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Albert Schnelzer (1972-    )

Albert Schnelzergrew up in the Värmland region of Sweden. He studied at the Malmö Academy of Music between 1994-2000 and received a postgraduate diploma from the Royal College of Music in London. Among his teachers were Sven-David Sandström, Julian Anderson, and Rolf Martinsson. He has also studied conducting with John Carewe, Gunnar Staern, and Lars Jensen.  Schnelzer got a flying start when he won the competition Morgondagens Tonsättare (Tomorrow’s Composers) in 1998 with the orchestral work Erupto, premièred by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has written works for many Swedish and foreign ensembles and musicians. "My music is fundamentally 'Romantic', but often has a strong rhythmic drive. For the past few years, I have worked extensively with rhythmical unpredictability, where chance has also been allowed to govern other musical elements." Schnelzer’s music is outgoing and openly communicative, sometimes even dance-like, to which his many works with the word "dance" in the title bear witness. The first of this suite of works, Dance with the Devil for piano, he himself has called "a cross between Franz Liszt and Iron Maiden". This also says much about his tastes and what is channeled in his music. One can also add to these ingredients folk music, which the Balkan influenced Limpin’ Dances for accordion, cello, and piano shows. In an attempt to partially summarize many different elements, one might perhaps speak of a sort of expanded minimalism. It is tonally anchored music, and side by side with his taste for repetition and a "riffing" that suggests rock influences, one can discern almost dreamy elements in the calmer, more lyrically expressive moments in his music.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Schnelzer Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~  `Schnelzer on Schnelzer
Sekunderm, violin, clarinet and piano (1996)
Konsert, violin, marimba and wind quintet (1997)
Preludium & Fuga, 3 percussionists, decidous forest, lamp-post, waste-paper basket and latrin barrel (1997)
Erupto, orchestra (1998)
Driv, flute, bassoon and piano (1998) [also for fl, bass cl & piano; cl, bsn & piano; cl, bass cl & piano]
Academic Millennium Overture, chorus and orchestra (1999)
Four Scenes, bassoon and piano (1999)
Solitude, violin (1999) [also for solo cello]
Two Miniatures, flute, cello and guitar (2000)
Village Music, recorder quartet (2000)
Waves, brass ensemble (2000)
Dance with the Devil, piano (2000)
Dance Ecstatic, string orchestra (2001)
Räggler å Paschaser - En Körsvit På Mål, 8-part chorus (2001)
Raindance, violin, clarinet, cello and piano (2001)
Limpin' Dances, cello, accordeon and piano (2001)
Scene II, bassoon and piano (2001) [also for bassoon and guitar]
Scene II, cello and piano (2001) [also for cello and guitar]
Dance of the Fairies, cello and piano (2002) [also for violin and piano]
Frozen Landscape, cello and piano (2002) [also for violin and piano]
Wolfgang Is Dancing!, violin, clarinet and cello (2002)
Thunderdance, percussion duo (2002)
Itaka, soprano, violin and piano (2002)
Predatory Dances, violin, cello and piano (2003)
Apollonian Dances, violin and piano (2003)
Water Dance, piano (2003)
Spheres, violin and guitar (2004)
Lamento - for the Naughty Children Under the Second Umbrella, violin, clarinet, cello and prepared piano (2004)
Requiem, soprano and piano (2004)
Just a Straw-Stuffed Puppet, This Modern Hero!, saxophone quartet (2005)
Symphony No. 1, "Azraeel, orchestra (2006)
Bassoon Concerto No. 1, "Auroral Dances, bassoon and orchestra (2006)
The Poetry of Madness, organ and cello (2006)
A Freak in Burbank, orchestra (2007)
Azraeel Suite, wind orchestra (2008)
String Quartet No. 1, "The Devil in the Belfry" (2008)
Oboe Concerto, "The Enchanter" (2009)
String Quartet No. 2, "Emperor Akbar" (2009)
Emperor Akbar, string orchestra (2009/2010)
Con Forza, brass quintet (2010)
Cello Concerto (2010, in progress)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Schnelzer Links    ~ ~ ~  `Schnelzer on Schnelzer     ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Erupto, orchestra (1998)
Dance Ecstatic, string orchestra (2001)
Symphony No. 1, "Azraeel, orchestra (2006)
A Freak in Burbank, orchestra (2007)
Emperor Akbar, string orchestra (2009/2010)

Band
Azraeel Suite, wind orchestra (2008)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Bassoon Concerto No. 1, "Auroral Dances, bassoon and orchestra (2006)
Oboe Concerto, "The Enchanter" (2009)
Cello Concerto (2010, in progress)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Academic Millennium Overture, chorus and orchestra (1999)

Choral
Räggler å Paschaser - En Körsvit På Mål, 8-part chorus (2001)

Chamber
Sekunderm, violin, clarinet and piano (1996)
Konsert, violin, marimba and wind quintet (1997)
Preludium & Fuga, 3 percussionists, decidous forest, lamp-post, waste-paper basket and latrin barrel (1997)
Driv, flute, bassoon and piano (1998) [also for fl, bass cl & piano; cl, bsn & piano; cl, bass cl & piano]
Four Scenes, bassoon and piano (1999)
Two Miniatures, flute, cello and guitar (2000)
Village Music, recorder quartet (2000)
Waves, brass ensemble (2000)
Raindance, violin, clarinet, cello and piano (2001)
Limpin' Dances, cello, accordeon and piano (2001)
Scene II, bassoon and piano (2001) [also for bassoon and guitar]
Scene II, cello and piano (2001) [also for cello and guitar]
Dance of the Fairies, cello and piano (2002) [also for violin and piano]
Frozen Landscape, cello and piano (2002) [also for violin and piano]
Wolfgang Is Dancing!, violin, clarinet and cello (2002)
Thunderdance, percussion duo (2002)
Predatory Dances, violin, cello and piano (2003)
Apollonian Dances, violin and piano (2003)
Spheres, violin and guitar (2004)
Lamento - for the Naughty Children Under the Second Umbrella, violin, clarinet, cello and prepared piano (2004)
Just a Straw-Stuffed Puppet, This Modern Hero!, saxophone quartet (2005)
The Poetry of Madness, organ and cello (2006)
String Quartet No. 1, "The Devil in the Belfry" (2008)
String Quartet No. 2, "Emperor Akbar" (2009)
Con Forza, brass quintet (2010)

Solo Instrument
Solitude, violin (1999) [also for solo cello]

Piano
Dance with the Devil, piano (2000)
Water Dance, piano (2003)

Vocal
Itaka, soprano, violin and piano (2002)
Requiem, soprano and piano (2004)


SCHNELZER  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre     ~ ~ ~  `Schnelzer on Schnelzer     ~ top of page ~

Composer's website        . . . contact Albert Schnelzer: contact@albertschnelzer.se

Schnelzer @ Wikipedia
Schnelzer @ Answers.com
Schnelzer @ Daphne
Schnelzer @ Dilettante Music
Schnelzer @ Facebook
Schnelzer @ Gavin Dixon
Schnelzer @ Gehrmans Musikförlag
Schnelzer @ InstantEncore
Schnelzer @ LinkedIn
Schnelzer @ MusicWeb International
Schnelzer @ Naxos
Schnelzer @ Nordic Music Days 2010
Schnelzer @ Swedish Performing Rights Society

Publisher
Schnelzer @ Composer website/publisher listings
Schnelzer @ Edition Suecia c/o Svensk Music (Swedish Music Information Centre)
Schnelzer @ Gehrmans Musikförlag (through Boosey & Hawkes)
Schnelzer @ Svensk Musik/Swedish Music Information Centre

Streaming Audio
Schnelzer  @ Composer's website
Schnelzer @ last.fm

Recordings
Schnelzer @ Composer's website
Schnelzer @ ArkivMusic
Schnelzer @ ClassicsOnline
Schnelzer @ Daphne

Video
Schnelzer @ YouTube
Schnelzer @ Google Video
Schnelzer @ Vimeo

                                                                                                                                                                                 ~ top of page ~
Schnelzer on Schnelzer: On Composing (VIDEO)

Albert Schnelzer from Sine Tofte Hannibal on Vimeo.