This piano music contains diaries, sketches, cartoons, internal protocols, bad dreams, alleged awakenings, illusions and disillusionments, i.e.: aspects of an existence that has been quite trusting, but also insecure - represented and recorded by sound, concentration, reduction to the supposedly essential.
The first CAPRICCETTI cycle revolves around the turn of the year 1987/88, drafts snapshots of my life when I was studying in Lübeck at the time, right on the border with what was then the GDR. The second cycle came about in spurts between 2014 and 2017. Allusions and impulses became (as if of their own accord) larger processes and abysses. Once (in the sixth piece) I briefly involve phrases from a diary entry by Sibelius of April 21, 1915, in which he put into words the pictorial signal for the final theme of his Fifth Symphony: "Today ten to eleven saw 16 swans...". At that time, Sibelius lived in his native Finnish "splendid isolation" far away from the First World War.
TRAUMA UND BACKBONE shorthand abuse of power, breach of trust, sexual assault. This piece is dedicated to Shoko Kuroe and the #Metoo movement. The worldwide perception of this movement has torn away many veils of silence, it strengthens democratic consciousness and exposes patriarchal exploitation of power as a "curse of ridicule" (see Wedekind's fourth picture in his drama "Musik"). The injustice that damages everyone – women, children, men – and violates our basic rights is revealed.
Jan Müller-Wieland
Incredibly poetic music that gets under your skin. The works of Jan Müller-Wieland radiate life-affirming optimism and testify to basic trust in the good in people. When I first got to know his CAPRICCETTI I got goosebumps and the fascination grew the more intensively I dealt with his tonal language. I am very grateful to him for TRAUMA UND BACKGRAT that he created a work that hits the mark and artistically meets the subject with a lot of warmth and strength. The piano works are also extremely innovative in terms of pianism and show what is still possible with classical playing techniques.
Shoko Kuroe
Program
Jan Müller-Wieland (* 1966)
TRAUMA AND BACKBONE for piano (2021) 12:35
Dedicated to Shoko Kuroe and the #MeToo movement
[01] I. The elephant in the piano room (brutal) 02:58
[02] II. Field and bush radio (peppy, friendly, mendacious), attacca 01:53
[03] III. Shock, attacca 00:55
[04] IV. Attempts to walk (molto cantabile) 03:26
[05] V. Resistance I (collecting, stormy fearless) 01:35
[06] VI. Setback and resistance II (l'istesso tempo, corrente) 01:48
CAPRICCETTI (1st cycle) for piano (1987/88) 10:31
Dedicated to Peter Roggenkamp
[07] I. giocoso 00:39
[08] II.leggero 00:50
[09] III. tranquillo 02:12
[10] IV. gracefully 01:08
[11] V. furioso 00:43
[12] VI. maestoso con eleganza 01:28
[13] VII. con sentimento 01:56
[14] VIII. spontaneously 01:35
CAPRICCETTI (2st cycle) for piano (2014/17) 29:53
[15] I. dreamy 11:01
[16] II. molto sotto voce, come on! 01:45
[17] III. – 00:49
[18] IV. semper a tempo, molto preciso 03:12
[19] V. intimate 07:23
[20] VI. discreet, but playing off, but not too fast 05:43
Total playing time: 53:02
Shoko Kuroe, piano
first recordings