Karlheinz Stockhausen - Stimmung

This is the first part from Stockhausen's masterpiece "Stimmung". Written for 6 singers, it's based on 21 combinations of "singer per note" referring to the same chord for all the piece (which is always the same, with few variations). The composition has 51 sections (moments) and it's the first important Western composition to be based entirely on the production of vocal harmonics.

"In each section a new overtone melody or 'model' is introduced and repeated several times. Each female voice leads a new section eight times, and each male voice, nine times. Some of the other singers gradually have to transform their own material until they have come into 'identity' with the lead singer of the section . . . by adopting the same . . . tempo, rhythm and dynamics. When the lead singer feels that 'identity' has been reached, he or she makes a gesture to another singer who leads the next section. Each model is a set of rhythmic phonetic patterns, often with actual words used as their basis, such as 'Hallelujah' or 'Saturday'.
In 29 of the sections, 'magic names' are called out. These are the names of gods and goddesses from many cultures—Aztec, aboriginal and Ancient Greek, for instance—and have to be incorporated into the character of the model. The erotic and intimate love-poems that are recited were written by Stockhausen 'during amorous days' in 1967. (Rose and Ireland 1986) "

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Stockhausen
• Karlheinz
• Stimmung
• music
• vocal
• choir
• six
• singers
• singer
• cappella
• contemporary
• classical
• moments
• gods
• religion
• christ
• christian
• catholic
• church
• buddhism
• zen
• buddha
• indian
• animism
• shintoism
• orthodox
• passion
• mel
• gibson
• monks
• tibetan
• monastery
• monastical
• blood
• hallelujah
• saturday
• magic
• names
• sections
• ancient
• greek

[adordunio1]

I used to own a letter Stockhausen wrote to me many years ago when I tried to get a performance of Stimmung together in L.A. in the mid 1970s. We ultimately gave up. As KS said, “We (Collegium Vocale Köln) rehearsed for a year, and we knew it wasn’t perfect.”

You can still buy the CVK recording on his website.

It was first performed at the Osaka World’s Fair. To give the right atmosphere, it should be heard in near-darkness. Thanks for posting!

[sousukesagaraJKD]

@adordunio1

I know two teachers that contacted Stockhausen asking him if he could send the score and the cd with electronic and concrete parts of a composition (I don't remeber which one). Stockhausen replied they had to rehearse for a year, then come to Vienna and play for his daughter. They gave up..!

[flipmanja]

Why the Jesus pictures, dude

[sousukesagaraJKD]

@flipmanja

I put a lot of pictures of different kind of religions.

[maxo65]

KHS RULES!

[sousukesagaraJKD]

E hai proprio ragione! :)

[Xanekros]

@parkgrubbs4

If someone can't understand the oriental culture that's not a problem of the oriental culture but a problem of that single man. Usually our mind tends to make us feel something totally new as "wrong" but it's only a matter of habit. Moreover you can't judge the "beauty" of a music, that is subjective. You can only judge its complexity and cleverness.

[MrBateSolas]

@adordunio1 I was lucky enough to hear Singcircle perform this in Lisbon. It was the best concert I ever atended.

[feedphillipnow]

@flipmanja Why questions the jesus pictures? Dude.

Who cares :) 

[Highno]

You must be trollin'......

This sounds like a collective messed up LSD-Trip oO

[winnipeg43]

This song gives people brain damage

[coasterman16]

This sounds like Meredith Monk's music.

[Xanekros]

@Egregore999

It's the Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia. Yes, truly amazing!