Uncommon Concertos

Featuring

Hanspeter Oggier
Kaspar Zehnder
Martin Frutiger
Filharmonie Hradec Králové
Fabian Müller

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Instruments

The heckelphone, featured on this album, is a little-known instrument with only about one hundred existing worldwide, primarily used in large opera houses for works by Richard Strauss and Hans Werner Henze.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Fabian Müller, the composer, has always been drawn to writing for unusual instruments and combinations, as evidenced by his concertante works for vibraphone, saxophone, and even snare drum.

Performer Biography

Hanspeter Oggier, the pan flute player, was the first pan flutist ever to be fully admitted to a Swiss college of music, completing his studies at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Instruments

The heckelphone was developed by German instrument maker Wilhelm Heckel at the request of Richard Wagner, who wanted a woodwind instrument combining the oboe's lyrical timbre with the power of an alphorn.

Compositional Technique

The title 'Taranis' refers to the Celtic god of the sky, weather, and thunder, chosen by Fabian Müller to reflect the powerful sound masses and dramatic, mystical atmosphere of the piece.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Fabian Müller's work 'Taranis' is part of a series he calls 'alpine music,' inspired by the alpine nature of Grindelwald, Switzerland, where he spent his childhood holidays.

Composition History

Fabian Müller's Concerto for Heckelphone and Orchestra was composed in spring 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the concert business was halted, allowing him time to fulfill a long-held wish.