Wolfgang Mitterer (born 6 June 1958 in Lienz, East Tyrol) is an Austrian composer and musician (organ, keyboard).
Biography
Vertical Silence
Wolfgang Mitterer studied with Otto Bruckner in Graz in 1977, and then from 1978 to 1983 at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna he studied organ with Herbert Tachezi and composition with Heinrich Gattermeyer before working for a year at the studio for electroacoustic music (EMS) in Stockholm in 1983. This was followed by scholarships to Rome in 1988 and Berlin from 1995 to 1996. In 1991 Mitterer founded the Olongapo label.[1]
In addition Mitterer has appeared as an organist, interpreting works by Bach, Messiaen and Ligeti among others. He has played in off locations such as in a quarry and in a disused fortification complex in Tyrol. He has also been involved in the Donaueschingen Festival (Donaueschinger Musiktage), the steirischer herbst and the Darmstädter Ferienkurse (Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music). Alongside sound installations and numerous electronic collages Wolfgang Mitterer has also written chamber music, scenic works, also operas, a piano concerto and music for orchestra and organ. In addition he has worked on experimental films, radio plays and theatres, has written live accompaniments to silent movies, but also music for the shows of a fashion designer.
Wolfgang Mitterer works and composes in the field of collective improvisation music, plays the organ and electronic instruments. The space-relatedness, which he frequently emphasises in his titles, gave works such as "Waldmusik", "silbersandmusik", "Turmbau zu Babel", "horizontal noise", "vertical silence" and "Labyrinth 6–11" a particular character. Sometimes up to 4000 people worked on these; in addition many traditional sounds such as brass bands and choral societies were used. These projects ultimately emerged from Wolfgang Mitterer's recordings in the most diverse musical genres and through joint appearances with representatives of the DJ scene and concerts, also through reinterpretations of classical works from Bach, to Schubert.
Wolfgang Mitterer also works on scenic and dramatic productions, the texts of which he partly collects and adapts himself, such as in "Ka und der Pavian", based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead[2] and in "Massacre", based on religious murders from the 16th century after Christopher Marlowe or the lieder cycle "Im Sturm", based on the lieder of Franz Schubert. In 2004 his performance with dancers, Labyrinth for soprano and electronics, was performed at the Semper Depot of Vienna, by the group DANS.KIAS, choreographed by Saskia Hölbling, and Katia Plaschka, soprano.[3][4]
Limited edition; published on his own label, Olongapo
Grand jeu
Reluctant Games
Violettes Gras
Mimemata
Matador
Turmbau zu Babel
Call Boys Inc. II
Two Days till tomorrow
Dirty Tones
I.R.S.
Carbon Copy
Piber 2003
Literature (selection)
Lexicon entries
B. Günther, ed. (1997), Lexikon zeitgenössischr Musik aus Österreich (in German), Vienna, pp. 738–741{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Ch. Fastl; A. Rausch (2004), R. Flotzinger (ed.), "Mitterer, Familie", Österreichisches Musiklexikon (in German), vol. 3, Vienna, pp. 1453 f
M. Meller (2008), Ludwig Finscher (ed.), "Mitterer, Wolfgang", Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (in German), Kassel: 562–563
Other texts
R. Kager (1999), "W. Mitterers Ka und der Pavian : Klänge aus der Totenwelt", ÖMZ 54 (in German), pp. 40 f
H. de La Motte-Haber (1999), "Con affetto: Wolfgang Mitterer – Komponist, Improvisator, Orgelspieler", Positionen Nr. 38 (in German), pp. 11–13
M. Meller (1999), "Auf dünnem Pfad zur Explosion im Kopf : Der Musiker und Komponist Wolfgang Mitterer", Das Fenster Nr. 67 (in German), pp. 6356–6374
M. Meller (2003), "Largo Macabro – Wolfgang Mitterer", Neue Musik in Tirol – Sieben Positionen zeitgenössischen Komponierens (in German), Diploma thesis, Innsbruck, pp. 95–112
Wolfgang Stryi (2000), "Improvisation ist Nahrung für die Musik : Wolfgang Mitterer im Gespräch", MusikTexte Nr. 86/87 (in German), pp. 55 f
M. Ziegler (2001), Komponieren heisst, ein Feld bereiten : Wolfgang Mitterers Konzert für Klavier, Orchester und Electronics (in German), Freiburg im Üechtland{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Chr. Baier (2003), "Paris ist eine Oper wert: Zu Wolfgang Mitterers Oper "Massacre"", ÖMZ 58 (in German), pp. 5–9
R. Schulz, "Der Pluralismus in der Szene ist wichtig : Interview with Wolfgang Mitterer", Programmbuch Festival Klangspuren in Schwaz 2002 (in German), pp. 32–34
L. Unterweger (2004), W. Mitterer (ed.), Musik inszenieren: visuelle und räumlische Aspekte der Musik unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Raumkompositionen (in German), Diploma thesis, Vienna{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
M. Meller; W. Mitterer (2008), M. Fink; K. Drexel (eds.), "Porträt und Werkanalyse", Positionen zeitgenössischen Komponierens, Mg. Tirols (in German), vol. 3, Innsbruck
