Mauricio Kagel (born Buenos Aires, December 24, 1931) is an Argentine composer who has lived in Germany for most of his career. He is most famous for his interest in developing the theatrical side of musical performance. Buenos Aires (English: Fair Winds; originally Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires, City of the Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, and one of... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Many of his pieces give specific theatrical instructions to the performers, such as to adopt certain facial expressions while playing, to make their stage entrances in a particular way, to physically interact with other performers and so on. His work has often been compared to the theatre of the absurd, and he is often talked of as the musical equivalent of Eugène Ionesco. The Theatre of the Absurd or Le Théâtre de lAbsurde is a phrase used in reference to particular plays written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as well as to the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. ... Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco, born Eugen Ionescu, (November 26, 1909 – March 29, 1994) was one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the absurd. ...

Staatstheater (1971) is probably the piece that most clearly shows his absurdist tendency. It is described as a "ballet for non-dancers", though in many ways is more like an opera, and the musical instruments used include chamber pots and enema equipment. As the work progresses, the piece itself, and opera and ballet in general, becomes the subject matter. Similar is the radio play Ein Aufnahmezustand (1969) which is about the incidents surrounding the recording of a radio play. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker. ... Sydney Opera House: one of the worlds most recognizable opera houses and landmarks Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content or primary entertainment is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... This 2qt (about 2 liters) enema bag, or fountain syringe, equipped with a rectal nozzle, is to be filled with water or a solution, then suspended near the patient using the hook. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Kagel has also made films, with Ludwig van (1970) being one of the best known. In it, a reproduction of Beethoven's composing studio is seen. Everything in it is papered with sheet music of Beethoven's pieces. The soundtrack of the film is a piano playing the music as it appears in each shot. Because the music has been wrapped around curves and edges, it is somewhat distorted, but recognisably Beethovenian motifs can still be heard. Kagel later turned the film into a piece of sheet music itself which could be performed in a concert without the film - the score consists of close-ups of various areas of the studio, which are to be interperated by the performing pianist. Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Ludwig van Beethoven by Carl Jäger (date unknown). ... A baby grand piano, with the lid up. ... Pianist Glenn Gould, Toronto, 1974 A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ...

Kagel has also written a large number of more conventional, "pure" pieces, including orchestral music, chamber music, and film scores. Many of these also make references to music of the past. The Boston Pops orchestra performing on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ...

From 1960 he has taught at the International Summer School at Darmstadt. Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland (federal state) of Hessen in Germany. ...

Among his students have been Maria de Alvear, Carola Bauckholt and Juan Maria Solare. Maria de Alvear (born 1960 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish-German composer living in Germany. ... Juan María Solare (born August 11, 1966) is a composer and pianist. ...

Other pieces include Con Voce [with voice], where a masked trio silently mimes playing instruments.

External links

• Mauricio Kagel Fansite
• Edition Peters: Mauricio Kagel October 1998
• Interview: There Will Always Be Questions Enough Mauricio Kagel in conversation with Max Nyffeler

Listening

• UbuWeb: Mauricio Kagel featuring Der Schall (1968) and ACUSTICA for experimental sound-producers and loud-speakers