(b. 7 June 1940, Gersfeld [Rhön] – d. 11 January 2019, Rimsting).

German composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, piano, and organ works that have been performed in the Americas and Europe.

Prof. Bieler studied composition with Franz Xaver Lehner and piano with Aldo Schoen and Friedrich Wührer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where he received his diploma in 1965–66.

Among his honours were the Kulturförderungspreis of the city of Nuremberg (1980), the Kulturpreis of the city of Bayreuth (1992) and the Friedrich-Baur-Preis for music of the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich (2008). His music has been performed in Austria, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, and the USA, including once at the Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek in Amsterdam and the ISCM World Music Days in Aarhus (1983).

He was also active in other positions. He founded the Ensemble Musica Viva in Bayreuth in 1980 and served as its artistic director, conductor and pianist.

He taught at the Universität Bayreuth from 1979–2004, where he was Professor für Musikpädagogik from 1988–2004.

His publisher is the Keturi Musikverlag.

SELECT LIST OF WORKS

STAGE:

Memorandum für eine Grabklingel (comic-macabre opera in 1 act, libretto by Friederike Kempner), soprano, bass, mixed chorus, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder), mandolin, double bass, piano, accordion, percussion, 1983

ORCHESTRAL:

Rondel, 8 flutes, orchestra, 1983

Konzentration und Ausbrüche (concerto), viola, orchestra, 1995

Musik für Orchester, 1996

Permutation, string orchestra, 1999

Introduktion und Fantasie über 'Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich', organ, percussion, orchestra, 2002 (version of chamber work)

Konzert, piano, orchestra, 2008

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Con – tra – con, clarinet, harpsichord, 1971

Quick fingers, transverse flute, harpsichord, 1973 (also versions for flute/percussion, harpsichord, 1973; percussion, 1973)

Treffpunkte, harpsichord, percussion, 1973

Musik für Fünf, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1974

Bewegung und Ruhe, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1975

Wellenschläge, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder, tenor recorder, bass recorder), tenor viol, harpsichord, 1976 (also version as Ornamente, transverse flute, violin, cello, harpsichord, 1983)

Zwischen Zeit und Raum (sonata), clarinet, piano, percussion, fixed media, 1976

Passacaglia, any melody instrument/any 2 melody instruments, piano, fixed media, 1977 (also version for any melody instrument, fixed media, 1977)

Fantasia, flute (+ clarinet), piano, percussion, fixed media/live electronics, 1977 (also version for fixed media)

Capriccio, soprano recorder, alto recorder (+ transverse flute), harpsichord, 1977–78

Zyklus, guitar, percussion, 1978

Klänge und Figuren, piano, organ, 1979 (also versions for piano, fixed media, 1980; 2 pianos, 2 percussion, 1983)

Konzert, flute, cello, ensemble (clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, 2 percussion), 1979

Pièce, flute (+ alto flute), 1981

Mouvements, flute (+ alto flute, bass flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), 1982

Reprisen, alto saxophone, piano, percussion, 1982

Blöcke und Risse, piano, percussion, 1983

Sounding Colours, 4 saxophones, 1985

Wie ein dünner Schleier, flute/alto flute, 1986

Fantasie, alto saxophone, organ, 1987

Duo, clarinet, cello, 1989 (also versions for flute/alto flute/bass flute, piano, 1989; flute/alto flute/bass flute, organ, 1989; alto flute, cello, 1990; viola, cello, 1990–91)

Stille Musik, contrabass flute, basset horn, 1990

Trio, French horn, violin, piano, 1991

Introduktion und Fantasie über 'Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich', organ, percussion, 1993 (also version for organ, percussion, orchestra)

Bläserquintett II, 'Helle Nachtgedanken', flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1993

Antwort auf Reger, A-clarinet, string quartet, 1993

Abbrüche, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute/contrabass flute), piano, percussion, 1995

Klangwandlungen, contrabass flute, fixed media, 1995 (also versions for tenor recorder, bass recorder, fixed media, 1995; bass flute, fixed media, 1995)

Lyrik und Bewegung, string quartet, 1996

Szenen, 3 guitars, 1996

Epitaph – Gedanken an Reger, alto flute, piano, 1997

Szenen, oboe, bassoon, guitar, viola, 1997

Korrespondenz, flute, clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1998

Rhapsodie, violin, piano, 2000

Intermezzi, French horn, ensemble (violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion), 2000

Bewegte Flächen, French horn, organ, 2002

TOP-Trio, trumpet, organ, percussion, 2004

Herbstmusik, cello, piano, 2005

Exkursion, 4 percussion, 2006

Impulse, 12 saxophones, percussion, 2007

Variabile, flute, violin, cello, piano, 2008

CHORAL:

Miserere Domine (mass), alto, baritone, speaker, mixed chorus, flute, oboe, bass trombone, 2 organs (both + positive organ, electronic organ), 2 percussion, string orchestra, 1984–85

Psalmgesänge (texts from Psalm 90, Psalm 88, Psalm 103, Psalm 104 [German translations]), mixed chorus, organ, 1988–91

Oratio (text from the Bible), baritone, mixed chorus, transverse flute, organ, 1993

Bewahre uns Gott (text by Eugen Eckert), mixed chorus, organ, 1998

VOCAL:

...et in terra pax? (text by Jochen Lobe), soprano, speaker, flute, harpsichord, percussion, 1972

Polymerie I (vocalise), soprano, flute, violin, piano, percussion, 1972

Stimme über den Saiten (vocalise), soprano, clavichord/harpsichord, 1973 (also version for soprano, violin, clavichord/harpsichord, fixed media, live electronics, 1974)

Musicienne du silence (text by Stéphane Mallarmé), soprano, transverse flute, kantele (psaltery from Finland)/guitar, synthesizer, fixed media, 1975 (also version for soprano, bass flute, piano/synthesizer, vibraphone, fixed media, 1980)

Der Ackermann aus Böhmen (text by Dietrich W. Hübsch, after Johannes von Tepl), female voice–speaker, alto, baritone, 2 speakers, organ, synthesizer, percussion, fixed media, 1977, revised 1982 (also version for 2 speakers, organ, synthesizer, percussion, fixed media, 1978)

Sei stille, meine Seele (text from Psalm 62 [German translation]), voice, flute, violin, organ, fixed media, 1977

Polymerie II (vocalise), soprano, transverse flute, piano, percussion, 1980

Cet amour (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, guitar, percussion, 1980

Poème (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, flute, piano, percussion, 1981

Poème d'amour (text by Wiltrud Schuster), soprano, piano, 1983

Vier Gesänge nach Gedichten des bengalischen Vischnuiten Vidyapati (text by Vidyapati), soprano, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass flute), piano, percussion, 1990–91

Credo in unum deum (text by Wiltrud Schuster, after the Credo), alto, baritone, cello, organ, percussion, 1994

Zwei Gesänge nach Rainer Maria Rilke (text by Rainer Maria Rilke), mezzo-soprano, French horn, piano, 2003

Der Tod ist uns durch's Fenster gestiegen (elegy, texts by Matthias Claudius, Christine Busta, the Song of Solomon), baritone, flute, clarinet (+ alto saxophone), violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 2003

Im Schatten des Kreuzes, mezzo-soprano, baritone, clarinet, violin/flute, organ, percussion, brass band, 2007

PIANO:

Esothén, 1971–72

Schemen und Gestalten, 1977 (also version for piano, fixed media, 1984–85)

...den Klängen nachhören, 1981

Wie rasche Bewegung langsamer wird und versiegt, 1981

Konturen, 1984

Kontraste, 1988 (version of work for harpsichord)

Drei Präludien, 1988

Sieben Stücke für Sieben Frauen, 2003

Drei Stücke für Drei Frauen, 2005

ORGAN:

Musik aus dem Dunkel, organ, fixed media, 1975 (also version of first movement as Musik aus dem Dunkel, fixed media)

Metamorphosen, 1992

Choralmeditation über 'Der du die Zeit in Händen hast', 1993

Choralvorspiel zu 'Der du die Zeit in Händen hast', 1993

Choralmeditation über 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland', 1993

Choralvorspiel zu 'Jesu, Deine Passion', 1993

HARPSICHORD:

Kontraste, 1969 (also version for piano)

Dialog, 2 harpsichords, 1971

Meditation über Debussys Prélude 'Canope', 2 harpsichords (both + piano), 1979–80

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Musik aus dem Dunkel, fixed media, 1976 (version of first movement of work for organ, fixed media)

Fantasia, fixed media, 1977 (version of chamber work)