Michael Hierer, Greven, NRW

+49 / 176 / 40 55 45 97 info@michaelhierer.de

Composer

header komponist

I work beyond borders.  The string quartet for a pop song is a part of my repertory, as well as movie sound track for regular orchestra, musical, or composition for big band.  Pop songs, vocal arrangements, and jazz comopsitions share my equal appreciation and can conveniently be linked to my work as a producer:

  • Arrangement for desired line up (orchestra, big band, rock band, elektronic, …)
  • Production (as live-recording, all-digital for low-budget, or best of both worlds)
  • Music copyist (full scores transposed and concert pitch, parts, layout, tabs, …)
  • Composition for media (movie score, internet ad, …)

Moreover I gladly offer:

  • Song writing (music and lyrics)
  • Lyricist on demand
  • Jazz composition in the form of lead sheets
  • Mere arrangement of pre-exisiting material
  • Composition of new elements for pre-existing material (e.g. string quartet for pop song)
  • Vocal arrangement

 

SOUNDBITES:

 

Filmscore: For the unaired pilot of “Ihr wart einst Finsternis” (dt.: “You once were darkness”) I composed and produced the score. The sound is a synthesis of a classic orchestra sound and modern electronic tools.

 

Animated short with chamber orchestra: For the animated short “Wo die Sterne schlafen” (“Where the stars sleep”, movie: Annika Storck, music: Michael Hierer) I chose a reduced number of instruments in order to highlight the intimate, dreamy character of the plot: Full movie

 

Modern movie orchestra: “The silence within” (music: Michael Hierer)  Inspired by the sound of a modern orchestra production in recent movie sound tracks, e.g. by Hans Zimmer)

 

Traditional orchester: “Which reminds me” (music: Michael Hierer)

 

Suite for Piano: “Elle s’éveille aux premières lueurs de l’aube – 2. Sursautant” (music: Michael Hierer, piano: Andreas Liebrecht)  Excerpt of a 3-piece suite, that was inspired by the piano works of Olivier Messiaen.  This movement’s foremost features are the use of 2 “modes of limited transposition” as well as the increasing number of synchonously played sound elements.  Please see exemplary sheet music further down.)

 

Demo recording of a vocal arrangement: “Stille Nacht” (“Silent night”, music: F. Gruber, lyrics: J. Mohr, arrangement: Michael Hierer)  Acapella arrangement for SATBB, which embraces modern harmony without forcing the same to the fore)

 

Musical composition: “Der große Plan” (“The big plan”) from “Teufelsmoor” (music: Michael Hierer, lyrics: Björn Herrmann)  Demo excerpt of the backing track for the male lead; the show for a cast of about 20 saw several separate productions in the vicinity of Bremen (Gremany) between 2009 and 2012, and builds on a legend preserved by oral tradition, while guarding the historic setting.

 

Animated short with full orchestra: For “All you can’t eat” (movie: Marie-Christine Upadek, music: Michael Hierer)  I have mainly used a conventional orchestra, which was now and then enriched with electronic elements (e.g. in the though bubbles).

 

 

EXEMPLARY SHEET MUSIC (as .pdf):

Composition for big band: “I never learned to love (myself)” (Largely 5/4 composition for classic 17-piece big band instrumentation.  Many rhythmic ambiguities, which every now and then hide the factual time signature from the listener.  There is also an arrangement for modern Jazz trio.)

Tabs for guitar: “Survival of the fittest” (Straight acoustic guitar piece with serious blues attitude.  Due to the song having originally been commissioned work, the artist did not only need sheet music, but also precise guitar tabs.  Additionally, the song has subsequently undergone serious rearranging so that now there is also a modern jazz-rock arrangement, which is musically rather independent.)

Movie composition für full orchestra: “All you can’t eat” (The composition uses fixed cues in the movies, which serve as key points for the plot.  Electronic elements have deliberately been kept out of the score to keep the best possible overview.)

Vocal arrangement: “Bruder Jakob” (“Frère Jacque”  The arrangement uses an unusual choice of 6 male voices: TTTBaBaB.  The singers have to master extreme ranges, unusual rhythms, and harmonies which need a jazz background to be fully understood.  An arrangement for professional singers.)

Piano composition: “Elle s’éveille aux premières lueurs de l’aube” (Piano composition which uses the priniciples of composition as used by Olivier Messiaen.  For more information please see “Suite for Piano” under SOUNDBITES further up.)