Daniel Hensel

Daniel Hensel (born 17 April 1978 in Buedingen) is a German composer and musicologist.

Life and work

Hensel began his studies of composition in 1995 as a student of the Austrian composer Gerhard Schedl at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium. From 1999 he studied composition with Heinz Winbeck in Würzburg, from 2003 with Manfred Trojahn in Düsseldorf. He graduated there with distinction in 2004. In 2004 he did post graduated studies with Michael Obst at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt", Weimar. From 2005 until 2008 he studied composition in Heinz Winbeck's masterclass. In 2009 Hensel began to study musicology with Peter Ackermann, the dissertation on music of Gerhard Schedl. Hensel passed the doctorate with "magna cum laude" on 13 July 2011.

Hensel's music was played by artists such as Carin Levine and Markus Bellheim, the Ensemble Modern, the Staatsorchester Stuttgart and conductors such as Manfred Honeck.

In 2007 his piece "Refexions for orchestra" was the official German musical-contribution of the handover of the EU-council presidency from Germany to Portugal. The piece was played by the young sound forum of central Europe and was conducted by Sebastian Weigle. In 2008 Manfred Honeck conducted Hensels "Chant of consecrated life" op. 18 as an "ouverture" to the 2. Symphony of Gustav Mahler. In the program of the concert, the Austrian musicologist Dr. Christian Heindl said: "[...]It might not be mistaken, to see Hensel, who is a regular member of the German and the Austrian composers association as well, in a thread of a tradition leading from Schubert via Mahler to Hensel´s teacher Schedl in presence.[...]“ In 2009 Hensel´s arrangements of the 45th Symphony by Joseph Haydn and the 8th Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven were played by the Young Euro Classic-China-Festivalorchestra and conducted by Muhai Tang in various Chinese cities like Shangai and Tianjin. His string sixtet "Klaerchen´s Song" op.20 had it´s W.P. by the Ensemble Modern under Jonathan Stockhammer and was played again by the Austrian ensemble lux in the Arnold Schönberg Center Vienna in December 2010.

With this piece began the cooperation with the Austrian music-publishing company Musikverlag Doblinger. The musicologist Hensel started the cooperation with the publishing-company ibidem-Verlag in 2011:

In April 2011 Hensel published a book concerning music and life of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach which was very friendly criticized by Thomas Daniel Schlee and Zsolt Gárdonyi. In September 2011 he published a book concerning the music of Gerhard Schedl.

Hensel is a member of the German composers association, the Austrian composers association, the Austrian society of contemporary music and the GEMA.

Works

Op.16 Reflexions for orchestra composed for the Festival: Europe, the blue star. 2222\433\Timp\Hrp\ Strings 10\8\6\4\2 Junges Klangforum Mitte Europa, Sebastian Weigle

Op.17 Concerto for piano and orchestra 2222\2\2\2\1\Timp\2Perc.\Hf\Cel\ Strings 10\8\6\4\2 WP.:06.10.08 08:00 p.m., Hochschule fuer Musik Wuerzburg

Op.18 "Chant of consecrated life", for big orchestra, on behalf of the state opera Stuttgart, dedicated to Prof. Heinz Winbeck, WP.: 12.07.08, Stuttgart, Liederhalle, state orchestra of Stuttgart, Manfred Honeck, Conductor

Op.19 "The Young Maidservant" after poems by Georg Trakl, for Flute, Clarinet and Stringquartet WP.:02.07.10 Francfort and 02.09.10 Darmstadt, Germany, by ensemble Darmstadt, Marko Zdralek

Op.20 Stringsextet "Klärchen´s Song", dedicated to Mr. Dr. Dieter Rexroth, W.P. 11.07.09, Alte Brüderkirche Kassel, by Ensemble Modern and Jonathan Stockhammer available at Musikverlag Doblinger, Vienna

Op.21 "Echoes and chants from the interior", dedicated to Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne

Op.22 „Fleur du mal“, a dramatic aria for Tenor and big orchestra, dedicated to maestro Manfred Honeck

Publications

• Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. Epigone oder Originalgenie, verquere Erscheinung oder großer Komponist?, Stuttgart: ibidem 2011, ISBN 978-3-8382-0178-8

• Von der Einheit in der Vielfalt oder der Lust am Subjektiven: Die Musik Gerhard Schedls, dargestellt an seiner Instrumentalmusik, Stuttgart: ibidem 2011, ISBN 978-3-8382-0278-5

External links

• Literature by and about Daniel Hensel in the German National Library catalogue
• Daniel Hensel website (German)
• Hensel Musikverlag Doblinger (German)
• Daniel Hensel young sound forum of central europe
• Hensel, Daniel German composers association (German)
• Daniel Hensel music information center austria (German)
• Daniel Hensel Klassika (German)
• Hensel, Daniel / Wilhelm Friedemann Bach / Epigone oder Originalgenie, verquere Erscheinung oder großer Komponist? ibidem publishing company
• Hensel, Daniel / Die Musik Gerhard Schedls, von der Einheit in der Vielfalt und der Lust am Subjektiven. musicology online by School of Music, Indiana University