I once played the clarinet. I was not very good at it; but my clarinet playing has left a love for that part of the classic chamber music repertoire in which the clarinet participates – Mozart’s Quintet, Serenades and Divertimenti, Beethoven’s Septet, Schubert’s Octet etc. “Ständchen is my odd salute to this repertoire.
It is written for 8 instruments, equal to the Octet by Schubert.
“Ständchen is filled with what could be called effects (feet on pebbles, hands rubbed together, humming, use of percussion instruments) but which never should be grasped as effects, and are melted into the classical form – a serenade in (until now!) four movements.
All the movements of “Ständchen” are built upon small songs. Planning this work I accidentally saw some beautiful anonymous poems and I set the poems to music in simple melodic lines. After that they went through my musical wringer! Even after this, traces of these small songs are still audible – most clearly in the second movement where the horn is singing:
“Even the moon each time it rises is young
What will become of my body so full of years?”
I am sure that “Ständchen” is also about water. - Steps towards water – “Auf dem wasser zu singen”!
The first three movements were written for Scharoun Ensemble and commisioned jointly by Eleanor Eisenmenger and the Scharoun Ensemble with support from The Danish Arts Council.
The fourth movement – an almost classical Menuet with a Trio – is dedicated – as a hommage - to Warsaw Autumn Festival for the 50th jubilee edition in 2007.

Commissioned by Eleanor Eisenmenger, Scharoun Ensemble.