Stockhausen, Karlheinz (1928-2007) 4-9 Jan

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was thinking of something to help my broaden my knowledge of Licht as this maybe my only way of hearing this music (although there is always hope1

If you can get to Paris at least once a year, you can see the whole cycle performed by Le Balcon, Keith:

http://www.lebalcon.com/le-balcon/licht/

(Donnerstag came to the Festival Hall last May - no sign [yet - although, as you say, there is always hope ] that the others are coming to London

[Keith]

It was hearing one of the Festival Hall performances that really awoke my interest in hearing more of Licht. The shock and awe of the start of Act III is still something that's lingering. Paris may be beckoning...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It was hearing one of the Festival Hall performances that really awoke my interest in hearing more of Licht. The shock and awe of the start of Act III is still something that's lingering. Paris may be beckoning...

I went to both performances - a truly astonishing production of a great work.

Welcome to the Forum, by the way, Keith - hope you manage to get to Paris. (And that Le Balcon's production of the entire cycle doesn't run out of funds, and even gets recorded for everyone unable to get to the performances.)

[Bryn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnC-RKm12ZI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJfI_wwLbQs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9wEiv3BNoc

These YouTube versions appear to be 128kbps AAC-LC data compressions (i.e. on a par with Radio 3 DAB audio quality) of the Stockhausen Verlag issues.

[Mandryka]

Samstag aus Licht, Paris, 2019, complete video and programme

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RI8o60aeWL-gvw-Sz7PHEVJbEnDwq3X0/view

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMpvIVxXdsx44pXdG9HY3tl-uAE73GzH0zxhSdDIhG4yh_ba4hZaaP0UTQFTdJr9g?key=Q05uNnFNR3ZvYlFTZ3g1MDdDNUlORk8xZEhrVDZ3

[Richard Barrett]

Samstag aus Licht, Paris, 2019, complete video and programme

Etonnant! Thanks for that, Mandryka, downloading right now.

[Richard Barrett]

Etonnant! Thanks for that, Mandryka, downloading right now.

... although as soon as I started watching the video I realised that I had actually seen it before. I think the Luzifers Tanz scene is particularly successful, with the independent tempi of the different facial features underlined by the video projection.

[Bryn]

Then there was Light.

[Serial_Apologist]

Then there was Light.

Goodness only knows why everybody shouldn't be listening to this!

[Mandryka]

Weltraum, which consists of the Gruß and Abschied from Freitag placed end to end

I'm listening to this now. What normally happens on stage in the opera during Freitags Gruss?

[RichardB]

I'm listening to this now. What normally happens on stage in the opera during Freitags Gruss?

Nothing, it's played in the foyer before the audience enters the theatre, and the "Abschied" is played as they leave; but the music of Weltraum also forms a constant layer throughout the opera itself, with all the live-performance scenes and further electronic material layered on top of it.

[Mandryka]

I think the best way to hear the LICHT operas is as wholes, even though they were (with the exception of Freitag and to a great extent Montag also) written as detachable units, but that's quite an expensive proposition of course. The highlights for me are:
Dienstag - Oktophonie (more convincing in its standalone form than the recording in the box set IMO)
Mittwoch - Mittwochs-Gruß, Michaelion
Donnerstag - Michaels Reise
Samstag - Luzifers Tanz, Luzifers Abschied
Sonntag - Lichter-Wasser, Engel-Prozessionen
From the post-LICHT music I especially like Freude and Strahlen.
Previous to LICHT there are really too many crucial works to select from. The ones I listen to most often would be Punkte, Gruppen, Carré, Kontakte, Momente (the 1969 version), Mikrophonie I, Mixtur, Hymnen, Stimmung, Aus den sieben Tagen, Spiral (the complete performance by Michael Vetter), Mantra, Sternklang, Trans, Inori.

Sternklang the recording must be a very different experience from the real thing.

[Mandryka]

Nothing, it's played in the foyer before the audience enters the theatre

Ah, like offering drinks to your guests before they take their place at the table for dinner.

[Mandryka]

New film on Licht

https://witfilm.nl/en/project/licht-2/

[Serial_Apologist]

New film on Licht

https://witfilm.nl/en/project/licht-2/

He didn't exactly have the most auspicious start in life. Very touching, that trailer.