Heiner Goebbels

The Profile

Heiner Goebbels (born 1952) is a German composer and director, author of around thirty musical-theatre works, known for blending contemporary classical, jazz, electronics and theatre.

Der Mann im Fahrstuhl (1987) was released on CD by ECM and features collaborators including Fred Frith, Don Cherry and Arto Lindsay; the text is based on a work by playwright Heiner Müller. Goebbels is noted for eclecticism and for works that resist simple categorization.

The available review highlights Heiner Goebbels' eclecticism and his blending of contemporary, jazz-rock, ethnic and electronic elements. It focuses on Der Mann im Fahrstuhl (1987), a 43-minute staged concert released on ECM featuring Fred Frith, Don Cherry and Arto Lindsay. The work sets texts by Heiner Müller and resists simple categorization.