Vladimír Hirsch

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Vladimír Hirsch


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Background = non_performing_personnel
Birth_name = Vladimír Otakar Hirsch
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Born = birth date|1954|7|3|mf=y
Benešov u Prahy, Czechia
Origin = Czech
Instrument = pianiast, organist, keyboard player, vocalist
Genre = dark ambient, contemporary classical
Occupation = Composer, instrumentalist, songwriter
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Label = Ars Benevola Mater
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URL = http://www.vladimirhirsch.com

Vladimír Hirsch (born July 3, 1954 in Benešov, former Czechoslovakia, today Czech Republic) is a composer of new forms of contemporary classical music, instrumentalist (keyboard player) and sound alchemist. His compositional style is characterized by polymodality and above all by substantial role of new sonic properties of instrumentation created by force of digital technique, called by him "integrated" musical (dark ambient classical) form. The work of Vladimir Hirsch represent not only solo projects (symphonies, suites, concertos, etc.), but even his activities in several musical formations - he is founder and leader of ensembles of progressive sympho-industrial and dark ambient music Skrol and Aghiatrias and member of Czech-American project Luminar Ax.

Biography

Vladimír Hirsch has been composing since 1976, when, as pianist and organ player, he started to compose small romantic and classicist compositions for these instruments. Soon, though, he abandons these compositions for a longer period and takes up experimental rock and jazz music up to 1986. He was a member (keyboard player and vocalist) of experimental post-punk group Der Marabu (1986-95). In 1987 he decided to focus on classical musical form as well, nevertheless with an attempt to enhance the action potential by modern means of expression and by searching for specific processes. He attempts to resume the tradition of 20th century Czech music and draws inspiration from first Leoš Janáček, later also Miloslav Kabeláč, but eventually attains his own clear-cut position both in tone creative principles as in composition style and opinion on orchestration and the role of not quite musical components in it. Vladimír Hirsch's music is a kind of extrapolation of the combination of contemporary classical music, (where was initially also inspired by Giacinto Scelsi or György Ligeti) on the one side and dark ambient, industrial and noise components on the other side, which, through mutual infiltration by basic theses and antitheses, brought to life as a fully homogenous structure. Compositions are based on grasping both ways in a manner, which would allow them to partake of each other’s principal formal attributes, both on the basis of violent confrontation and of mutual empathy, which should lead to a unification of seemingly irreconcilable worlds. This happens with the help of musical symbolism of their transsubstantiation into a single, indivisible essence, which act represents the metaphora and philosopical principle of Hirsch's “integrated” musical form.

Most important solo works

* "Synthetics - Themes", op.17, experimental project, DMA (CD), 1987
* "Symphony no.1 in E", Op.20; symphony for synthesizers. 1988-1989. DMA (CD)
* "Organ Pieces"; organ composition complet, DMA (MC), 1990
* "7 Parts Of Desolation", op.29; piano cycle, 1986-1991, DMA (MC)
* "Intermezza", op.37; piano compositions, 1995
* "Simplicity Of Heresy", op.37; suite for integrated ensemble, 1996, CatchArrow Recordings (MC), 1996
* "Musik für die Metamorphose", op.45; scenic music for stage addaptation of Franz Kafka story „The Metamorphosis“, 1997.
* "Symphony no.2 „Defensa“", op.47; symphony for integrated orchestra, 1997, released 2006 by Ars Benevola Mater
* "Concert industriel pour orgue", op.49; concerto for organ, percussions and integrated ensemble, 1997. organ: Vladimír Hirsch. Released 2006 by Ars Benevola Mater
* "Casual Crime", op.51; new arrangemnts of jazz compositions 1977-1979, rev. 1998. CatchArrow Recordings (CD)
* "Symphony no.3 „Brands Of Tyranny", op.52; symphony for integrated orchestra, organ, percussions and mezzosoprano, 1999. organ: Vladimír Hirsch, mezzosoprano: Martina Sanollová. Released 2006 by Ars Benevola Mater.
* "Divertimento nos. 1 and 2, Hymnus no. 2"; orchestral compositions, 1997-1999. CatchArrow Recordings (MC)
* "Sense Geometry", op.54; experimental thematic opus, 1998-1999, revised 2004; released 2006 by Ars Benevola Mater.
* "Dances & Marches", op.57; suite for organ, piano and orchestra, 1999, CatchArrow Recordings (MC)
* "Exorcisms", op.61; suite for integrated ensemble, 1999-2000, rev. 2005; Ars Benevola Mater.
* "Symphony no.4, “Snímání z kříže” (Descent From The Cross)", op.67; symphony for integrated orchestra, soloists and choir; 2001, rev. 2005, Ars Benevola Mater.
* "Phragments, thèmes et images scéniques", scenic music survey 1989-2002, CatchArrow Recordings (2 CD)
* "De regionibus liminis", op.68, experimental work; 2003, CatchArrow Recordings (CD)
* "Les scènes ardentes", op.72; conceptual album, 2004; Ars Benevola mater
* "Nonterra", op.73; suite for integrated ensemble, 2005; Ars Benevola Mater
* "Contemplatio per nexus", op.77; extensive composition on the theme of "Teologia spiritualis mystica", 2008;
* "The Assent To Paradoxon", box set of 7 compact discs with revised versions of "Sense Geometry", "Concert industriel pour orgue", "Symphony no. 2 and 3", "Nonterra", "Symphony no. 4", "Les Scenes ardentes" and "Exorcisms" released by Italian label Ars Benevola Mater.
* "Torment Of Naissance", op.79, suite for integrated ensemble, 2007
* "Tobruk", op.82, conceptualalbum, originally soundtrack to the movie with the same name, 2008

Conjoint projects and cooperations

* Aghiatrias: "Field Mass", CatchArrow Recordings, Czech Republic, CD, 2000
* Aghiatrias: "Epidaemia Vanitatis", Integrated Music Records, Czech Republic, CD, 2002
* Aghiatrias: "Regions Of Limen", Epidemie Records, CD, 2004
* Aghiatrias: "Ethos", Epidemie Records, CD, 2006
* Skrol: "The Fall Verified", CatchArrow Recordings, CD, 1998
* Skrol: "Martyria", Power & Steel, vinyl, 1999
* Skrol: "Heretical Antiphony", M.D.Propaganda, Germany, CD, 1999
* Skrol: "Insomnia Dei", RRRecords, USA, CD, 2002
* Skrol: "Dances And Marches For The Orphan Age", Dagaz Music, Portugal, CD, 2005
* Skrol: "Aegis", CatchArrow Recordings, CD, 1998
* Zygote: "Geometrie nevědomí", Integrated Music Records, CD, 2000
* Luminar Ax: "Optem Spectris", CatchArrow Recordings, CD, 2007
* Vladimír Hirsch vs. Kenji Siratori: "Epidemic Mind", CD, 2008

References

* http://www.classical-composers.org
* http://www.vladimirhirsch.com
* http://www.arsbenevolamater.com/releases
* http://www.last.fm/music/Vladim%C3%ADr+Hirsch
* http://www.myspace.com/hirschvladimir
* http://www.discogs.com/artist/Vladim%EDr+Hirsch
* http://pragueindustrial.org/profiles.htm
* http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=20352&show=25&st ...