Vier Metaphern (Four Metaphors), op. 2885 (2010)

Peter Bares (1936–2014) — Vier Metaphern (Four Metaphors), op. 2885 (2010) for organ

German composer, organist, and indefatigable champion of the avant-garde Peter Bares (1936–2014) was born in Essen-Borbeck and was educated in Essen where his teachers included Ernst Kaller and Siegfried Reda. From 1960 to 1985 he worked as a church musician in Sinzig where he also organized a renowned international study course for new religious music. After leaving Sinzig, he continued the study week in Bonn and Cologne. Bares won the 1974 Haarlem Prize for Improvisation. In 1992, he was appointed organist at his truly ideal church position: Kunststation St. Peter in Cologne, where he was the designer of the church’s highly unusual and non-traditional organ (built by Willi Peter), optimized for performance and improvisation in avant-garde styles. The church choirs he directed performed only his own music, and he believed strongly that even amateur choirs were highly capable of performing the most modern of music and engaging with avant-garde styles. Bares wrote more than 3000 musical compositions including many liturgical works and numerous concert pieces. He also published five collections of poetry.

Published by Edition Dohr