Paul Friedrich Frick

Born 1979 in Berlin. I have studied composition at Universität der Künste Berlin with Friedrich Goldmann. You may check the blog for more detailed biographical information and a list of works. HAVE A BREAK and listen to some of my chamber music works on this page. The choice of pieces may illustrate to some extent the evolution of my musical thinking during the last few years.
Let me also mention the names of the great musicians who played on these recordings. "Destroy Erase Improve" was performed live at Berlinische Galerie in 2007 by Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir (harp) and Matthias Engler (percussion, loop station and slide projector), founding members of the ensemble adapter; visual part - the slides - by Aron Kitzig and Harry Weber unfortunately missing here... "Metal Zone" was played in 2007 at HfM Hanns Eisler Berlin by members of the Ensemble Klangexekutive: Johannes Wache (horn), Zydrune Stonyte (viola), Jessie Marino (violoncello), Beltane Ruíz (double bass). "Verdorbene Fische" was performed in 2006 at Akademie der Künste Berlin by Matthias Engler (drumset with a snare sample pad and marimba). "Ya Está!" was recorded live at Stadtgalerie Saarbrücken in 2004 by the Ensemble Est!Est!!Est!!!: Kersten McCall (flute), Markus Schön (clarinet), Felix Borel (violin), Tim Ströble (violoncello), Michael Gärtner (percussion) and Oliver McCall (piano). The "Oktett" is an extract of the CD "Est!Est!!Est!!!2" and was recorded in 2003 at Saarländischer Rundfunk by the same musicians plus Sascha Armbruster (saxophone), Marko Brdnik (accordion) and Veronika Papai (double bass). The CD has been published by perc.pro (www.perc-pro.com).
In my pieces musicians often have to bear being treated like machines, as the horn player in "Metal Zone". That is related to my search for a decisive and naked way of making music, which includes showing its own failure and attempting to turn it into something else. Mere virtuoso music shows me its failures without wanting to; I want to know my weaknesses and learn how to play with them in order to create art that is open and fragile but not arbitrary. So I have to include my surroundings and try to make them mine (knowing that this is utopia). Include the machines as well, so they may become human. Nevertheless I am not interested in a proudly post-modern juxtaposition of heterogeneous elements. A certain will of integration - not harmonizing - is unrenounceable to me and keeps nourishing my failures, which would be entirely worthless whithout it. I consider that being able to reduce or to condense oneself into a musical thought - as simple it may be (even a 4/4-techno-bassdrum) - represents the true mastership of a musician. Not playing extremely fast and difficult or pseudo-expressionistic soul striptease! I am truly looking forward to your feedback, yours sincerely
Paul Friedrich Frick