The Bläservereinigung Berlin, founded in 1966 by six musicians from major Berlin orchestras, was the first ensemble in the GDR to focus intensively on new music.
Composer Biography
In 1982, Georg Katzer founded the Studio for Electroacoustic Music at the Academy of Arts of the GDR, serving as its Artistic Director until 2005.
Composer Biography
Georg Katzer, born in 1935, studied composition in East Berlin and Prague, and was a Master's student under Hanns Eisler at the Academy of Arts of the GDR.
Historical Context
After the fall of communism in 1989, funding for chamber music and new compositions in the former GDR ceased, leading to the dissolution of ensembles like the Bläservereinigung Berlin.
Composition History
The texts for all four works on this CD are inspired by Julien Offray de La Mettrie's 1748 radical pamphlet, L'homme machine (Man a Machine), which advocated for the French Enlightenment.
Performer Biography
Matthias Bauer, a Berlin-based double bass player, improviser, and composer, specializes in contemporary music and has performed a large repertoire of solo compositions for his instrument.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Georg Katzer's all-encompassing, humanism-shaped worldview interprets humanity as a holistic being, influencing his artistic and often emotional approach to the 'Man and Machine' theme.
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