Jürg's Mandolin

As a composer, guitarist and great mandolin aficionado, it has only been a question of time until I started to engage intensively in the composing of mandolin music. After my mothers fatal accident in 1996 her mandolin found the way into my hands. She was an admirer of the italian language and culture and played the instrument just for fun on beginner level. The first thing I did after my mother passed away was writing the "Primavera Concerto", as a memory to her and her mandolin. My mother was born on march 21th, thats why I choose the name "Primavera Concerto". It is a three mouvement concerto for plucked orchestra in italian style with a tarantella as final part. At the same time I started to take mandolin lessons and made good progress by working hard on it. A friend from Rio introduced me to the Brazilian Chôro style. I was fascinated and started playing the bandolim and cavaquinho repertory and founded my "Odeon" Chôro quintet. 20 years later in 2016 I composed my second work for plucked orchestra, the "Rio de Janeiro Suite" a bunch of five brasilian dances: Maxixe, Modinha, Baião, Chôro, Samba, inspired by the experiences in these styles.

Over the last three years, the sublime collaboration with musician and mandolinist Annika Hinsche brought forth a veritable oeuvre for the mandolin. It includes my études "Fingerfood I" (beginner to intermediate level) and "Fingerfood II " (intermediate level) , "Mare Sonata"  for mandolin and guitar, " Minotaurus" and "Die zertanzten Schuhe" for plucked orchestra, as well as "Mandopolis", a work cycle for mandolin in various scordatura. "Mandopolis" is full-length concert literature of the highest standards. The complexity of the sound increases with the scordaturas, and the play with the pick occasionally demands a new form of precision of the right hand, as in some of the pieces one string sounds different than its neighbor when played in up- or down-stroke. A common down-stroke on two strings creates unusual sound effects when the strings are tuned differently. The latest work for plucked orchestra is the composers arrangement of his guitar quartet hit "Kalimba". An Africa inspired rhythmic piece with some funny sound effects. From beginner level up to high concert level there is now a broad spectrum of contemporary mandolin music available. Very special thanks go to Annika Hinsche, who collaborated on these projects with the utmost devotion and enthusiasm, and who inspired me for the work at hand.