Work catalogue
Love Caprice (Flute, Violin & Piano)
Within its rather short duration, Ulrich Lehensteiner's "Love Caprice" depicts a variety of emotional aspects of love, so it naturally does not only feature upbeat major-passages, but also both desolate and powerfully desperate minor-passages. After a fragmented middle-section of doubtful searching and despite the previous minor, the Caprice closes with optimistic major tutti-chords, as if to say that "in the end, love is love. What can you do?"
A version for two violins & piano is also available.
Streichquartett in a-moll
Lehensteiners Streichquartett bricht mit der kontrapunktischen Gattungstradition als vier individuelle Stimmen und fokussiert sich stattdessen auf die harmonischen Qualitäten der einen weiten Tonumfang abdeckenden Streicherfamilie, wodurch raumgreifende Klangflächen entstehen, die in jedem einzelnen Satz eine unverkennbar individuelle Atmosphäre entstehen lassen: ein kraftvoll drängender, aber ebenso lyrischer Kopfsatz, ein melodisch-fokussierter zweiter Satz (basierend auf einem Neujahrslied, das der Komponist an Neujahr 2017 geschrieben hat), ein energetischer und harmonisch teils schräg anmutender Walzer, und ein rhythmisch treibendes Finale.
Tango Más O Menos
Ein tangoartiges Stück für Klavier vierhändig, das im Mittelteil kurzfristig mit unerwartet träumerischer Melodik vom gewohnten Rhythmuspattern abweicht.
"Mehr oder weniger" ein Tango sozusagen.
PANDAIMONIKON (Organ)
The "PANDAIMONIKON" (greek portmanteau: "pan", "daimon" and suffix "-ikon") is a musical depiction of a mystical encyclopedia containing the entirety of demons from all known world-mythologies, both their descriptions as well as the demons themselves. The opening chords depict the seals of the book breaking, before the demonic power is unleashed.
Violinsonate in e
Eine drastisch gekürzte Sonate mit Rock-Einflüssen in nur zwei Sätzen, die in harschem Kontrast zueinander stehen: ein düster-behäbiger, marschähnlicher Satz, gefolgt von einem dynamisch treibenden zweiten, der mit seinen ostinaten Rhythmen und prominenter Basslinie der erwähnten Rock-Einflüsse erkennen lässt.
Reverie/Daydream (Piano four-hands)
This short and easy-to-play piece for piano four-hands was inspired by the surreal atmosphere of the track "Spirit Crucible Elpys" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and features some unusual harmonic shifts in its overall dreamy atmosphere, showing that even the most light-hearted daydreams can take some unexpected turns.
Intimate Mass (Medium Voice & Organ)
The "Intimate Mass" offers a traditional mass setting on a formally very reduced scope; scored for solo voice and organ, it depicts a person's inner journey from spiritual uncertainty and doubt to confidence across its five parts (while retaining the original latin-mass-text), combining traditional dramatic settings with more upbeat, pop-like elements, such as the final part, the Agnus Dei.
Both in its reduced setup as well as in its emotional subjectiveness a very "Intimate Mass".
Violinsonate in c
Ein aufwühlend-düsteres Stück, dessen ominös dahintreibende Kopfsatzstimmung nur kurz im zweiten von einem träumerisch-sentimentalen Walzer unterbrochen wird. Der letzte Satz, ein musikalischer Gewaltakt an rhythmischen forte-Passagen, verlangt den Ausführenden schließlich ein absolutes Höchstmaß an körperlicher wie geistiger Energie ab.
Die Virtuosität der Sonate liegt dabei weniger in den technisch schwierigen Figurationen, sondern im Aufrechterhalten des konstant geforderten hohen Energieniveaus, das sich in den unablässig treibenden Rhythmusmotiven und konstantem Forte ausdrückt.
Lamento (Flute & Piano)
a short and easy-to-play, yet emotionally very intense, mournful piece, featuring some unusual, sometimes maybe surprising harmonic changes. The uneasily driving piano-bass-line adds a sense of rhythm to the piece and contrastingly compliments the simple, legato-oriented flute-part.
Tundra
Ein Miniaturklavierkonzert mit reduzierter Orchesterbesetzung (nur Streicher), das programmatisch eine einsame Wanderung durch eisiges Ödland beschreibt. Dabei schwankt das Stück emotional zwischen szenischer Schilderung und Introspektion, musikalisch zwischen pianistischer Virtuosität und ausgeprägter, vielschichtiger Rhythmik.
Lunar Contemplations
Ein szenisches Klavierstück, das die Gefühle bei der abendlichen Betrachtung des Sternenhimmels beschreibt, und trotz seiner Kürze eine klassische dreiteilige Struktur und sogar kadenzartige Überleitung zur Reprise aufweist.
Nouv'amour (Flöte & Piano)
"Nouv'amour" is a short piece for flute or recorder capturing the fleeting moment of a first spark of love igniting, featuring easy starting flute- and piano-parts with a short virtuoso middle-section.
Angels We Have Heard On High - Fantasina for Organ
A short fantasy for organ based on the popular Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard On High".
Cellosonate in c
Eine klassisch verwurzelte Sonate, deren ominös düster-grübelnde Stimmung nur von ihrem berühmten zweiten Satz, dem "Souvenir of Summer" kontrastiert wird, mit seinen atmosphärisch-dichten Harmonien und in sich selbst kontrastreicher Struktur.
Der dritte Satz stellt (in typischer Lehensteiner-Manier) einen Walzer dar, der mit seinen vielfältigen Rhythmen, ungestüm-treibenden Charakter und auch musikalisch-technischem Anspruch die geläufige Auffassung der Gattung als "leichte Tanzmusik" herausfordert.
Die Widmung gilt dem Großvater des Komponisten, der kurz nach Fertigstellung des Werkes Ende des Sommers 2019 verstarb. Somit ist der zweite Satz nicht nur ein "Souvenir of Summer", sondern ebenso eine Erinnerung an einen geliebten Verwandten.
Pensandoti ("Thinking of You") (Violine & Klavier)
Komponiert in den ersten Tagen des Lockdowns 2020, als es vielen Leuten nicht möglich oder erlaubt war, geliebte Menschen zu sehen, beschreibt das "Pensandoti" in nostalgischer Sehnsucht das einzige, was man zu dieser Zeit tun konnte: lediglich an diese geliebten Menschen zu denken.
Leaves From The Vine/Little Soldier Boy (Piano four-hands)
A waltz-like Fantasy for piano four-hands, based on the popular tune "Leaves from the Vine" from the Nickelodeon-show "The Last Airbender". Featuring an easy-to-play, melody-driven Primo-part with occasional wide-range-arpeggios, and an accompanying Secondo that sometimes takes over the main melody.
Double Sonata (for 2 Violins & Piano
The "Double"-Sonata is a trio-setup-piece all about duality and contrast. Led by not just one violin but two, the roles of leading voice and accompaniment constantly switch between the three instruments.
All three movements feature two strongly contrasting themes and each of the three approaches the themes' development in a unique way.
The first movement's tension resolves in a kind of "anti-climax", a moment of greatest fragility after the built-up tension, which then returns to a (almost) note-perfect reprise of the exposition, to show that in the end nothing has changed.
The second movement even intensifies the struggle between the two themes, with ultimately one of them taking over.
In the third movement, an energetic waltz, no effort is even made to unify it's two themes, they just stand block-like against each other.
Tundra (Kammermusikfassung)
Kammermusikarrangement für Klavier und Streichquartett.
Ein Miniaturklavierkonzert mit reduzierter Orchesterbesetzung (nur Streicher), das programmatisch eine einsame Wanderung durch eisiges Ödland beschreibt. Dabei schwankt das Stück emotional zwischen szenischer Schilderung und Introspektion, musikalisch zwischen pianistischer Virtuosität und ausgeprägter, vielschichtiger Rhythmik.
Klaviersonate in h-moll
Eine klassische dreisätzige Klaviersonate, stilistisch neu interpretiert.
Dem von der Netflix-Serie "The Witcher" inspirierten Hauptthema des dramatisch drängenden ersten Satzes wird in traditioneller Sonatenhauptsatzform ein kontrastierendes Seitenthema entgegengestellt.
Auf ähnliche Weise zwischen zwei Themen und Texturen hin- und hergerißen ist der zweite Satz, von dessen mysteriös-ambivalentem Dur-Schluss der Finalsatz in einem virtuos-donnerndem Walzer wieder in die Dramatik des Kopfsatzes zurückführt.
Energetic Elegy (Violin & Piano)
A rather unusual Elegy with forcefully driving rhythms, showing that lamentation does not always have to mean quiet mourning but also anger and discontent.
Toccata (Organ)
A virtuosic Toccata with and strong focus on rhythm. The majestic opening chords anticipate the boisterous main theme, which is then contrasted by a melodious middle section. Featuring wild chromatic shifts and scales and an unusually active pedal-part, this Toccata definitively delivers on that instrument's listener's classic expectations of drama and grandeur of that instrument.
Remember-Waltzes
Die Remember-Waltzes sind eine Sammlung von sieben Walzern für Klavier vierhändig, die in dramaturgischer Struktur von diversen alltäglichen Szenarien erzählen, wie die Entschlossenheit einer geliebten Person, die Gelassenheit eines warmen Sommertages oder den ekstatischen Rausch eines emotionalen Momentes. Erinnerung, die mancher gerne selbst erleben würde, mancher tatsächlicher erlebt hat.
Eine musikalische Erinnerung an diese Momente, aber auch an das Gefühl daran, wie diese Momente im Laufe der Jahre verblassen, und man sich gern, aber anders, an sie erinnert.
- Remember Her Vigour
- Remember Those Late Summer Days
- Remember Your Mind In Turmoil
- Rosa
- Remember The Ecstasy
- Remember Oblivion
- Remember What Is Lost
Alle Stücke sind auch als Einzelausgaben erhältlich.
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher (Klavier vierhändig)
Eine Walzerfantasie für Klavier vierhändig, basierend auf der Melodie von "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" aus der Serie "The Witcher".
Great Waltz
Ein energischer Walzer, der mit seinen treibend-synkopierten Rhythmen die gängige Auffassung von Walzern als einfacher und süßlicher Unterhaltungsmusik herausfordert.
Love Caprice (Flute, Violin & Piano)
Within its rather short duration, Ulrich Lehensteiner's "Love Caprice" depicts a variety of emotional aspects of love, so it naturally does not only feature upbeat major-passages, but also both desolate and powerfully desperate minor-passages. After a fragmented middle-section of doubtful searching and despite the previous minor, the Caprice closes with optimistic major tutti-chords, as if to say that "in the end, love is love. What can you do?"
A version for two violins & piano is also available.
String Quartet in a minor
A String Quartet that challenges the traditional conception of the genre as four individual voices: It drops the conventional contrapuntal treatment of the instruments in favour of their atmospherical capabilities, thus creating vast and dynamic string-soundscapes throughout its four movements: an energetically driving, yet still somewhat lyrical opening movement, a melodically focused song-like second one (based on a New-Year-song the composer wrote on New Year's Eve 2017), a strangely energetic waltz with some unusual harmonies, and an extremely powerful and pressuring finale.
Tango Más O Menos
A Tango-like piece for piano four-hands that, as expected, starts off with the typical rhythm-pattern, but in the middle-section briefly diverts from the usual stern rhythm with a more dreamy, melodic passage.
"More or less" of a Tango, so to say.
PANDAIMONIKON (Organ)
The "PANDAIMONIKON" (greek portmanteau: "pan", "daimon" and suffix "-ikon") is a musical depiction of a mystical encyclopedia containing the entirety of demons from all known world-mythologies, both their descriptions as well as the demons themselves. The opening chords depict the seals of the book breaking, before the demonic power is unleashed.
Violin Sonata in e
A radically shortened, partly Rock-inspired sonata, foregoing the traditional middle-movement in order to focus on the duality of the two outer ones: a gloomy, march-like movement that exaggerates the classic Alberti bass to a powerful rhythm-line, followed by a relentlessly pushing high-energy-movement that makes the Rock-influence apparent with its rhythmically focused main theme, continuously driving bass line and ostinato rhythm patterns.
Reverie/Daydream (Piano four-hands)
This short and easy-to-play piece for piano four-hands was inspired by the surreal atmosphere of the track "Spirit Crucible Elpys" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and features some unusual harmonic shifts in its overall dreamy atmosphere, showing that even the most light-hearted daydreams can take some unexpected turns.
Intimate Mass (Medium Voice & Organ)
The "Intimate Mass" offers a traditional mass setting on a formally very reduced scope; scored for solo voice and organ, it depicts a person's inner journey from spiritual uncertainty and doubt to confidence across its five parts (while retaining the original latin-mass-text), combining traditional dramatic settings with more upbeat, pop-like elements, such as the final part, the Agnus Dei.
Both in its reduced setup as well as in its emotional subjectiveness a very "Intimate Mass".
Violin Sonata in c
A very dark and tumultuous piece of chamber music, with only a few bright moments.
The ominously drifting mood of the first movement is only briefly interrupted by the dreamy waltz of the second movement, followed up with an absolute forced march a finale that blasts through from start to finish with the highest energy possible. The virtuosity of the sonata lies not so much in the technically difficult figures, but in maintaining that high level of energy demanded by incessant rhythms and constant fortes throughout the entire piece that is 20 minutes of music.
Lamento (Flute & Piano)
a short and easy-to-play, yet emotionally very intense, mournful piece, featuring some unusual, sometimes maybe surprising harmonic changes. The uneasily driving piano-bass-line adds a sense of rhythm to the piece and contrastingly compliments the simple, legato-oriented flute-part.
Tundra
"Tundra" is a miniature piano concerto with reduced orchestra-setup (strings only) in one continuous movement. Programmatically depicting a lone wanderer's walk through an icy wasteland by switching between description of the scene's hostile environment and introspection of the wanderer's inner wasteland of emotions, the piece features brilliantly virtuosic piano-passages and strong multi-layered rhythms.
Lunar Contemplations
"Lunar Contemplations" is a short piece for piano solo expressing the feeling of looking up into the starry night-sky from your bedroom-window on a quiet evening. Despite its short duration, the piece features a full three-part-structure and even a cadenza-like transition.
Nouv'amour (Flute & Piano)
"Nouv'amour" is a short piece for flute or recorder capturing the fleeting moment of a first spark of love igniting, featuring easy starting flute- and piano-parts with a short virtuoso middle-section.
Angels We Have Heard On High - Fantasina for Organ
A short fantasy for organ based on the popular Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard On High".
Cello Sonata in c
A classically rooted, overall quite somber sonata, of which the first movement's gloomy mood is contrasted only by its famous middle movement, the "Souvenir of Summer", with its pensive, reminiscing character, melancholic maj7- and maj9-harmonies and focus on its simple but concise melody.
The third movement is, in typical Lehensteiner-fashion, a boisterous waltz that in its variety of rhythms, overabundant energetic drive and also technical demands toys around with the genre's established conception of light dance-music.
The work's dedication is to the composer's late grandfather, who passed away shortly after its completion at the end of summer 2019, making its middle movement not only a "Souvenir of Summer", but also of a person dearly beloved.
Pensandoti ("Thinking of You") (for violin & piano)
Composed in the first days of Lockdown back in 2020, with the then predominant sense of people longing for their loved ones who they weren't allowed to see during that time, the "Pensandoti" depicts the nostalgic longing for a beloved person who is not around, when the only thing one can do about is solely thinking about them.
Leaves From The Vine/Little Soldier Boy (Piano four-hands)
A waltz-like Fantasy for piano four-hands, based on the popular tune "Leaves from the Vine" from the Nickelodeon-show "The Last Airbender". Featuring an easy-to-play, melody-driven Primo-part with occasional wide-range-arpeggios, and an accompanying Secondo that sometimes takes over the main melody.
Double Sonata (for 2 Violins & Piano
The "Double"-Sonata is a trio-setup-piece all about duality and contrast. Led by not just one violin but two, the roles of leading voice and accompaniment constantly switch between the three instruments.
All three movements feature two strongly contrasting themes and each of the three approaches the themes' development in a unique way.
The first movement's tension resolves in a kind of "anti-climax", a moment of greatest fragility after the built-up tension, which then returns to a (almost) note-perfect reprise of the exposition, to show that in the end nothing has changed.
The second movement even intensifies the struggle between the two themes, with ultimately one of them taking over.
In the third movement, an energetic waltz, no effort is even made to unify it's two themes, they just stand block-like against each other.
Tundra (Chamber Music Version)
"Tundra" is a miniature piano concerto with reduced orchestra-setup (strings only) in one continuous movement. Programmatically depicting a lone wanderer's walk through an icy wasteland by switching between description of the scene's hostile environment and introspection of the wanderer's inner wasteland of emotions, the piece features brilliantly virtuosic piano-passages and strong multi-layered rhythms.
Piano Sonata in b-minor
A classic three-movement piano-sonata with a modern twist, featuring a high-energy first movement with a main theme inspired by the Netflix-series "The Witcher" that in classic sonata-form is contrasted by a major-key secondary theme, a serene second movement torn between two radically differently textured themes, and a boisterous waltz-finale that starts off very tame but gradually gets more and more exciting and virtuosic.
Energetic Elegy (Violin & Piano)
A rather unusual Elegy with forcefully driving rhythms, showing that lamentation does not always have to mean quiet mourning but also anger and discontent.
Toccata (Organ)
A virtuosic Toccata with and strong focus on rhythm. The majestic opening chords anticipate the boisterous main theme, which is then contrasted by a melodious middle section. Featuring wild chromatic shifts and scales and an unusually active pedal-part, this Toccata definitively delivers on that instrument's listener's classic expectations of drama and grandeur of that instrument.
Remember-Waltzes
The Remember-Waltzes are a collection of seven waltz-like pieces for piano four hands, depicting the memories of various relatable scenes of a person's everyday-life, like the fervour of a determined loved one, the sereneness of a warm summer-day or the emotional rush of an ecstatic experience. Memories some would like to experience, some might actually have experienced.
A musical reminder of times fondly remembered, but also of the feeling of how even those precious moments might grow pale over time, and how we still remember them fondly, but differently after the many years that might have passed since then.
- Remember Her Vigour
- Remember Those Late Summer Days
- Remember Your Mind In Turmoil
- Rosa
- Remember The Ecstasy
- Remember Oblivion
- Remember What Is Lost
All the pieces are also available as separate editions.
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher (piano four-hands)
A waltz-like Fantasy for piano four-hands, based on the popular tune "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" from the Netflix-show "The Witcher".
Great Waltz
A high-energy-waltz, featuring boisterous syncopated rhythms that challenge the traditional perception of waltzes being light and shallow easy-listenings.