Ulrich Stranz (10 May 1946 – 27 April 2004) was a German teacher and composer.[1]
Life
Born in Neumarkt-Sankt Veit, Upper Bavaria,[2] Stranz grew up in Munich, obtaining the Abitur at the Musisches Gymnasium in 1966.[2] He studied composition with Fritz Büchtger from 1965 to 1968, who taught him music theory, forming of melodies (Melodiebildung), counterpoint, and a twelve tone system with esoteric and anthroposophical background.[3] He studied at the Musikhochschule München from 1968 to 1972, violin with Heinz Endres, and Günter Bialas.[2] Bialas initiated a series Musik der Zeit (Contemporary music), which gave Stranz the opportunity of public performances.[3]
Stranz spent two years at the electronic studio in Utrecht, by the German Academic Exchange Service. In 1974, he settled in Zürich, where he worked as a teacher and composer. In 1980/81, he spent half a year on a scholarship at the Villa Massimo in Rome.[2] Stranz died in Zürich shortly before his 58th birthday of cancer. He was buried at the Fluntern Cemetery.
Stranz developed his own musical style during his studies with Bialas.[3] His compositions focus on single tones and single phrases, aiming for a combination of inspiration and construction. He used this intimate approach (Innigkeit dieses Ansatzes) in the orchestral works Tachys (1974), Zeitbiegung (1977), Szenen Nr. 1–3 (three scenes, 1980/82), in his first symphony subtitled Grande Ballade for saxophone quartet and large orchestra, and in two works for piano and orchestra (1978/82 and 1992).[4]
1974 Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart (for Tachys;[6] Musik für zwei Violoncelli und Orchester (1999/2000) together with Horst Lohse, Wolfgang Rihm and Manfred Trojahn)
Thomas Gartmann: Stranz, Ulrich. In Wilhelm Ziehr (Red.): Schweizer Lexikon in 6 Bänden. Volume 6, Verlag Schweizer Lexikon, Lucerne 1993, ISBN3-9520144-0-0, p. 120.