Stockhausen STIMMUNG & COSMIC PULSES

24 Pages·2017·7.82 MB·English

Stockhausen
STIMMUNG &
COSMIC PULSES
Monday 20 November 2017 7.30pm, Hall
Stockhausen STIMMUNG
interval 30 minutes
Stockhausen COSMIC PULSES
Singcircle
oni Gregory Rose bass/director
Guerz JZaocëq Fureeleindem Baanrr soonp sroapnroano
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do Paol HGeuayt Ehlleior tCta teirnnocrross mezzo-soprano
Rolan Angus Smith tenor
Robert Henke laser artist
Kathinka Pasveer sound projection
Stephen Montague assistant sound projection
Reinhard Klose sound engineer
Part of Barbican Presents 2017–18
Programme produced by Harriet Smith;
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Welcome
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a towering figure the 10th anniversary of Stockhausen’s
in the history of 20th- and 21st-century music, death (which falls next month), but also
one who literally changed the sound of the 40th anniversary of Singcircle’s first
music and the way we listen to it. Tonight’s performance of the work in the Round
concert presents two seminal works from House. It is also the last-ever performance
opposite ends of his career. It is intended of STIMMUNG by Singcircle.
as a concert of extraordinary extremes:
from the trance-like meditative focus of Alongside it, we have the chance
STIMMUNG – grounded in the human body to experience another Stockhausen
and an atavistic sense of ritual – to the masterpiece – COSMIC PULSES, his last-
mind-blowing sonic maelstrom of COSMIC ever purely electronic work, which forms
PULSES – futuristic and purely electronic, the 13th part of the KLANG sequence
but sharing a similar sense of mysticism. exploring the 24 hours of the day. We’re
delighted that composer and laser artist
Gregory Rose has been intimately Robert Henke has been inspired to create
acquainted with the composer’s music for us a laser sculpture that expresses the
through Singcircle, the amplified vocal underlying structure of COSMIC PULSES.
ensemble he founded back in 1976, which
has made something of a speciality of I hope you enjoy the concert.
STIMMUNG. Tonight is a particularly
special event – not only does it mark Huw Humphreys, Head of Music, Barbican
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40 years of STIMMUNG
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This is a very special occasion for my we made on Hyperion that is still sold
ensemble Singcircle, marking 40 years throughout the world.
– virtually to the day – since we first
performed STIMMUNG on 21 November Before that Round House performance
1977 at the Round House. I hope very we rehearsed STIMMUNG over a period
much that you will enjoy the extraordinary of some six to eight months, since in those
experience of hearing this wonderful pioneering days very few singers were
piece live in the concert hall. able to find correct harmonics in the
voice. Simon Emmerson and I later drove
When I was handed a score of the work to Kürten to visit Stockhausen, where
by the bass Geoffrey Shaw in 1976, I we found him immensely helpful and
immediately realised that this piece would enthusiastic, and we also worked with him
be significant in my life, and the lives of for two weeks preparing for the previous
those first six singers that began working performance we’ve given of the piece
on it in early 1977, just nine years after its here at the Barbican – in 1985, as part of
creation. The first Singcircle STIMMUNG the Music & Machines festival devoted to
group consisted of the sopranos Suzanne Stockhausen’s compositions.
Flowers and Penelope Walmsley-Clark,
mezzo-soprano Nancy Long, tenor Rogers The complexities of putting on any
Covey-Crump, baritone Paul Hillier and performance of STIMMUNG means that
Geoffrey, with composer Simon Emmerson the musicians form a special bond during
as sound projectionist. Initially I chose rehearsals, and I hope this becomes
not to sing in the ensemble, but direct evident this evening. We are thrilled to be
‘from outside’; the piece doesn’t require performing this with the contribution of
a conductor as such. Later, in 1980, Paul Kathinka Pasveer, who worked closely with
went down to bass and I took the part the composer for the last 25 years of his
of baritone, and this was the line-up for life.
around 50 performances that we have
since undertaken, as well as the recording Gregory Rose
Singcircle
3
4
Dear Gregory Rose, silence also during the day (Simon was just
born). So: I began humming, did not sing loudly
Reading only now – Saturday July 24th 1982, anymore, began to listen to my vibrating skull,
11.30am – your article on STIMMUNG which stopped writing melodies of fundamentals,
appeared in CONTACT 1979 and which I settled on the low B flat, started again and
received today (!), I wish to thank you for your wrote STIMMUNG, trying out everything myself
lucid text. I am suddenly very moved and want by humming the overtone melodies. Nothing
to tell you how I came to the ‘technique’ of oriental, nothing philosophical: just the 2 babies,
STIMMUNG: I had come back from a Mexican a small house, silence, loneliness, night, snow,
tour (very hot) to a small house on the bay in ice (also nature was asleep): pure miracle!
Madison (Connecticut), which my wife Mary had
rented. She lived there with our 2 small children. Yours, Stockhausen
I started composing this work with a lot of
melodies, singing aloud all the time. But after a
few days, my work was only possible during the KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN
night (the bay was frozen, everything ice and from a letter to Gregory Rose
snow and terribly cold). The children needed
5
Karlheinz Stockhausen
(1928–2007)

STIMMUNG
(1968)
Gregory Rose bass/director
Jacqueline Barron soprano
Zoë Freedman soprano
Heather Cairncross mezzo-soprano
Guy Elliott tenor
Angus Smith tenor
Kathinka Pasveer sound projection
Stephen Montague assistant sound projection
STIMMUNG was commissioned by the City of with the lead singer of the section; they do this
Cologne for the Collegium Vocale, a vocal by adopting the same character as the leader in
ensemble at the Rheinische Musikschule. It was tempo, rhythm and dynamics. When the lead
composed during the winter months of singer feels that ‘identity’ has been reached, he
February and March 1968 in Madison, or she makes a gesture to another singer who
Connecticut (USA), and is dedicated to the leads the next section. Each model is a set of
painter Mary Bauermeister. It was the first rhythmic phonetic patterns, often with actual
major Western composition to be based entirely words used as their basis, such as ‘Hallelujah’
on the production of vocal harmonics. or ‘Saturday’.
Every natural sound or note we hear contains In 29 of the sections, ‘magic names’ are called
within it many higher sounds each with an exact out. These are the names of gods and
pitch. These high pitches shadowing the main goddesses from many cultures – Aztec,
note, or ‘fundamental’, are not immediately aboriginal and Ancient Greek, for instance –
discernible; however, if, while singing a and have to be incorporated into the character
fundamental, the tongue and lip positions are of the model. The erotic and intimate love-
gradually altered, the ‘harmonics’ can be poems that are recited were written by
exposed and isolated. Taking a low B flat, Stockhausen ‘during amorous days’ in 1967.
Stockhausen used some of the pitches of the
harmonic series arising from it as his starting Different versions of the work result from the
point. Out of the notes in the series (strictly order of models and choice of magic names
numbered in ascending order) he chose the decided upon by the performers. The first
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th pitches – B flat, F, version of STIMMUNG made by the Collegium
B flat, D, A flat and C. These notes then became Vocale is known as the ‘Paris version’, and has
used as ‘fundamentals’ themselves, hosting six been published as work Number 24 1/2. The
harmonic series of their own. From out of this ensemble has performed this version hundreds
vocabulary of harmonics, Stockhausen created of times throughout the world. The ‘Singcircle
STIMMUNG. version’ of 1977 evolved over many months of
rehearsal in London prior to its first
STIMMUNG is divided into 51 sections. In each performance at the Round House on
section a new harmonic melody or ‘model’ is 21 November. This version was revised after
introduced and repeated several times. Each consultations between the composer, Gregory
female voice leads a new section eight times, Rose and Simon Emmerson in April 1978.
and each male voice nine times. Some of the
other singers gradually have to transform their The word ‘Stimmung’ has many meanings in its
own material until they have come into ‘identity’ original German. Literally it means ‘tuning’, but
6
can also indicate ‘being in tune with’, good or Utrecht, 12 years after a performance in e
t
bad atmosphere, and so on. Die Stimme Amsterdam by Collegium Vocale was broken o
n
translates into ‘voice’. up by agitators. Following the 1969 e
performance, Stockhausen wrote: ‘STIMMUNG m
The improvisatory nature of STIMMUNG leads will yet reduce even the howling wolves to m
to a fluctuation of duration between silence.’ Surely the wolves have now been laid
a
performances. Singcirle’s durations have varied to rest. r
g
by up to 20 minutes but most are around 74
o
minutes. In 1981 Singcircle were warmly Progamme note © Gregory Rose and Helen r
P
received for a performance of the work in Ireland; reproduced with kind permission from
Hyperion Records
STIMMUNG
Numberings are model numbers for the Barbican version
Model 7
Meine Hände sind zwei Glocken binge bung ‘My hands are two bells ding dong
auf Deinen Brüsten bringe brange bring bring on your breasts bring bring brought brought
brang; brang;
selbst gestreckt noch spüren sie die Rundung even stretched they bring the roundness
und die Knötchen innen drinnen dringe drong. and small glands feeling inside.
AVOCADOS BIRNORANGPRIKOSEN – AVOCADO PEARORANGEAPRICOTS –
ach nein: Deine Brüste sind wie Deine nur wie Oh no: Your breasts are like yours and only like
Deine. yours.
Wenn ich Wasser trinke aus der hohlen Hand When I drink water out of the hollow of the hand
werden meine Backen Deine Brust My cheeks become your breasts
die Lippen (rosabraun) ein Zitzenring Your lips (pink red) a ring of tits
und trinken tu ich durch das runde u And I drink through the round vowel ’u’
das Deine Spitzchen küsste nächtelang. Which kisses your nipples all night long.
Jeder Apfel, den ich scheinbar harmlos greife, Every apple, which I reach for seemingly
harmlessly,
ist schnipp – dreh dich – und schnapp Dein is snip – turn round – and snap your ring rang,
ringse rang,
rungse ringsel pressel brusel busel pipsel busel rong ring press breast titty breast squeeeeeze!
piiiiitsch!
Dein Ton – in meinen Bronceschallelnzypressten Your sound – in my bronze sounding cypress
trees
Zipp zipp.’ Zip zip.’
Model 16
pi peri pi pi: pee peri peepee
über meinen Baum right over my tree
lass’ doch ruhig laufen let it gently run down
Gott ist das warm. God is that warm.

Model 17
‘the male is basically an anymale.’
Model 20
ruselalkruselfünfingerimondhärchen roundandaroundingfivefingersin 7
kruselkreisirrtitsellee feuchtelmittelfin curlymoonhairitencirclingallrounticklwith mid
gleilunaspukamaruselrakrusering fingerandspitallaroundandaringofen
fingurrumsillibrili-lakitselein. circlingfingersaroundandaround-thelittleclit.
Model 21
‘nimm Dich in acht ‘you must take care
eh Du erwacht before you awake
hat Dich mein Männlein zum my little penis
fliessen gebracht’ will have made you to flow’
Model 44
Langsamen Slow semen.
‘Mein Hahn ist meine Seele, ‘My cock is my soul
wenn ich dich versenke. when I immerse you.
Ganz vorne in der Spitze Right at the tip
sitze ich (Ich meine wirklich, wenn ich sage “ich”, is where I sit (I really mean when I say “I”, my
mein grosses ICH) great I)
in meinem Ein-Mann-Torpedo-Bug. in my one-man-torpedo-bow.
Ich weiß nichts anderes mehr, I know nothing else any more,
als daß ich in der blanken Hülse bin, except that I am in the shining shell,
mein Auge hoch da oben my eye high up front
– ich Vogel – im Spiegel Deiner Augen – I a bird – mirror of your eyes
auch die feinste Regung abliest. even the most subtle emotion.
Und ich steuere – Himmelfahrstkommando – And I steer – suicide mission –
Durch Dein Silberwasser. through your silver fluid.
Der weisse Gott, aus dessen Spucke alles wächst, The white God, whose spit makes everything grow,
steigt Puls auf Pulsschlag höher in mir auf rises higher inside me with every beat of the pulse
bis ich anschlage until I explode
und dich langsam lang langsamen langs and sink you slowly slow seed longingly
verlangs versangs versenk versink, versunke- longing sinking sunk, sink, sunk, sank sinking,
sunke-sank. sunk.

Diese Stille. This stillness.
Ich erinnere mich nur noch I only remember
Wie Dein Spiegel blind ging und sich langsam how your mirror went hazy and slowly closed.’
schloss.’
Model 49
difffffdafffffdiffffffff (Stockhausen imagines a great bird flying slowly
difffffdafffffdifdidiffffdafffdiffffff … ’writing in the sky,
füüüüiüüiiiiüüüü my love, I feel you under my feather belly when I
difdiffdifffdifffffdifffffffdafffff am flying’)
difffdafdifffldafdifffdafdiffflidaf diffffff
fliiiiiiigennnnnuuunndichchchch
uuunnterrrrmmfeeeeederbauuuuuuuchchch
füüüüüüüülennnnn
ist mein hummmmmelliiiiiibes schreiiiiiiibennn
diffffffffüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüü
Texts by Karlheinz Stockhausen English translations by Maz Plänitz and Gregory Rose
interval: 30 minutes
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Karlheinz Stockhausen o
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COSMIC PULSES (2006–7) m
a
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Robert Henke laser artist o
r
Kathinka Pasveer sound projection P
Reinhard Klose sound engineer
COSMIC PULSES was composed in 2006–7 and duration of each loop and its tempo. Reading
is the 13th part of the KLANG cycle, based on upwards it can be seen that tempos increase as
the 24 hours of the day; it is Stockhausen’s last each loop enters.
purely electronic work.
The loops do not simply spin in a circle around
It is composed from 24 melodic loops, the eight loudspeakers but move from one to
comprising from one to 24 pitches, in a range of another in sequences determined by
seven octaves. These loops rotate at 24 different Stockhausen. There are 241 of what he calls
speeds around eight loudspeakers. The loops ‘trajectories’ i.e. movements in space, and 10
are successively layered together from low to ‘motion models’ which include movements and
high and from the slowest to the fastest tempo. changes of tempo. The coloured, wavy lines on
In March 2007, Stockhausen likened the the form-scheme indicate these ‘motion models’
experiment to ‘… the virtual job of synchronising and their changes in each section.
the orbits of 24 planets around a sun, with
individual rotations, tempi and trajectories’. After 24 minutes, when all 24 loops have been
in play for well over eight minutes, they begin to
Typically, Stockhausen published information drop out, again from the lowest to the highest,
about how the piece was composed and his one loop every 20 seconds. Loop 24, the first
detailed diagram (see pages 14–15) is a form and lowest pitched, returns occasionally until
scheme that represents what occurs in the piece. the piece ends with Loop 1 and Loop 24 heard
It may not look like a conventional musical score together: a bright, butterfly fluttering around a
but, just as the printed music of a Mozart piano sturdy, earth-bound creature.
sonata indicates what occurs in the piece, this
diagram represents the activity in COSMIC When he had completed the spatialisation of
PULSES. the piece Stockhausen said, ‘If it is possible to
hear everything, I do not yet know – it depends
The top of the diagram shows a row of pitches. on how often one can experience an eight-
The loops that comprise COSMIC PULSES are channel performance.’ At this Barbican
constructed from permutations and performance we will be able to hear the piece
combinations of these pitches. Not all the notes as Stockhausen intended and to fly in his
appear in every loop. So, for example, Loop 1 multi-dimensional world.
uses five of the pitches, Loop 2 is simply a
tremolo on one pitch and Loop 24, which starts Programme note © Robert Worby
the piece, uses all of the notes.
COSMIC PULSES © Stockhausen Foundation for
Beginning at the bottom and reading Music, Kürten, Germany
diagonally up from left to right, the entries of (www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
the loops are shown beginning with Loop 24. CD91 of the Stockhausen Complete Edition
The vertical columns at the far left show the (www.stockhausenCDs.com.
9
Son et lumière: laser artist
Robert Henke on the allure of
COSMIC PULSES
I first encountered Stockhausen’s name as a overwhelming, visceral, sonic maelstrom in the
teenager. He was the first figure mentioned at total immersion of surround sound.
school as a ‘serious’ composer who included
electronics in his work. In the 1980s, conventional What I’m doing with the laser beams is to
music teachers were somewhat alienated by him, visually express some of the formal beauty of the
but couldn’t ignore him. piece – but again, not in a mathematical way.
The lasers correspond to the eight speakers,
Initially I found his music very abstract, and it which are positioned in a circle. Each of the
didn’t hit me on an emotional level. Nonetheless, eight lasers emits three beams, corresponding
I was very curious about his approach and the to the 24 layers of sound in the music. The
methodology behind it – the concept of the sound layers are introduced one after the
electronic studio as the composer’s ‘instrument,’ other over the course of the piece, until all 24
and the [radical?] declaration that an electronic are playing simultaneously – and that’s exactly
tone-generator is a musical instrument. what happens with the lasers. The visual result
will be a geometric sculpture above the heads
Electronic sound also made it possible to think of the audience. These lines of focused light
in a different way about space, which was very make visible the unseen structural basis of the
important to me. The loudspeakers are a crucial piece, by simply transposing the concept of the
part of what composition is about, and they composition into the visual domain.
have an active role in the musical process: their
placement or movement has an artistic meaning, Of course, some people might say that the
not just a technical function. ideal performance space for COSMIC PULSES
is between your ears – inside your head, with
COSMIC PULSES is a highly structural piece that your eyes closed, in a completely invisible space
follows a strictly mathematical approach. But that doesn’t superimpose any sonic or colour
what’s striking is that when you encounter the qualities onto the piece. But real spaces always
work, it’s a vibrant and colourful composition, have real qualities, and I think you can alter
in no way a mathematical exercise. It’s is one an existing space in a way that supports the
of electronic music’s great experiences: an intention of the piece.
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