburg, where he graduated in 1992. At the same time, he studied musicology, philosophy with Jürgen Habermas and sociology at university. In 1993 he was awarded a doctorate in philosophy for his dissertation on Arnold Schönberg. For his compositions Mahnkopf has won numerous international prizes, among them the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1990, the composition prize of the city Stuttgart and the Composers Award of the Ernst-von-Siemens Music Foundation in 1998. Mahnkopf went to Rome (Villa Massimo), Italy, Venice (Centro Tedesco di Studi Veneziani), Italy, and Basel (Paul-Sacher-Stiftung), Swiss, on scholarships. In 1995 he was one of the founders of the Gesellschaft für Musik und Ästhetik (society for music and aesthetics) and he is also one of the editors of the society’s magazine. Mahnkopf worked as music theory teacher and as consultant for opera houses and he published many essays in musicological magazines. In 1999 he married professor doctor Francesca Yardenit Albertini, a Jewish philosopher of religion. From 2001 until 2005 Mahnkopf worked regularly at the Experimental Studio of the SWR. Since 2005 Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf teaches composition at the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" in Leipzig. His music is being performed by many ensembles, like SurPlus or ensemble recherche on international festivals, for example on the Salzburger Festspiele or the Flandern Festival. Among the artists to perform his works regularly are oboist Peter Veale, Sophie-Mayuko Vetter, Carin Levine, James Avery and Frank Cox.

Stage Works

Angelus novus (1997/2000)

musical theatre by Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf after Walter Benjamin, soloists : Soprano, Flute, Piccolo Oboe, Violoncello, Piano, Percussion (variable), written for the Munich Biennale

Orchestra

Prospero’s Epilogue (2004)

for piano and orchestra, written for Salzburger Festspiele

humanized void (2003–2007)

for large orchestra, written for Bayerischer Rundfunk

Chamber Orchestra

Chorismos (1986/1987)

Medusa (1990–1992)

for oboe/English horn and chamber orchestra

Meta Medeian (1994)

serenade for strings

Kammersymphonie 1,2, & 3 (1993/94, 1997/99 & 2007)

Ensemble Works

 »il faut continuer« Requiem for Samuel Beckett (1990–92)

for chamber ensemble

Solitude-Sérénade (1997)

for piccolo oboe and ensemble

Angela Nova (1999/2000)

for soprano and ensemble

Todesmusik I & II (2001, “Music of Death”)

for ensemble

Chamber music

Krebs-Zyklus (1985, “Cancer Cycle”)

for violoncello and piano

Die Schlangen der Medusa (1991, „Medusa’s Snakes“)

for (4) clarinet(s)

Illuminations du brouillard (1992/1993)

for oboe and piano, written for the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts

Mon coeur mis à nu (1986/1996/1997)

for four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), written for the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts

Trio basso for viola, cello and double bass (1995)

resquiescant in pace (2000)

in memoriam victimarum christianitatis, for four players (violin, viola, violoncello and percussion), written for ensemble recherche

Hommage à Frank Cox (2006)

for three players (electric guitar, quarter-tone vibraphone and piano), written for ensemble asamisimasa

Solo Works

Monade (1985/1986)

for oboe

memor sum (1989)

for viola

Stheno und Euryale (1992)

for harp or for harp with a second, scordated harp

La terreur d’ange nouveau (1997–99)

for flute

deconstructing accordion (2000/2001)

for accordion, written for Südwestrundfunk

Beethoven-Kommentar (2004)

for piano

With Electronic Media

D.E.A.T.H (2001/2002)

for eight-track tape

W.A.S.T.E (2001/2002)

for oboe and live electronics

void – mal d’archive (2002/2003)

space and sound composition, for eight-track tape

Literature

Mahnkopf, Claus-Steffen, Veale Peter. The Techniques of Oboe Playing. A Compendium with Additional Remarks on the Oboe D’amore and Cor Anglais. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1994.

Since 1997 editor of the magazine Musik und Ästhetik. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.

Since 2002 editor of the book series New Music and Aesthetics in the 21st Century. Hofheim: Wolke-Verlag in collaboration with the Gesellschaft für Musik und Ästhetik

Editor of the study series sinefonia. Hofheim: Wolkeverlag.

Klein, Richard, Mahnkopf, Claus-Steffen. Mit den Ohren denken. Suhrkamp 1998.

Mahnkopf, Claus-Steffen. Kritische Theorie der Musik. Velbrück 2006.

Huber, Klaus, Mahnkopf, Claus-Steffen. Von Zeit zu Zeit. Hofheim: Wolke-Verlag 2009.