James Reynolds
Biography
Born in California, James Reynolds currently lives in Berlin. He studied contemporary music with John Adams, as well as percussion at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and composition in Cologne under Michael von Biel. Reynolds was Composer in Residence at the Laurenz-Haus Foundation Basel (2004) and Visiting Artist at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2009).
After teaching Master classes at the Folkwang University for the Arts in Essen and playing percussion on and off-Broadway (and as band member of The Units) in the 80s in New York, Reynolds took up his long-term working relationship with the Cologne based broadcasting institution WDR. For over two decades, he has written music for literary productions, thrillers, fairytales, and children’s radio plays for the broadcaster.
Reynolds’ compositions explore the combination of words, sounds, and images – in film music as well as in his work for theatre. In 2002 he composed the music for the melodrama Vergeltung, a commissioned work from the WDR in partnership with the author Christoph Klimke, with whom Reynolds later worked on the Johann Kresnik directed plays Felix Nussbaum (Theater Osnabrück, 2010) and Fürst Pücklers Utopia (Staatstheater Cottbus, 2010). His collaboration with Johann Kresnik began in 2007 when the director adapted Kafka’s Amerika for the stage, followed by Maestro, based on the life of Herbert von Karajan (Landestheater Salzburg).
His work for stage also includes the highly praised piece The Mousewedding, which was played in repertory at the Children’s Opera of Cologne and in the Cologne Philharmonic Hall as well as his compositions for Pavel Mikulastik and his Choreographic Theatre. Reynolds wrote the music for Mikulastik’s dance theatre productions Tanz-Marathon (2001) and Gilgamesch (2002) and for his musical Rats (2003). Further compositions for dance include a ballet by the Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble, commissioned by the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne with a premiere at the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn and a work by Lutz Gregor performed at Tanzhaus NRW.
In the field of film music, Reynolds has set Lutz Gregor’s ARTE-productions Verborgenes Venedig (2012), Das Land der Dogon (2011) and Akte Theo: Ungelöst (2010) to music. Moreover, he has written the scores to several episodes of the ARTE documentary series Auf Expeditionsreise as well as for numerous films of Christel Fomm, of which the most recent one The Vietnam War – Faces of a Tragedy was awarded with the Gold World Medal at the New York Festivals 2016.
Reynolds’ latest works for the stage include the piece Tucholskys Spiegel (world premiere in summer 2017 at Schlosstheater Rheinsberg) as well as the highly praised opera Ghost Knight (Geisterritter), based on the novel by Cornelia Funke. After successful film and theatre adaptions, Ghost Knight is the first book of the internationally known writer to be adapted for an opera. The world premiere took place in December 2017 at the Opera Bonn with a resumption in autumn 2019 at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg. In the fall of 2019, James Reynold’s melodrama POE! – Dreamworlds was premiered to critical acclaim at Stadttheater Bremerhaven with the Philharmonic Orchestra Bremerhaven and Christian Brückner - Robert de Niro’s German voice - as speaker.
Discography
Geliebte Feinde, 2014
Episodes 3-5-8-9 DVD
Gruppe5
Prinz gefällig? – Schräges aus der Märchenwelt, 2009
Patmos-Verlag
Die Hose des Teufels, 2006
Random House
König Artus und die Ritter der Tafelrunde, 2005
Der Hörverlag
Julie von den Wölfen, 2004
Patmos-Verlag
Jesus von Texas, 2004
SWR
Salammbô, 2004
Der Audio-Verlag
Honig von Suleikas Lippen – Erotische Märchen aus 1001 Nacht, 2004
WWF / Random House
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray, 2004
Hörverlag
Die Räuber vom Liang Schan Moor, 2003
Hörverlag
Plattform (Michel Houellebecq), 2003
Der Audio Verlag GmbH / WDR
Das wundersame Kästchen, 2003
WWF / Random House
Die Abenteuer und Irrfahrten des Odysseus, 2003
Hörverlag
Moses und die Wüste der Wunder, 2003
Hörverlag
In 40 Märchen um die Welt, 2002
WWF / Random House
Die letzte Reise der Titanic, 2000
Hörverlag
Die Insel der blauen Delfine, 2000
Patmos-Verlag
also in: Klassiker aus der Kiste, 2010
Sauerländer
Frau Meier, die Amsel – Das Bärenwunder – Leonard (Wolf Erlbruch), 2000
Patmos-Verlag
Concert/ Stage
POE! - Dreamworlds, 2019
Melodrama
World Premiere November 25, 2019, Stadttheater Bremerhaven
Tucholskys Spiegel, 2016
Chamber Opera Festival Rheinsberg
World Premiere July 21, 2017, Schlosstheater Rheinsberg
Ghost Knight an opera thriller, 2014/15
Published by Boosey & Hawkes
World Premiere December 3, 2017, Opera Bonn
A Throw of the dice will never abolish chance, 2015
Commissioned work from the Sydney Conservatory of Music
World Premiere September 5, 2017 Sydney Conservatory
Das Moses-Jahwe-Projekt für Sopran, Orchester, Chor und Sprecher, 2005
WDR Köln/KvB-Saal
Regie: Uwe Schareck
Vergeltung, 2002
Loft Köln/WDR
Die Prozedur, 2002
Loft Köln/WDR
Fantasy1 for Viola d’amore, Cello and Percussion, 1990
Viola d’amore Society New York
HR
Film
Der Schatz von Timbuktu - eine Rettungsgeschichte, 2016
Directed by Lutz Gregor
Der Vietnam Krieg: Gesichter einer Tragödie, 2015
Directed by Christel Fomm
Gold World Medal, New York Festivals 2016
Frauen und Ozeane (music for 4 films of the ARTE series), 2015
Directed by Aexandra Sorgenicht
Lesch Kosmos: Machtfaktor Erdgas, 2014
Directed by Eva Schöttendrier
Geliebte Feinde (Folge 3) - Macht und Glaube, 2013
Directed by Martin Caradzo Mendez
Geliebte Feinde (Folge 5) - Auf die Barrikaden, 2013
Directed by Christel Fomm
Geliebte Feinde (Folge 8) - Krieg und Frieden, 2013
Directed by Christel Fomm
Geliebte Feinde (Folge 9) - Welt in Flammen, 2013
Directed by Christel Fomm
Auf Expeditionsreise nach Madagaskar, 2013
Directed by Corinna Wirth
Auf Expeditionsreise durch Australien, 2013
Directed by Claudia Ruby
Auf Expeditionsreise durch Tansania, 2013
Directed by Corinna Wirth
Auf Expeditionsreise an die Küste Costa Ricas, 2013
Directed by Claudia Ruby
Verborgenes Venedig (Teil I - III), 2012
Directed by Lutz Gregor
Maps of Emotion 2, 2012
Directed by Lutz Gregor
Das Land der Dogon, 2011
Directed by Lutz Gregor
Opfer und Verführer, 2011
Directed by Stephan Schneider
Wohin treibt der Islam (Teil I - II), 2010
Directed by Friedel Klutsch
Akte Theo: Ungelöst - Eine Baseler Spurensuche, 2010
Directed by Lutz Gregor
Chaim, 2005
Directed by Jonathan Greenfield
Federalist / Anti-Federalist, 2005
Directed by Jennifer Nelson
Theatre
Sammlung Prinzhorn, 2012
Theater Heidelberg
Director: Johann Kresnik
Über das Marionettentheater, 2011
Accor Festival for Alternative Theatre, Israel
Director: Henriette Cepak
Fürst Pücklers Utopia, 2010
Staatstheater Cottbus
Director: Johann Kresnik
Felix Nussbaum, 2010
Stadttheater Osnabrück
Director: Johann Kresnik
Die Bibel als Theater, 2009
Stadttheater Bern
Jewish Museum New York
Accor Festival für Alternatives Theater, Israel
Director: Shimon Levy
Maestro, 2008
Salzburger Landestheater
Director: Johann Kresnik
Amerika, 2007
Bremer Theater
Director: Johann Kresnik
RATS, 2003
Choreographisches Theater
Opera Bonn
Director: Pavel Mikulastik
Der Absolute Klang des Punktes, 2003
Bauhaus Dessau
Director: Lena Lukjanova
Meines Herzens Wolfsgesang, 2002
Bauturm-Theater Cologne
Director: Claudia Holzapfel
Tanzmarathon, 2001
Choreographisches Theater
Opera Bonn
Director: Pavel Mikulastik
Tanz oder Stirb, 1999
Rose-Theegarten-Ensemble Cologne
Director: Thomas Wenzel
Die Mäusehochzeit w/ Michael Villmow, 1998
Cologne Opera
Philharmonie Cologne
Radio Plays
Der Untergang Jerusalems, 2010
WDR
Gast-Spiele, 2008
WDR, Funkhaus Europa
Ente, Tod und Tulpe, 2007
WDR
Narrenteufel, 2006
WDR
Aladin, 2006
WDR
Gilgamesch, 2005
WDR
Moses, 2003
WDR
Salammbô, 2003
WDR
Ein Job, 2002
WDR
Lügen im Dunkeln, 2002
WDR
Die Räuber von Liang Schan Moor, 2002
WDR
Als das Wünschen noch geholfen hat, 2001
WDR
Die Legende vom heiligen Trinker, 2001
WDR
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray, 2000
WDR
Die Prozedur, 2000
WDR
Die letzte Reise der Titanic, 1999
WDR, NDR, HR
Odysseus, 1998
WDR
Dance
Presence of an absence, 2013
Tanzhaus Düsseldorf
da...zwischen, 2005
Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble
Basel, Zurich, Galway
Gilgamesch, 2002
Oper Bonn
Director: Pavel Mikulastik
Töchter, 1995
Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble
American Music Week Bonn
Cologne, Zurich, Basel
MUSIC FOR OPERA
Ghost Knight
based on the novel by Cornelia Funke
James Reynolds composed an opera titled Ghost Knight (Geisterritter) based on the novel by the German writer Cornelia Funke. After successful film and theatre adaptions, Ghost Knight is the first book of the internationally known writer to be adapted for an opera.
Ghost Knight is being published by Boosey&Hawkes and had its World Premiere at the Opera Bonn on December 3, 2017, followed by performances in Dortmund and at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg.
Dates in 2019: June 19 - July 10, 2019 (Theater Duisburg)
MUSIC FOR OPERA
Tucholsky's Mirror
The personality and works of Kurt Tucholsky serve as the starting point for an opera at the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg about this prophetic writer and scathing critic – the poet/playboy who spent an amorous weekend in Rheinsberg in 1912, immortalised in his “Storybook for Lovers”. As the publisher of Weltbühne, Kurt Tucholsky’s texts were as multifaceted and varied as the pseudonyms he used – such as Benno Büffel and Ignaz Wrobel. Tucholsky’s writings oscillated between emotionality and keen intellect, between humour and despair at the political developments in the Weimar Republic. In 1929, he moved to Sweden where he remained permanently. In 1933, the National Socialists banned Weltbühne and revoked the Jewish émigré’s citizenship. In their contemporary opera, the writer Christoph Klimke and composer James Reynolds focus on Kurt Tucholsky and four of his alter egos: Peter Panter, Theobald Tiger, Kaspar Hauser and Ignaz Wrobel. Like the writer Tucholsky, who very much aimed to entertain readers with his texts, the Tucholsky opera makes no distinction between “entertainment” and “serious music” as is the convention, and reflects on the facets of Tucholsky’s personality in a variety of musical styles. Accordingly, the orchestra is comprised of an equally multifaceted complement, including a string ensemble, jazz combo, woodwinds, brass and percussion.
The world premiere of the opera took place on July 21 at Schlosstheater Rheinsberg.
Further Dates:
July 22, 25, 26, 28, 29