Compositions

Astoriana (2001) 16'
Guitar duo, three parts in two mouvements
Premiere 9.3.2002 Bellinzona, Gruber&Maklar​
digital album Wulfin Lieske | Piano Works 2017

In autumn 2000, working on a duo concept for Gruber & Maklar, I was preoccupied with the question of how brilliant guitar music can be created while at the same time reflecting part of a typical guitar repertoire.
I decided to pay tribute to a venerable master, who - alongside Heitor Villa-Lobos and Léo Brouwer - ranks among the greats of guitar music: Astor Piazzolla. His music, in countless transcriptions and some original compositions, figures prominently on guitar and other recital programmes (my own included). His high charismatic recall level derives already from small rhythmic-harmonic motifs and runs through the majority of his works - and in this respect he is very much related to Antonio Vivaldi, whom he rivals in popularity.
These very characteristic expressions - we might say “Piazzollarisms” - tempted me to compose a work of my own, based on ‘clichés’ from his music, though not necessarily appropriations.
Astoriana is structured in movements; Inventio accentuato - Chiaccona metamorphica - Allegro fugitivo.
Beyond the obvious presence of Piazzollarisms, each movement also contains a specific thematic reference to one of his compositions.