Sonntag aus Licht
Encyclopedia
Sonntag aus Licht is an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen
in five scenes and a farewell, to a libretto written and compiled by the composer. It is the last-composed of seven operas that comprise the cycle Licht
(Light). Its stage premiere was posthumous, more than three years after the composer's death.
Within the Licht cycle, Sunday is the day of the mystical union of Eve
and Michael
, from which the new life of Monday proceeds. "In this way there is neither end nor beginning to the week. It is an eternal spiral" (Stockhausen 1989, 156).
for the Donaueschinger Musiktage
, and was premiered on 16 October 1999 in the Baar Gymnasium in Donaueschingen. The second scene, Engel-Prozessionen (Angel Processions), was commissioned by the Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir) of Hilversum, Holland, and its artistic director Jan Zekveld. It was composed in 2000, and premiered on 9 November 2002 at the Concertgebouw
in Amsterdam, with James Wood
and David Lawrence conducting (Stockhausen 2011, 25–26, 145–46).
The music of Licht-Bilder was commissioned by the Centre de Création Musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX), Paris, and a visual realisation was commissioned by the Zentrum für Kunst und Mediatechnologie
(ZKM), Karlsruhe, with the support of the Kunststiftung NRW (Art Foundation of North Rhine Westphalia). It was premiered at the Donaueschinger Musiktage, in the Donauhalle B, on 16 October 2004. The performers were Suzanne Stephens
(bassett horn), Kathinka Pasveer
(flute and alto flute), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Marco Blaauw
(trumpet), and Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), with Karlheinz Stockhausen (sound projection). Image composition, stage design, and cosumes were by Johannes Conen, with video collaboration from Yvonne Mohr (Stockhausen 2011, 35, 152).
Düfte-Zeichen was commissioned by Peter Ruzicka
for the 2003 Salzburg Festival
, and was composed between January and March 2002. It received its first performance on 29 August 2003 at the Perner Insel in Hallein
(near Salzburg). The performers were Isolde Siebert (high soprano), Ksenja Lukič (soprano), Susanne Otto (alto), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Bernhard Gärtner (tenor), Jonathan de la Paz Zaens (baritone), Nicholas Isherwood (bass), Sebastian Kunz (boy soprano), and Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), with sound projection by the composer (Stockhausen 2006, V, XXI).
The final pair of scenes, Hoch-Zeiten für Chor and Hoch-Zeiten für Orchester (High Times, or Marriages for choir and for orchestra), are performed simultaneously in two different halls. It was commissioned by Rafael Nebot for the Festival de Música de Canarias. It was premiered by the choir and symphony orchestra of the West German Radio Cologne, in the Sala Sinfónica and the Sala de Cámera of the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
on 1 February 2003. Rupert Huber conducted the choir, Zsolt Nagy conducted the orchestra, and the synthesizer players were Antonio Pérez Abellán and Benjamin Kobler. The German premiere with the same forces took place in Cologne on 14 February 2003 at the Philharmonie and the Große Sendesaal of the WDR
(Stockhausen 2011, 59, 177).
The last element to be completed was the Sonntags-Anschied (Sunday Farewell), which was adapted for five synthesizers in 2003 from Hoch-Zeiten für Chor. It was premiered on 1 August 2004 in the Sülztalhalle in Kürten as the second concert of the 2004 Stockhausen Courses. The performers were Frank Gutschmidt, Benjamin Kobler, Marc Maes, Antonio Pérez Abellán, and Fabrizio Rosso. In concert performances such as the premiere it may be performed live, but in the context of the opera it is intended to be heard in the foyer and/or outside the hall in five-channel playback, possibly with visual projections (Toop 2005, 1–2). There are also two further versions of this Abschied, one for solo percussionist and ten-channel tape titled Strahlen (Rays), the other as Klavierstück XIX, for synthesizer and five-channel tape. Work on the ten-channel electronic music for Strahlen was begun in 2003 by the ZKM, Karlsruhe, but was interrupted in 2004 in favour of producing the visual elements for Licht-Bilder. The tape part was not finished until 2010, though a preliminary version was used for the world premiere on 4 December 2009 in Karlsruhe, with László Hudacsek, vibraphone.
The staged premiere of Sonntag was given by the Cologne Opera
in two parts, on Saturday and Sunday, 9 and 10 April 2011, in the Staatenhaus (States' House) of the Kölner Messe (Ulrich 2011, insert). Subsequent performances were given on 20/21, 26/27, and 28/29 April, with the entire opera given in a single day on 24 April and 1 May 2011. The musical direction was by Kathinka Pasveer
and Peter Rundel, and the artistic concept by Franc Aleu (from Urano), and by Roland Olbeter and Carlus Padrissa (from La Fura dels Baus
). The staging was by Carlus Padrissa, with dramaturgy by Thomas Ulrich. Stage design was by Roland Olbeter, costumes by Chu Uroz, and lighting by Andreas Grüter. Video production was by Franc Aleu and choreography by Athol Farmer and Carlos Paz.
Sonntag takes as its subject our solar system
and the relationships of all the planets that orbit the sun (Stockhausen 1989, 200). In this opera, the earth and life on it is represented as the result of the union of light and water. These two elements are presented in the first scene, and the rest of the opera celebrates the evolution of life, of plants, animals, humans, and above all this the planets, moons, and heavenly constellations (Stockhausen 2011, 111, 191). There are five scenes, and a concluding "farewell".
, creating new harmonies and timbres (Stockhausen 2011, 33–34, 151–52)
(sung by an alto), and Michael appears in the form of a boy soprano (Ulrich 2011, 3). The seven fragrances chosen for the days of the week, their associated geographical areas, and the seven voices and voice combinations are (Stockhausen 2006, V, VII, XXI, XXIII):
An alto voice from outside the hall, identifying hersalf as Eve, causes the soloists to run out, in turbulence. They return in procession, escorting the alto to the front while singing an "overtone chant". The alto Eve calls the boy Michael to her out of the audience, they sing a mystical duet, and she takes him with her into another world (Stockhausen 2006, V, XVIII, XXI, XXX).
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
in five scenes and a farewell, to a libretto written and compiled by the composer. It is the last-composed of seven operas that comprise the cycle Licht
Licht
Licht , subtitled "The Seven Days of the Week," is a cycle of seven operas composed by Karlheinz Stockhausen between 1977 and 2003. In total, the cycle contains over 29 hours of music.-Origin:...
(Light). Its stage premiere was posthumous, more than three years after the composer's death.
Within the Licht cycle, Sunday is the day of the mystical union of Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
and Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
, from which the new life of Monday proceeds. "In this way there is neither end nor beginning to the week. It is an eternal spiral" (Stockhausen 1989, 156).
History
The various scenes of the opera were commissioned by different organizations and were premiered separately in concert form. Lichter—Wasser (Lights—Waters) was composed in 1998–99 on commission of the SüdwestrundfunkSüdwestrundfunk
The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
for the Donaueschinger Musiktage
Donaueschingen Festival
The Donaueschingen Festival is a festival for new music that takes place every October in the small town of Donaueschingen...
, and was premiered on 16 October 1999 in the Baar Gymnasium in Donaueschingen. The second scene, Engel-Prozessionen (Angel Processions), was commissioned by the Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir) of Hilversum, Holland, and its artistic director Jan Zekveld. It was composed in 2000, and premiered on 9 November 2002 at the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
in Amsterdam, with James Wood
James Wood (composer)
James Wood is a British composer, percussionist and conductor -Life:James Wood studied organ in Cambridge. He also studied at the Royal Academy of Music...
and David Lawrence conducting (Stockhausen 2011, 25–26, 145–46).
The music of Licht-Bilder was commissioned by the Centre de Création Musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX), Paris, and a visual realisation was commissioned by the Zentrum für Kunst und Mediatechnologie
Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe
The Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe in Karlsruhe, Germany is an interdisciplinary art museum and research institution focusing on new media....
(ZKM), Karlsruhe, with the support of the Kunststiftung NRW (Art Foundation of North Rhine Westphalia). It was premiered at the Donaueschinger Musiktage, in the Donauhalle B, on 16 October 2004. The performers were Suzanne Stephens
Suzanne Stephens
Suzanne Stephens is an American clarinetist, resident in Germany, described as "an outstanding performer and tireless promoter of the clarinet and basset horn" .-Biography:...
(bassett horn), Kathinka Pasveer
Kathinka Pasveer
-Biography:Kathinka Pasveer was born in Zaandam, North Holland, the daughter of a conductor who also taught at the Amsterdam Conservatory . She studied with Frans Vester at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she received her performer's diploma, with the distinction of the Nicolai Prize in...
(flute and alto flute), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Marco Blaauw
Marco Blaauw
Marco Blaauw is a Dutch trumpeter.- Biography :Marco Blaauw studied trumpet at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He continued studying with Pierre Thibaud and with Markus Stockhausen. He has an international career as a trumpet soloist and is a permanent member of the ensemble musikFabrik...
(trumpet), and Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), with Karlheinz Stockhausen (sound projection). Image composition, stage design, and cosumes were by Johannes Conen, with video collaboration from Yvonne Mohr (Stockhausen 2011, 35, 152).
Düfte-Zeichen was commissioned by Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka
Peter Ruzicka is a German composer and conductor of classical music.Peter Ruzicka was born in Düsseldorf on July 3, 1948. He received his early musical training at the Hamburg Conservatory. He studied composition with Hans Werner Henze and Hans Otte...
for the 2003 Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, and was composed between January and March 2002. It received its first performance on 29 August 2003 at the Perner Insel in Hallein
Hallein
Hallein is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the capital of the Hallein district. It is located in the Tennengau region south of the City of Salzburg, along the Salzach river in the shadow of the Untersberg massif, near the border with Germany. With a population of c...
(near Salzburg). The performers were Isolde Siebert (high soprano), Ksenja Lukič (soprano), Susanne Otto (alto), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Bernhard Gärtner (tenor), Jonathan de la Paz Zaens (baritone), Nicholas Isherwood (bass), Sebastian Kunz (boy soprano), and Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), with sound projection by the composer (Stockhausen 2006, V, XXI).
The final pair of scenes, Hoch-Zeiten für Chor and Hoch-Zeiten für Orchester (High Times, or Marriages for choir and for orchestra), are performed simultaneously in two different halls. It was commissioned by Rafael Nebot for the Festival de Música de Canarias. It was premiered by the choir and symphony orchestra of the West German Radio Cologne, in the Sala Sinfónica and the Sala de Cámera of the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
on 1 February 2003. Rupert Huber conducted the choir, Zsolt Nagy conducted the orchestra, and the synthesizer players were Antonio Pérez Abellán and Benjamin Kobler. The German premiere with the same forces took place in Cologne on 14 February 2003 at the Philharmonie and the Große Sendesaal of the WDR
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD...
(Stockhausen 2011, 59, 177).
The last element to be completed was the Sonntags-Anschied (Sunday Farewell), which was adapted for five synthesizers in 2003 from Hoch-Zeiten für Chor. It was premiered on 1 August 2004 in the Sülztalhalle in Kürten as the second concert of the 2004 Stockhausen Courses. The performers were Frank Gutschmidt, Benjamin Kobler, Marc Maes, Antonio Pérez Abellán, and Fabrizio Rosso. In concert performances such as the premiere it may be performed live, but in the context of the opera it is intended to be heard in the foyer and/or outside the hall in five-channel playback, possibly with visual projections (Toop 2005, 1–2). There are also two further versions of this Abschied, one for solo percussionist and ten-channel tape titled Strahlen (Rays), the other as Klavierstück XIX, for synthesizer and five-channel tape. Work on the ten-channel electronic music for Strahlen was begun in 2003 by the ZKM, Karlsruhe, but was interrupted in 2004 in favour of producing the visual elements for Licht-Bilder. The tape part was not finished until 2010, though a preliminary version was used for the world premiere on 4 December 2009 in Karlsruhe, with László Hudacsek, vibraphone.
The staged premiere of Sonntag was given by the Cologne Opera
Cologne Opera
The Cologne Opera refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company.-History of the company:...
in two parts, on Saturday and Sunday, 9 and 10 April 2011, in the Staatenhaus (States' House) of the Kölner Messe (Ulrich 2011, insert). Subsequent performances were given on 20/21, 26/27, and 28/29 April, with the entire opera given in a single day on 24 April and 1 May 2011. The musical direction was by Kathinka Pasveer
Kathinka Pasveer
-Biography:Kathinka Pasveer was born in Zaandam, North Holland, the daughter of a conductor who also taught at the Amsterdam Conservatory . She studied with Frans Vester at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she received her performer's diploma, with the distinction of the Nicolai Prize in...
and Peter Rundel, and the artistic concept by Franc Aleu (from Urano), and by Roland Olbeter and Carlus Padrissa (from La Fura dels Baus
La Fura dels Baus
La Fura dels Baus is a Catalan theatrical group founded in 1979 in Barcelona, known for their urban theatre, use of unusual settings and blurring of the boundaries between audience and actor. "La Fura dels Baus" in Catalan means "vermin from the sewers"....
). The staging was by Carlus Padrissa, with dramaturgy by Thomas Ulrich. Stage design was by Roland Olbeter, costumes by Chu Uroz, and lighting by Andreas Grüter. Video production was by Franc Aleu and choreography by Athol Farmer and Carlos Paz.
Roles
| Role | Performer | Premiere cast |
|---|---|---|
| Scene 1: Lichter—Wasser (Sonntags-Gruß) | ||
| Eve | soprano | Anna Palimina |
| Michael | tenor | Hubert Mayer |
| synthesizer | Ulrich Löffler | |
| sound projection | Paul Jeukendrup | |
| orchestra | musikFabrik Musikfabrik The musikFabrik is an ensemble for contemporary music located in Cologne. Their official name is: musikFabrik Landesensemble NRW e.V. .-Overview:... , cond. Peter Rundel |
|
| Scene 2: Engel-Prozessionen | ||
| Angel Choir 7 (Eve) | high soprano | Csilla Csövári |
| Angel Choir 7 | alto | Noa Frenkel |
| Angel Choir 7 (Michael) | tenor | Alexander Mayr |
| Angel Choir 7 | bass | Michael Leibundgut |
| Angel Choirs 1–6 | six choirs & tutti choir | Cappella Amsterdam, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is a professional choir based in Estonia. It was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who was its conductor for twenty years. In 2001, Paul Hillier followed Kaljuste's tenure, becoming the EPCC's principal conductor and artistic director until September 2008,... Cologne Opera Choir ("Tutti Choir"), cond. James Wood |
| Scene 3: Licht-Bilder | ||
| (Michael) | tenor | Hubert Mayer |
| (Michael) | trumpet | Marco Blaauw Marco Blaauw Marco Blaauw is a Dutch trumpeter.- Biography :Marco Blaauw studied trumpet at the Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He continued studying with Pierre Thibaud and with Markus Stockhausen. He has an international career as a trumpet soloist and is a permanent member of the ensemble musikFabrik... |
| (Eve) | flute | Chloé L'Abbé |
| (Eve) | basset-horn | Fie Schouten |
| synthesizer | Benjamin Kobler | |
| sound projection | Kathinka Pasveer Kathinka Pasveer -Biography:Kathinka Pasveer was born in Zaandam, North Holland, the daughter of a conductor who also taught at the Amsterdam Conservatory . She studied with Frans Vester at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she received her performer's diploma, with the distinction of the Nicolai Prize in... |
|
| Scene 4: Düfte-Zeichen | ||
| (Eve) | high soprano | Csilla Csövári |
| (Eve) | soprano | Maike Raschke |
| (Michael) | high tenor | Alexander Mayr |
| (Michael) | tenor | Hubert Mayer |
| (Lucifer) | baritone | Jonathan de la Paz Zaens |
| (Lucifer) | bass | Michael Leibundgut |
| Eve | contralto | Noa Frenkel |
| Michael | boy soprano | Leonard Aurische (soloist of the Choir Academy Dortmund, dir, Jost Salm) |
| synthesizer | Benjamin Kobler | |
| sound projection | Kathinka Pasveer | |
| Scene 5: Hoch-Zeiten für Chor | ||
| five choir groups | Choir of the WDR Westdeutscher Rundfunk Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD... , Cologne, cond. Rupert Huber (5-track tape projection) |
|
| sound projection | Kathinka Pasveer | |
| Scene 5: Hoch-Zeiten fur Orchester | ||
| five orchestra groups | musikFabrik, cond. Mariano Chiacchiarini, Norbert Krämer, Thomas Meixner, Dirk Rothbrust, and Rie Watanabe |
|
| sound projection | Paul Jeukendrup | |
| Sonntags-Abschied (5-track tape projection) | ||
| synthesizers I to V | Marc Maes, Frank Gutschmidt, Fabrizio Rosso, Benjamin Kobler, Antonio Pérez Abellán |
|
| sound projection | Kathinka Pasveer | |
Synopsis
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
and the relationships of all the planets that orbit the sun (Stockhausen 1989, 200). In this opera, the earth and life on it is represented as the result of the union of light and water. These two elements are presented in the first scene, and the rest of the opera celebrates the evolution of life, of plants, animals, humans, and above all this the planets, moons, and heavenly constellations (Stockhausen 2011, 111, 191). There are five scenes, and a concluding "farewell".
Scene 1: Lichter—Wasser (Sunday Greeting)
Lichter—Wasser (Lights—Waters) is both the first scene and the "Gruß" (greeting) of the opera. An initial duet by the soprano (Eve) and tenor (Michael) is followed by the entrance of the orchestra, who take their places throughout the audience, which is arranged in triangular segments facing the centre. Each musician is provided with a rack with a lamp and a glass of water. Seventeen high-register instruments are identified by seventeen blue lamps, corresponding to the Michael formula, and twelve lower-register instruments are lit by green lamps, corresponding to the Eve formula. The music rotates through the space in two simultaneous layers and in 12 successive waves. These rotations are related to the planets and moons of our solar system, whose names, astronomical characteristics, and symbolisms form a part of the sung texts, which were written by the composer. At the end, the musicians make their exit and the soprano and tenor sing a closing duet (Stockhausen 2011, 15–17, 135–37).Scene 2: Engel-Prozessionen
In the second scene, Engel-Prozessionen (Angel Processions), seven groups of angels move through the space singing God’s praises in seven languages (Ulrich 2011, 3). The seventh group consists of four soloists, and are the Angels of Joy (Sunday Angels). They sing in German. The soprano and tenor soloists should either be the same as in scene 1, or strongly resemble them. The other six choirs are Angels of Water (Monday Angels), Angels of Earth (Tuesday Angels), Angels of Life (Wednesday Angels), Angels of Music (Thursday Angels), Angels of Light (Friday Angels), and Angels of Heaven (Saturday Angels), and sing in Hindi, Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, and Swahili, respectively. The texts were all written by the composer in German, and translated into the respective languages (Stockhausen 2011, 25, 30, 145–47).Scene 3: Licht-Bilder
The scene Licht-Bilder is performed by two pairs of musicians, a flute and basset horn on the one hand, and a tenor and trumpet on the other. The tenor (Michael) sings the praises of God in the form of His creations, manifested from stones to spirits. The music is accompanied by corresponding light images, hence the title of the scene (Ulrich 2011, 3). The flute and basset horn represent Eve, while the tenor and trumpet represent Michael, and each pair always sound together. Although the musical material is all drawn from the Michael and Eve layers of the Licht superformula, the assignment of these melodies to the pairs changes from section to section (Ulrich 2011, 38). The musical figures given to the basset horn and flute on the one hand, and to the tenor and trumpet on the other, are gradually displaced and then brought together again seven times, forming large phases corresponding to the days of the week. At the same time, movements of the performers on the stage corresponding to the musical figures are composed, and the waves are mirrored by a double ring modulationRing modulation
Ring modulation is a signal-processing effect in electronics, an implementation of amplitude modulation or frequency mixing, performed by multiplying two signals, where one is typically a sine-wave or another simple waveform. It is referred to as "ring" modulation because the analog circuit of...
, creating new harmonies and timbres (Stockhausen 2011, 33–34, 151–52)
Scene 4: Düfte-Zeichen
The fourth scene recapitulates the seven days of the entire Licht cycle. The protagonists explain each day in terms of their characteristic signs and scents. Afterward, Eve appears as Earth MotherMother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
(sung by an alto), and Michael appears in the form of a boy soprano (Ulrich 2011, 3). The seven fragrances chosen for the days of the week, their associated geographical areas, and the seven voices and voice combinations are (Stockhausen 2006, V, VII, XXI, XXIII):
- Monday: Cúchulainn (Ireland), solo for high soprano
- Tuesday: KyphiKyphiKyphi is a compound incense that was used in ancient Egypt for religious and medical purposes. The term "kyphi" is Greek and a transcription of the ancient Egyptian term kp.t.-Historical references:...
(Egypt), duet for tenor and bass - Wednesday: MasticMastic (plant resin)Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree . In pharmacies and Nature shops it is called "arabic gum" and "Yemen gum". In Greece it is known as the "tears of Chios," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins is produced in "tears" or droplets...
(Greece), trio for soprano, tenor, and baritone - Thursday: Rosa Mystica (Italy/Germany), solo for high tenor
- Friday: Tate Yunanaka (Mexico), duet for soprano and baritone
- Saturday: Ud (India), solo for bass
- Sunday: FrankincenseFrankincenseFrankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
(Africa), duet for high soprano and high tenor
An alto voice from outside the hall, identifying hersalf as Eve, causes the soloists to run out, in turbulence. They return in procession, escorting the alto to the front while singing an "overtone chant". The alto Eve calls the boy Michael to her out of the audience, they sing a mystical duet, and she takes him with her into another world (Stockhausen 2006, V, XVIII, XXI, XXX).
Scene 5: Hoch-Zeiten for Choir and for Orchestra
Hoch-Zeiten (High Times, or Marriages) is performed simultaneously in two different halls by five choral groups and five orchestral sections, respectively. The performance is then repeated, with the audiences changing halls (Ulrich 2011, 4). As such, these two versions are sometimes regarded as both the fifth and sixth scenes of Sonntag (Stockhausen 2003a, 5). The basic structure of the orchestral version is identical to that of Hoch-Zeiten for Choir, but has added to it five duos and two trios performed by the first-desk players of the orchestra. These ensembles are recollections of characteristic moments from each of the seven operas in the Licht cycle, presented not in weekday order but in the order they were composed (Stockhausen 2004b, 5, 7–28):- Thursday duo, for trumpet and clarinet, quoting from Mondeva, act 1, scene 2 of Donnerstag
- Saturday duo, for flute and trombone, quoting from Kathinkas Gesang, scene 2 of Samstag
- Monday duo, for viola and cello, quoting from Wochenkreis, the second "situation" of act 2, scene 3 (Evas Lied) of Montag
- Tuesday duo, for flugelhorn and trombone, quoting from Pietà, in act 2 of Dienstag
- Friday duo, for oboe and bassoon, quoting from Elufa, the ninth "real scene" of Freitag
- Wednesday trio, for clarinet, violin, and cello, quoting from the "Carousel" section of Michaelion, scene 4 of Mittwoch
- Finally, a Sunday trio for flute, viola, and synthesizer, quoting the opening of Lichter—Wasser, the first scene of Sonntag.
Sonntags-Abschied
The Sunday Farewell is essentially Hoch-Zeiten for choir played by five synthesizers, including the phonetic notation of the original vocal texts. It is not so much an arrangement as an adaptation, and is intended for five-channel playback in recorded form in the foyer and outdoors as the audience exits the theatre (Toop 2005, 2).Discography
Recordings of the opera's component scenes are available from the Stockhausen-Verlag (CDs ).- Scene 1: Lichter—Wasser (Sonntags-Gruss). Barbara van den Boom (soprano), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden/Freiburg, Karlheinz Stockhausen (cond.). CD 58 (single CD). [52 mins. 07 secs.]
- Scene 2: Engel-Prozessionen and Pianissimo Choir Tutti of Engel-Prozessionen. Isolde Siebert (soprano), Janet Collins (alto), Hubert Mayer (tenor), Andreas Fischer (bass), Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir), James Wood and David Lawrence (cond.), Karlheinz Stockhausen (musical supervision and sound projection). CD 67 A-B (2CDs). [41 mins. + 41 mins.]
- Scene 3: Licht-Bilder. Hubert Mayer (tenor), Kathinka Pasveer (flute with ring modulation), Suzanne StephensSuzanne StephensSuzanne Stephens is an American clarinetist, resident in Germany, described as "an outstanding performer and tireless promoter of the clarinet and basset horn" .-Biography:...
(basset horn), Marco Blaauw (trumpet with ring modulation), Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), Karlheinz Stockhausen (sound Projection). Two versions, one without ring-modulation for study purposes. CD 68 A-B (2CDs). [43 mins. + 43 mins.] - Scene 4: Düfte-Zeichen. Isolde Siebert (high soprano), Ksenija Lukic (soprano), Susanne Otto (alto), Hubert Mayer (high tenor), Bernhard Gärtner (tenor), Jonathan de la Paz Zaens (baritone), Nicholas IsherwoodNicholas IsherwoodNicholas Isherwood is US-born bass singer, who specialises in contemporary and baroque music. Notable roles include "Lucifer" in the world premieres of Stockhausen’s Montag, Dienstag, and Freitag from Licht at La Scala and the Leipzig Opera, and in Donnerstag aus Licht at Covent Garden.Isherwood...
(bass), Sebastian Kunz (boy's voice), Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), Karlheinz Stockhausen (musical direction and sound projection) CD 69 (single CD).- 9 Düfte Der Woche aus Düfte Zeichen vom Sonntag aus LICHT (separate versions of the sub-scenes). Isolde Siebert (high soprano), Ksenija Lukic (soprano), Susanne Otto (alto), Hubert Mayer (high tenor), Bernhard Gärtner (tenor), Jonathan de la Paz Zaens (baritone), Nicholas Isherwood (bass), Sebastian Kunz (boy's voice), Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), Karlheinz Stockhausen (musical direction and sound projection) CD 70 (single CD)
- Scene 5: Hoch-Zeiten für Orchester, Hoch-Zeiten für Chor. WDR Symphonieorchester, Zsolt Nagy (cond.); WDR Rundfunkchor, Rupert Huber (cond.); Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizer), Karlheinz Stockhausen (sound projection and musical direction). CD 73 (single CD). [74 mins.]
- Hoch-Zeiten für Chor vom Sonntag aus Licht: 5 einzelne Gruppen und Tutti zum Studium. WDR Rundfunkchor, Rupert Huber (cond.). CD 71 A–C (3CDs)
- Hoch-Zeiten für Orchester vom Sonntag aus Licht: 5 einzelne Gruppen und Tutti zum Studium (study material). WDR Symphonieorchester, Zsolt Nagy (cond.) CD 72 A–C (3CDs).
- Farewell: Sonntags-Abschied and click tracks from Sonntags Abschied. Marc Maes, Frank Gutschmidt, Fabrizio Rosso, Benjamin Kobler, and Antonio Pérez Abellán (synthesizers), Karlheinz Stockhausen (sound projection). CD 74 (single CD). [35 mins. + 34 mins. 30 secs.]
External links
- Albrecht Moritz essays:
- "Karlheinz Stockhausen—Sonntag aus Licht". K(unst)logsite François (Rotterdam) 25 April 2011. (Accessed 29 April 2011)
- James Martin Charlton blog (23 and 27 April 2011):
- Video links at the composer's website