Stockhausen's Spaceship

Started by Cato, September 21, 2007, 06:24:19 AM

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Rex

Hi Mandryka

I'm not sure if you are asking if the booklet is worth acquiring/reading (in which case it can be read in the Naxos Music Library) - or if you are asking an opinion of the article on the Klavierstücke by Wolfgang Rathert printed in the booklet.

I have just been listening to the performance on Naxos, and like it enough to decide to purchase a copy of the recording for myself. Sabine Liebner seems to me to play the works very well, although her interpretation seems quite gentle and contemplative. It would not replace the more dynamic performances of Aloys Kontarsky for me. I have had a cursory read of the booklet, and to an enthusiastic amateur like myself it is both informative and interesting to read. I will be reading it more carefully in the future when I have some more leisurely time.

I hope that is a little bit useful. Perhaps someone with a deeper insight will give a more detailed response.

Mandryka

#1361
Unfortunately I'm not a member of Naxos Music Library. What I'm really asking is whether the booklet ideas makes clear Sabine Liebner's thoughts about the music, about how she arrived at her interpretation, the order, the choice etc. If she wrote the essay and it was substantial, then I'd buy the recording. As it is I can listen to it via streaming services. 

Liebner is always contemplative!
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Rex

The booklet essay is titled 'Numbers and Freedom: The Historical Significance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Klavierstücke I–XI', and is by Wolfgang Rathert, so it is about Stockhausen's compositional method rather than Liebner's approach to her performance.

Naxos allows a free 15 minute preview of their website - so you could read the essay yourself, or even download the booklet, by going to www.naxosmusiclibrary.com - clicking on the free preview button at the lower right of the page, then searching for 'Stockhausen Liebner' in the search box. If you want to save the booklet you can right click on it, on the relevant page, and 'save as'.

Mandryka

Quote from: Rex on December 29, 2018, 12:03:00 PM
The booklet essay is titled 'Numbers and Freedom: The Historical Significance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Klavierstücke I–XI', and is by Wolfgang Rathert, so it is about Stockhausen's compositional method rather than Liebner's approach to her performance.

Naxos allows a free 15 minute preview of their website - so you could read the essay yourself, or even download the booklet, by going to www.naxosmusiclibrary.com - clicking on the free preview button at the lower right of the page, then searching for 'Stockhausen Liebner' in the search box. If you want to save the booklet you can right click on it, on the relevant page, and 'save as'.

Excellent. That worked!
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Enjoying Aufwärts from Aus den Sieben Tagen, which I just found on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/v/8wifqnuoSZ8

Here's the score

QuotePlay a vibration in the rhythm of your smallest particles
Play a vibration in the rhythm of the universe
Play all the rhythms that you can
distinguish today between
the rhythm of your smallest particles
and the rhythm of the universe
one after the other
and each one for so long
until the air carries it on
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

https://www.youtube.com/v/SMpiXLN8XZ8

This is a live performance of Klavierstuck 13, Luzifers Traum. The sound is mediocre but you can see everything, like when he plays cluster chords with his arse (26'45'', 28')  and boots on the keyboard (27'40'')

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

staxomega

Quote from: Mandryka on December 22, 2018, 11:46:30 PM


Can someone please tell me whether the booklet in this fascinating recording has interesting ideas in it?

I agree with you, this is contemplative and damn good! Looking forward to really sinking into her interpretations more. Pi Hsien Chen is the other one unfamiliar to me I've been listening to, she is more direct.

Mandryka

Can we talk Klang? What are the most interesting bits?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Augustus

In my opinion, the greatest Klang pieces are the seven Hours 6 to 12, each a trio for different forces and each a wonderful piece of chamber music in absolute terms.  Among Stockhausen pieces likely to appeal to listeners as "absolute music" I think these seven pieces are among the finest compositions he ever achieved.  They represent in my mind a late flowering of his genius that can hold their own with anything ever written in the trio format.  I never tire of listening to them.  Next to these, I would nominate the Second Hour "Freude" 2 for two harps, which is a sheerly beautiful piece.

Mandryka

Quote from: Augustus on September 10, 2020, 07:45:42 AM
In my opinion, the greatest Klang pieces are the seven Hours 6 to 12, each a trio for different forces and each a wonderful piece of chamber music in absolute terms.  Among Stockhausen pieces likely to appeal to listeners as "absolute music" I think these seven pieces are among the finest compositions he ever achieved.  They represent in my mind a late flowering of his genius that can hold their own with anything ever written in the trio format.  I never tire of listening to them.  Next to these, I would nominate the Second Hour "Freude" 2 for two harps, which is a sheerly beautiful piece.

Just what I needed, I have some listening to do! Will report back.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Rex

To Augustus' list I would like to add the three compositions of Klang that have (so far) made the greatest impression on me.

First is Freude (Klang 2), which has a beautiful and gentle joyfulness. There was a video of this somewhere on Youtube that added to the pleasure, watching the 2 harpists interact with each other.

I also like Natürliche Dauern (Klang 3) for its serene, meditative quality.

Perhaps the most powerful is Cosmic Pulses [Klang 13], which is overwhelming. My first listening to this just seemed like being faced by a massive wall of sound, but the more I have listened to it, the more it has revealed its incredibly complex spacescapes. Cosmic Pulses generates a sense of awe in the most literal sense – both terror at the sense of overwhelming power, and ecstatic wonder. (I imagine it would be like hovering near the edge of a black hole). I have only heard this in stereo, and would love to experience it through the 8-channel speakers it was designed for.

It is also fascinating to listen to the next 8 pieces, that take ascending (in pitch) strands of Cosmic Pulses, and use them as accompaniment for various soloists (vocal and instrumental). It is as if the densely packed  strands of Cosmic Pulses are unraveled, allowing you to get a greater sense of what structures the complexity of Cosmic Pulses itself.

And now I've said all this, I am feeling a need to go back and visit them all again!

I have not (yet) been excited by Himmels-Tür [Klang 4] as a piece of music. Perhaps I would appreciate it more as a piece of theatre!

Mandryka

Schoenheit (Klang 6th hour) is melodic enough to appeal to the audiences of The Wigmore Hall! Is this Stockhausen's integration of past styles, à la Rihm.

(Sorry - badly expressed - I've just drunk a bottle of wine!)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Just discovered Hoffnung!

I'm going to have to start buying some Stockhausen Verlag CDs, but they're so expensive and nothing on the second hand market. Painful.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

petrarch

Quote from: Mandryka on September 12, 2020, 09:37:58 AM
Just discovered Hoffnung!

I'm going to have to start buying some Stockhausen Verlag CDs, but they're so expensive and nothing on the second hand market. Painful.

It is worth mentioning that some SV releases have the same recordings as other, non-SV, recordings. Mikrophonie I, Samstag aus Licht and the helicopter string quartet come to mind. The SV booklets are usually much more substantial, though.
//p
The music collection.
The hi-fi system: Esoteric X-03SE -> Pathos Logos -> Analysis Audio Amphitryon.
A view of the whole

Mandryka

Listening to Glanz from Klang, I'm getting slightly annoyed at all the words the players intone. Latin I think? What was he trying to achieve by that?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Rex

LOL - some of the vocalisations in Stockhausen's instrumental works can be a bit to get used to. Especially sometimes the musicians can sound a little self-conscious with it. But you get used to it, and they do suit KS's purpose.
The words in Glanz are indeed Latin ""Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax in hominibus bonae voluntatis", which fit very well for the spiritual "Brilliance" being evoked in Glanz!.
It works for me though. I find Glanz to be very gentle, optimistic and uplifting, even a little amusing, words and all.

Mandryka

Are there really only two recordings of Momente?
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

petrarch

Quote from: Mandryka on December 31, 2020, 02:28:16 AM
Are there really only two recordings of Momente?

I have three on SV: 1965, 1972 and 1998.
//p
The music collection.
The hi-fi system: Esoteric X-03SE -> Pathos Logos -> Analysis Audio Amphitryon.
A view of the whole

Mandryka

Quote from: petrarch on December 31, 2020, 05:19:32 AM
I have three on SV: 1965, 1972 and 1998.

I didn't know about 1998, thanks.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

petrarch

//p
The music collection.
The hi-fi system: Esoteric X-03SE -> Pathos Logos -> Analysis Audio Amphitryon.
A view of the whole