Stockhausen's Spaceship

[Franco]

I had the Alois Kontarsky recordings of Klavierstucke 1-11 and remember them being very important to me in the 1970s. 

[petrarch]

I had the Alois Kontarsky recordings of Klavierstucke 1-11 and remember them being very important to me in the 1970s.

I absolutely love those recordings. Probably my favourite Stockhausen.

[Ugh]

What was Stockhausen's involvement in Jodorowsky's aborted attempt at filming Dune? (Pink Floyd, Magma, and Henry Cow were supposed to make musical contributions as well)

[Guido]

Did Stockhausen ever give any indications about what he thought of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms etc? I always think that what he was doing was so different, and his comments about why he made music and what he liked are so far removed from these guys that I wonder if he appreciated them...

[petrarch]

Did Stockhausen ever give any indications about what he thought of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms etc? I always think that what he was doing was so different, and his comments about why he made music and what he liked are so far removed from these guys that I wonder if he appreciated them...

Yes, he appreciated them. Stockhausen and modern composers in general typically share the "standing in the shoulders of giants" approach, contrary to the all too usual misconception that their music makes them incompatible with music from earlier periods. He even has a CD on his label where he conducts Haydn and Mozart.

[snyprrr]

Well, it seems the Stockhausen bug has bit me. Does that just mean another rabbit hole, haha?

I've been YouTubing his earlier works from the '50s (besides the piano pieces, which have (Sony)). I have a feeling I'm headed for a paradigm shift. It's all quite groovy.

I see the discography is certainly not a crowded field, usually with one 'classic' recording, and one newish one.

I also had feelings for Ylem and Inouri, two funky works from the early '70s. Reminds me of Planet of the Apes!

[petrarch]

Well, it seems the Stockhausen bug has bit me. Does that just mean another rabbit hole, haha?

I've been YouTubing his earlier works from the '50s (besides the piano pieces, which have (Sony)). I have a feeling I'm headed for a paradigm shift. It's all quite groovy.

Grab Hymnen (version for electronic and concrete music) and listen to it twice in a row like I did when I first got it. Prepare to be awed!

http://homepage.mac.com/bernardp/Stockhausen/ksce10.html

[CRCulver]

Over the last few days (and for the rest of the week) I've finally sunken into Sonntag aus Licht (1998-2003) ... which will receive it's world premiere in April-May 2011.

Reports in rec.music.classical.contemporary (a hangout of prominent Stockhausen scholars and fans) suggest that this world premier isn't going to happen after all. The venue has yet to announce a cancellation, but they haven't put tickets on sale, and they admit that contracts haven't even been signed yet.

[snyprrr]

Listening to the 3 Acts from Montag aus Licht (1984-88) ...



Montag-Gruss

Act I (6 Scenes)
Evas Erstgeburt (Eve's First Birth-Giving)
for 3 sopranos, 3 tenors, bass / actor / choir / 21 actresses /
children's choir / modern orchestra (3 synth players, 1 perc., tape)
-In Hoffnung (Expecting)
-Heinzelmannchen
-Geburts-Arien (Birth-Arias)
-Knabengeshrei (Boy's Hullabaloo)
-Luzifers Zorn (Lucifer's Fury)
-Das Grosse Geweine (The Great Weeping)

Act II (4 Scenes)
Evas Zweitgeburt (Eve's Second Birth-Giving)
for 7 solo boy singers / basset-horn, 3 basset-teases
(2 basset-horns and 1 vocal basset-horn) / piano / choir /
21 actresses / girl's choir / modern orchestra (3 synth players, 1 perc., tape)
-Madchenprozession (Girl's Procession)
-Befruchtung mit Klavierstuck (Conception with Piano Piece)
-Wiedergeburt (Re-birth)
-Evas Lied (Eve's Song)

Act III (3 Scenes)
Evas Zauber (Eve's Magic)
for basset-horn, alto flute with piccolo / choir, children's choir /
modern orchestra (3 synth players, 1 perc., tape)
-Botschaft (Message)
-Der Kinderfanger (The Pied Piper)
-Entfuhrung (Abduction)

Montag-Abschied

REVIEW by Stephen Eddins
Stockhausen's four-and-a-half-hour Montag is part of his massive seven-opera cycle LICHT. It's the third opera of the cycle, and it focuses on the character of Eve. (Donnerstag, the first, had Michael as the central character, and Samstag dealt with Luzifer; the remaining operas examine their relationships.) Although Montag received its 1988 premiere at La Scala (in what, from the photos in the 200-page CD booklet, looks like a fabulous production), this not the traditional opera of bel canto singing and taut dramaturgy; it's a sprawling pageant that unfolds both musically and dramatically entirely within its own idiosyncratic frame of reference. Electronics play a prominent role in the aural landscape, and solo instrumentalists at some points carry the action and the music as prominently as the singers, a group that includes soloists, chorus, and a children's chorus. The convoluted scenario doesn't bear close rational scrutiny, but it provides the framework for a spectacle that's undeniably compelling on a visceral, subconscious or preconscious level for the listener or spectator who's willing to suspend expectations of a traditional narrative. Giving himself such a spacious timeframe in which to unfurl his ideas, Stockhausen rarely moves quickly; the leisurely pace at which the music develops and evolves seems entirely appropriate to the scope of the project. While on a meta-level a sense of stasis frequently prevails, the surface of the music is always active and developing, so the listener who is able to focus on the moment and engage with the opera's grand aura of enigma will always find plenty to engage the ear. Stockhausen has involved some of the brightest lights in contemporary music performance in the project, including pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard and conductor Peter Eötvös. Stockhausen specialists clarinetist and basset hornist Suzanne Stephens and flutist Kathinka Pasveer deserve special recognition for their extended virtuoso contributions. The quality of the entire production is remarkably strong for a piece that makes such extravagant demands on its performers. Because the Stockhausen Edition controls the distribution his music, which is available only from his official website, the recording is awfully expensive, but anyone with a serious interest in the full range of development in late twentieth century opera deserves to get acquainted with the operas of the LICHT cycle, and Montag is one of the most musically engaging places to start.

If you ever wondered where the "heart shape" came from, well, there ya go!


btw- those cd covers are almost just to tempting, arent they? Gotta give it to him. They are so joyous looking, all of them.

[MDL]

Currently listening to Freitag aus Licht .. some samples posted below for curious folks.



FRIDAY TEMPTATION Score Page 1
(mp3 audio 1.3M) (1:06)
(electronic music)

FRIDAY TEMPTATION Tone Scene 1
(mp3 audio 3.8M) (3:20)
(electronic music)

KINDER ORCHESTER / CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA (S. 13)
(mp3 audio 6.8M) (5:53)
((for example 16 instruments) & soprano, flute, basset-horn /
synthesizer player / electronic music / sound projectionist)

ELUFA Real Scene (S.130/131)
(mp3 audio 8.8M) (7:39)
(for basset-horn, flute / electronic music)

CHOR-SPIRALE / CHOIR SPIRAL Real Scene (S. 130/136)
(mp3 audio 6.5M) (5:40)
(for 12 choir singers (3S 3A 6B) / electronic music / sound projectionist)

..

And though I haven't heard the piece there is a
new album released of Harlekin for solo clarinet ...



bit on the performer >> http://www.stockhausen.org/marelli.html

Thanks for posting these links. Hope you can post a few more links to some of the other operas, perhaps Monday or Tuesday.

[MDL]

Those clips of Friday are from the composer's own site .. i just linked them from here, there aren't any available for Monday or Tuesday on there that I know of. 

You can order discs from this British site that accepts CC payments via Pay Pal

http://www.stockhausensociety.org/order-cds.asp

Oh,  wow! Thanks for this info. The process of ordering CDs from the Verlag makes my head spin.

[petrarch]

Oh,  wow! Thanks for this info. The process of ordering CDs from the Verlag makes my head spin.

I made two substantial orders earlier this year from the Verlag. Had no issues whatsoever and they are very prompt with replies to any questions.

[MDL]

I made two substantial orders earlier this year from the Verlag. Had no issues whatsoever and they are very prompt with replies to any questions.

Oh, don't get me wrong; the problem is me, not the Verlag. When I read "add cheque handling charges" and "bank transfer" etc, I go into a cold sweat. I'm crap with that kind of banking stuff! 

[petrarch]

Thankfully that British site is on-point. 

But you pay a premium to go through them...

[petrarch]

?

I didn't pay a premium.

Prices are about 10% higher at the society.

[petrarch]

bottomline is that it's much more convenient and easier to order discs online, just a few simple clicks and no bs.

Not sure what bs you are referring to.

I totally agree on the ease and convenience of an online order. It costs, though, in this particular case; I'd rather get an extra CD or two by ordering direct than pay the premium, even if it takes ~3 weeks for an order from the Verlag to be delivered in the US. Plus the Verlag always includes bonus goodies with every order.

In any case, the society provides better prices than those I have seen in some brick and mortar stores. I still remember paying too much for CD 8 (Mixtur) at Tower Records in London a decade ago, and I recall they had CD 7 (Momente) at an absurdly high price, something like 3x the price at the Verlag. I placed my first order with the Verlag a couple of months later.

[CRCulver]

They really should get their online situation together and allow for online purchasing like every other site! Who wants to go through the extra tedium to order discs.

In the wake of Stockhausen's death, some journalist (Norman Lebrecht?) predicted that the Stockhausen-Verlag would hand over control to some established company, because there's so much money to be made on Stockhausen's music, and the Verlag is doing a poor job of making that music widely available. That never really happened, did it? EMI put out their 2-disc set of archival recordings of fairly minor pieces, Naxos released a performance of Mantra, but there was never the sudden major interest in Stockhausen's music by real labels that I expected.

I'm digging LICHT. If the recordings were released by a major label at the standard price and with the usual ease of ordering, I'd buy a boatload of them. As it is, I'm just getting things from pirate sites until the situation settles.

[petrarch]

All of the deterring fine print (below) to get the stuff ... perhaps you can tell us how you go about ordering, you fill out the order form and then mail them a cheque, or cash or get a bank transfer... ?

I fill the order form and mail it along with a cheque, after confirming the total and availability of the items with Kathinka over email.

Ordering thru the Stockhausen Society you get all those bonus goodies too (additional catalogues, pamplets etc - if that's what you're referring to?),

I received a couple of articles and some postcards with drawings by Stockhausen. I think I received some additional material along with some of the scores.

and I don't recall paying any premium thru PayPal

The premium is built into the price at the society; it corresponds to their overhead in providing the service, I would guess, since I don't think the Verlag provides discounts on bulk orders or makes any sort of special price for distributors and retailers.

[petrarch]

Hey petrArch .. they have a shitload of DVDs ... have you ever ordered any?

>> http://www.stockhausen.org/video_kassetten_engl.pdf

Nope, though I have been thinking about it. Another set of DVDs I intend to grab are those put out by the Archivio Luigi Nono.

[petrarch]

I only know the one that's offered on Amazon but there are more Nono DVDs? All this stuff seems so hidden in a way ... I don't think I've ever read a single review on the hordes of Stockhausen DVDs that are available. (not that I've searched but still ... usually come across something)

Like the Verlag, the Archivio is converting all of the video archive to DVD, though they will do it on demand since they did not "productize" those videos. When I was there a few years back, Nuria told me you can just go there and do the copy yourself for free, however many you want. Not sure if that still applies today.

http://www.luiginono.it/it/cataloghi/risultati?catalogue=audiovideo&type-of-work=Video

I have the Trail on the water DVD, and although very interesting I feel it doesn't have "enough" of Nono . The same director has made a documentary on Lachenmann (which was excellent) and was about to finish one on Rihm. Still waiting for them to be released...