Ed Kiefer (b. 1954) is an American composer and educator who has made his career in North Carolina. He was educated at Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He has led middle school, high school, and college ensembles, and he uses that experience to create music that he describes as “playable and fun for students and audiences alike.” His compositions, mostly for wind band and percussion ensemble, continue to be performed worldwide. For more on Ed Kiefer, visit Excelcia Music Publishing, the North Carolina Brass Band (where he is staff arranger), the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, and the Midwest Clinic. He also has a Facebook composer page.
Kiefer wrote The Anguish of Nosferatu in 2012, as he details in this program note:
This piece was written for my friend David Deese who teaches at East Davidson High School, Thomasville, NC. He is a superb teacher and motivator and I was happy when he asked me to write for his group. This piece was premiered at the [NCMEA] Conference in Winston-Salem, NC in November 2012.
The word “Nosferatu” is from a 1922 German unauthorized adaptation of Dracula, entitled Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror. In a futile attempt to avoid copyright infringement, some details were changed – “Count Dracula” became “Count Orlock”; “Vampire” became “Nosferatu” – but the story is one with which we are all familiar. The killing of innocent victims to sustain life is the vampire’s curse and his anguish is what this composition attempts to represent.
Kiefer achieves this anguish through the use of ever-shifting meters and harmonies that lean towards the tritone. Here is a live performance:
If you really want to do the research, here is the German silent film in question:
See more about this piece at the Wind Repertory Project, Carl Fischer, and J. W. Pepper. Bonus content: a live interview with the composer!