I've been wanting to hear this for quite awhile (due to its reputation as Karlheinz' favorite version) and now it is on YouTube! It does seem that YouTube is the drain through which every bit of human endeavor eventually passes through! Anyways, here is the link for those who may be curious: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OL...pMXggEyq2V1sk4U
Tuesday From Light is Stockhausen's "war" opera, especially since the second Act features mobile brass and electronics performers roaming around the audience space (and "shooting at each other"). The orchestra is replaced by a 3D electronic soundscape where bombs and planes can be heard exploding and crashing over the audience's heads. For the first Act, Stockhausen composed an idiomatic piece for a traditional Japanese Gagaku orchestra, and then used Western concert instruments to try and reproduce this ancient form.
Below is a link to a new synopsis I put together for the Stockhausen blog.
I'm still waiting for a proper mounting of INVASION to happen, one where the planes, searchlights, bombs and musikflak are all realized visually in sync with the music. Nowadays a strobe and 3D laser production is very feasible so that would be my preference. I'm glad to have the DVD of Leipzig '93 but it's of course a bit on the low fidelity side and not up to current standards of special effects...
For many years the rāra avis of the Stockhausen discography on CD was Beethoven Opus 1970. So having a digitally remastered version on Text CD 23 was pretty great. I had no problem double-dipping there. However, I do sometimes feel a bit underwhelmed after the excitement has died down, which is perhaps why it never came out on a "Stockhausen Edition" CD.
For those not familiar, Beethoven Opus 1970 was a one-time affair where Group Stockhausen (consisting of piano, tam tam, amplified violin and electronium) played KURZWELLEN, but improvised (sorry, "plus-minused" ) against remixed tapes of Beethoven instead of shortwave radio. As a big fan of electroacoustic free improvisation using turntable (see Otomo Yoshihide, Christian Marclay, etc.) I knew I had to have this as soon as I heard of it. And after becoming a big Beethoven fan it became an even juicier affair.
Once I got the record, I remember having some chortles over the quotes and whatnot. However I rarely played it again. Yet KURZWELLEN, PROZESSION, etc get regular play. Also, everytime I get a new iPod/iPhone I add this thing, play it once and then never again. I have to finally admit to myself that this grail-like treasure never quite delivered on the tin. Why? Perhaps I missed the abstract psychedelic sizzle of shortwave "in between" signals. Perhaps hearing excerpts of familiar melodies being played "badly" just got less funny as time went by. There's probably a longer analysis to be written on why drones and arrhythmic sound masses work better for improvisatory situations than metered diatonic material. Of course there are many exceptions. But yeah, I guess I can see why KS held this one back in the end...
Any other impressions, or info on why KS held this back?
For most people, the opera Monday From Light marks the moment when Stockhausen fell off the radar, as from this point onwards releases were only available by mail-order from Stockhausen's own independent label in Germany. It's a pity, since it's one of the most beautiful and hilarious entries in the LICHT opera cycle, and is devoted to "woman". Anyways, here's my report on "EVE's Day" of Light.
I've just posted an introductory synopsis to Samstag aus Licht (Saturday From Light) on Stockhausen: Sounds In Space. For those new to the LICHT cycle and the Samstag opera, I hope this will be of use. And for any opera producers out there, why the hell is this not being staged every 2 years? This thing is spectacular and would be a massive hit if produced properly...am I correct in understanding that Saturday from Light has only been produced in all its stilt-man, jazz band-writhing glory just once?
Returning briefly to my fascination with Michael becoming Lucifer in his "2nd cycle" (following order of composition), Stockhausen provides the new Lucifer an "out" in Saturday from Light. In Scene 2 (Kathinka's Chant), the ending includes a "scream", which Stockhausen says "Is the SCREAM the release for reincarnation, for eternal extinction, or for entrance into the clear LIGHT? That will be decided individually by each deceased soul." This is where Michael as Lucifer can redeem himself and escape the cycle, going "into the Light". I think that is absolutely beautiful that KS gives even Lucifer a chance at redemption... Of course, on an initial cycle this scream apparently signifies reincarnation, but there IS an exit ramp. Happy ending for all.
Now, ANOTHER idea! Lucifer is not present in the Sunday opera, where Michael and Eve marry. Where is he? Stockhausen never wrote Lucifer's "prison scene" (which doesn't even make sense considering the collaborative spirit in the preceding Wednesday from Light). One could propose that Lucifer is ALREADY in Scene 1 of Saturday from Light, Lucifer's Dream. He then dies and goes into the LIGHT.
Jeez, I can see how people can really get into the non-musical aspects of LICHT. Fun stuff.
I'm curious to know why KS wrote the LICHT operas in the order that he did. The super-formula was completed in 1978 so he theoretically could have. Following on that, why did he assign the days of the week starting from Monday and ending on Sunday? Is that a European calendar thing?
BTW I do find the other sequences of listening to LICHT a fascinating prospect, these are interesting suggestions and something I'll try one day. Listening in order of composition has a more resonant meaning for me since that is the way I heard them the first time and so there's that.
The New York Times article describes Stockhausen's meeting with Rattle - very funny! The man had EARS!
Also the Rattle GRUPPEN was broadcast as part of his series on avant-garde music. It can be seen and heard here, but the picture is squeezed for some reason:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bWFh2IKG0
I wonder what happened between Stockhausen and Pintscher? Probably a clash of egos... :)
I saw GRUPPEN at the Armory in New York a few years ago and it was pretty great. If you go obviously try to get a seat exactly equidistant from the 3 orchestras for the best effect!
The other day a casual acquaintance emailed me, "If I want to become familiar with Stockhausen's music where should I begin?"
Given no other background information (and no opportunity for asking), how would you respond? (This acquaintance may come across this thread so I don't want to be more specific just in case :) ). Just assume this person is familiar with classical, rock and jazz, but not necessarily an expert on post-war avant-garde.
Personally, the first thing I reached for was the Kontarsky Klavierstucke recordings, but now I'm thinking maybe I should have said the "more diatonic" Klang pieces...(Hoffnung, etc).
However lately I've been listening to Weltraum (Outer Space) from Freitag aus Licht and I recall hearing that lots of gothic kids greeted Stockhausen at those concerts...so I can definitely see those being received as "dark ambient" works.
(yes, I have gotten lazy about umlauts and capitalizing song titles, sorry about that... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
One thing I've sometimes wondered about regarding the '90s electronic works (Oktophonie, Weltraum (the tape music from Freitag Aus Licht) - even Mittwoch's Abschied, etc), is if these works are static, unchangeable works on tape (such as the tape works of Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, Varese, Xenakis, etc...) or if they are compositions which can be recreated by new generations (such as the compositions of Beethoven or Bach). For example, Cage's Fontana Mix is a "tape work", but it has also been newly-generated using Cage's compositional method, which is something like doing a "rendition".
As far as I know, Simon Stockhausen was almost entirely responsible for the programming in those '90s pieces, so in effect he "performed" those scores. I guess I would particularly be interested in new renditions of Oktophonie or Cosmic Pulses using 2020 technology. The published scores leave quite alot of leeway for the creation of synth patches.
It would also be interesting to hear a new realization of Couples from Friday (Paare vom Freitag). Hearing Stockhausen and Kathinka perform those duets is fantastic - and almost an "intimate" experience, but it would be interesting to hear new versions by a new generation of Stockhausen performers (Michael Leibundgut, for example).
Or is this total heresy? Of course any such undertaking would require the approval of Suzee and Kathinka, but it's fun to think about.
Hi All, Ed Chang here. I actually forgot I was "Uatu"! (I was so shy and unassuming back then, haha). Anyways, after a break I've decided to fill in some areas I've always felt were missing on Stockhausen: Sounds In Space, my online resource for all things Stockhausen (well, the music stuff anyways...).
One thing I've always felt weird about was that I didn't have any kind of user's guide to navigating through the CDs themselves (I've organized the site by work number). The main reason behind this was always because the CD booklets themselves are so wonderful that it seemed redundant for such a resource (also Sono Loco went about it in such a manner).
Nonetheless, even if it's just an excuse to listen to every one of my Stockhausen CDs all over again in chronological order, I decided to just do it, perhaps as a help to those people who might be interested in buying the CDs but are not sure which performances and performers are on each disc. Of course, one can never get enough performances of KONTAKTE or KONTRAPUNKTE, but anyways, here's chapter 1, covering the first "wave":
I have to say, this is truly an incredible early career discography of 10 CDs. If KS had never written another note he already would be a key contributor to 20th Century music. Obviously this is all preaching to the converted but yeah, this is the Big Bang for me (at least until LICHT, anyways).
I've found that there are two ways of listening to these works. The first is to listen to them as slowly modulating drone harmonies with ornamentation providing a "rough surface" (or perhaps "imperfections in the paper", from a Cage-ian perspective). This gives these works a kind of meditative, ritualistic feel, and the metal percussion signals reinforce this imagery.
The other way (and I think this may be the more intended way) is to concentrate on the ornamentation as a foreground layer on top of a static harmonic background. In this interpretation, the various articulations "speak" to each other, using the 5 languages applied to the 5 layers. Stockhausen also emphasizes that the figures and glissandi are "more important than the sustained tones...and should be played very clearly, slightly louder, and never casually or as ornaments." In any case, it's fascinating to compare and contrast these 4 arrangements of essentially the same melodic and harmonic material. Because of these versions, HOCH-ZEITEN becomes a true exploration of timbre and coloration, expressed vocally, instrumentally, electronically and electr-acoustically.
The Memories and Blend-ins of the choral and orchestral versions add an additional dimension as well. Naturally, these Memories become much more meaningful after one has become very familiar with all of the Scenes of the LICHT opera cycle, but even without the recognition factor, they provide a nice contrast to the tightly-focused structure of the main body. However, just as in DONNERSTAG AUS LICHT's last Scene, VISION (which features a brief revue of that opera's previous scenes), these reminiscences of operas past give the listener who has travelled through all 7 "Days" the strong feeling of an epic journey completed.
No. 33: FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN (For Times to Come) (1968-1970) 17 "intuitive music" text compositions for electroacoustic ensemble or small ensemble
During a period of personal upheaval and crisis, Stockhausen wrote a set of texts, AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN, which are essentially verbal instructions which an ensemble (usually small) could use to embark on a kind of "textural" improvisation. These works would tend to establish a kind of "vibratory environment" and then gradually develop into new ensemble landscapes. Stockhausen called these improvisatory journeys "intuitive music", and sometimes inferred that instead of playing from a score, the performers would receive musical vibrations from each other and possibly from some kind of external (spiritual?) force. FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN is basically a second collection of texts for use in creating intuitive music improvisations
This is a beautiful chamber work with a very delightful "vibe" to it, despite the fact that it's a "farewell". Some of the held textures remind me of held organ mixtures, which may be in honor of the dedicatee's instrument. The pauses may be felt as interruptions of life, or perhaps as "moments of silence". Stockhausen notes: "The musicians must be able to experience deeply, and form into notes, the sense of closeness to death that vibrates in this music." However, the tonal cadence phrases provide a festive counterpoint, and the more lively sections throb with energy. Compositionally, the blending of systematic Fibonacci-based mathematics and "free-choice" aleatoric notation makes this piece very balanced, yet open to repeated reinvention.
Early Wks: SONATINE (SONATINA) for violin and piano 1951 [10'32"] FORMEL (FORMULA) for orchestra including piano, vibraphone and harp 1951 [12'57"] SPIEL (PLAY) for orchestra 1952 [16'01"]
These works briefly trace Stockhausen's development from a student writing classroom exercises (thinking more about poetry than music, actually) to a soon-to-be-published mature composer receiving commissions for major music festivals. Beyond their historical importance, they are all actually pretty enjoyable to hear! In fact, I think they come across as being fairly forward-thinking even in today's musical climate... http://stockhausenspace.blogspot.com/2015/10/early-wks-sonatine-formel-spiel.html
I can only imagine the level of commitment required to deliver this 45-minute tour-de-force of solo wind playing and dancing! You have to hand it to Karlheinz, he never let his favorite performers off easy!
I feel that it could be useful to have a discussion-forum on the music of Stockhausen.
There are so many people from all over the world, young and old, learned and eager to get into contact with this musical world:
musicologists, composers, musicians, music lovers; people who plan concerts, who write books or have to give lectures and so on.
So there should be much stuff, many ideas that we can share. And when we have open questions, there may be people who studied just that and could give a hint or a stimulus. Thomas Ulrich