From tango to TV, Latin to liturgica
Bobbi Fischer’s musical universe
Universal is an ambitious adjective, but one which perhaps best describes the musician Karl Albrecht Fischer, alias “Bobbi Fischer”. Beginning with classical music, his musical horizons encompass chansons, Latin music and jazz, and extend to world music. There is hardly a musical style he has not tried out, played, or composed in. As a creative musician he draws on many years’ varied experience, whether as an orchestral violinist or as pianist in jazz, Argentine tango, or many other genres of popular music.
He took violin lessons as a child, but was self-taught on the piano, only taking formal lessons at the age of 17 with a view to studying music. He studied school music, jazz and popular music, and film music at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart and the Filmhochschule Ludwigsburg. As a pianist, arranger, and composer, he has gone on to enjoy a busy career with several different ensembles. For over 25 years he toured with the music-comedy group “Tango Five”. He now performs with his trio “Berta Epple” which includes jazz musicians Gregor and Veit Hübner on violin and double bass. He plays tango with Raúl Jarena, and as a jazz pianist he accompanies artists including Joo Kraus, Torsten Krill, Fola Dada, and Ines Martinez.
musician Karl Albrecht Fischer – alias „Bobbi Fischer“
Missa latina
Bobbi Fischer
Carus 28.007
Fischer has composed numerous choral arrangements for Carus-Verlag, often clever and humorous, in their vitality exciting for performers and audiences. What especially fascinates him is the combination of music with elements such as language, image, movement, and dance. His music is therefore particularly well-suited to the theater, dance theater, or on television. Fischer has composed the film music for various productions by the director Titus Selge, and for several episodes in the crime thriller series Polizeiruf 110 and Tatort.
But his music is equally at home in the church. He has composed a Missa Latina and most recently a Magnificat for the C.H.O.I.R. project at the Ochsenhausen Landesmusikakademie. Both compositions create a link between Europe and South America by drawing on the wealth of Latin American musical styles and Afro-Cuban rhythms. These performances have been extremely well-received by audiences. With his works, Fischer knows how to open up ever-new surprising worlds of expression – a simply amazing colorful, sparkling universe.
Magnificat
Bobbi Fischer
Carus 27.206
Magnificat
The Magnificat was commissioned in 2017 by the Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg for the Choir of the International Choir Festival C.H.O.I.R. In this setting of the hymn of praise from St Luke’s gospel, we hear the solo soprano as the voice of Mary. The work draws on the wealth of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. The first movement gives a hymn-like expression to the message of the text with the tremendous energy of the Cuban salsa. There are many examples of the relationship between word and music throughout the work. An example of this is the passage “Deposuit potentes” (“He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek”). In this passage, a 9-part canon vividly portrays the words “et exaltavit” and “deposuit” through chromatic passagework in contrary motion extending over an octave.
Missa Latina
The Missa latina is a complete setting of the Latin Mass for solo soprano, large mixed choir (SATB divisi as well as soloists from the choir) and a band consisting of violin, bandoneon (accordion), piano, double bass, drums and percussion. The word “latina” not only refers to the Latin text, but also to the musical style which makes use of Latin-American rhythms. Thus elements from Argentinian tangos stand side by side with Caribbean rhythms and Latin jazz with enough space provided for instrumental improvisations.
CD Missa Latina
CD recording with the festival choir C.H.O.I.R. and The Academy Collective 21 under the direction of Klaus Brecht.
Te Deum
After Missa Latina and Magnificat, Te Deum is now the third major composition by musician and composer Karl Albrecht “Bobbi” Fischer published by Carus. Fischer’s musical roots lie in classical music, which he combines with jazz elements and Latin American rhythms.
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