Sonntag aus LICHT

(1998 -2003)

Opera with six scenes and a farewell

1st Scene: Lichter-Wasser / Lights - Waters / SONNTAGs GRUSS 1998/99 No.75

- Soprano, Tenor, synthesizer player and orchestra

Sunday's Greeting forms the first scene of Sonntag. In this scene two melodies (those of Michael and Eva) are passed between instrumentalists positioned throughout the musical space in elaborate yet easily followed paths, inspired by the rotations of planets and moons of our solar system.  17 instruments have blue lamps for the Michael melody and 12 have green lamps for the Eva melody.  The tenor and Soprano sing texts relating to the planets and moons. At the end the musicians are each poured a glass of blue or green water, which they drink before exiting one by one.

Lichter-Wasser was premiered in Donaueschingen, Germany, on 16th October 1999

2nd Scene: Engel-Prozessionen / Angel-Processions 2000 No.76

- Mixed Choir singing in 7 languages:

A choir is divided into seven groups of angels, for each day of the week, and dressed in seven colours. The remaining singers wear white and form a tutti-choir who sing susained notes along the walls of the auditorium. The seven choir groups move through the space in formal processions as they sing. The four singers in gold who are the Sunday Angels include the same Soprano and Tenor as in Lichter-Wasser, and these singers teach the other groups a special hand gesture for each week day. In the final section all the Angels bring irises and lilies to form a mountain of flowers in the centre. The libretto consists of hymns of praise to God. 

(was premiered November 9th 2002 at the Concertgebouw: Amsterdam)

 

 

3rd scene: Licht-Bilder / Light-Pictures 2002 No.77

for basset-horn, flute with ring modulation, tenor, trumpet with ring modulation, synthesizer

An elegantly polyphonic quartet describes the themes of each day of the week inviting all creation to give thanks to God. Related images are projected behind the musicians illuminating the words of the libretto. The seven days are related to  the "Seven Spheres of Life"

Monday: Stones hills water 

Tuesday: trees, plants fruits

Wednesday: all animals

Thursday: water, earth, air, ether, Eros, fire, pealing of bells

Friday: celestial bodies, stars

Saturday: human saints

Sunday: God in everything / houses of God, noble trees & animals, candle flame, the invisible, Eva-Maria, Light-Pictures, Thou

(Licht-Bilder was premiered on October 17th 2004 at the Donaueschingen Music Festival, Germany)

4th scene: Dufte-Zeichen / Scents - Signs 2002 No.78

- for 7 singers, boy treble and synthesizer player:

coloratura soprano - dressed in green, soprano - dressed in green, alto - dressed in gold,

counter tenor - dressed in blue, tenor - dressed in red, baritone - dressed in orange,

bass - dressed in blue/black, boy soprano - dressed in white, and synthesizer player - unseen

Seven singers enter the hall and take their places on podiums lit with seven colours. In turn, the Licht Symbol for each day of the week is revealed behind each podium and the associated fragrance released to the audience, The seven singers explain each symbol through their singing, as solos, duos or as a trio, according to the list below, accompanied by electronic music from the synthesizer .The coloured light illuminating each podium also colours each cloud of scent as it rises in front of each podium.

After the Sunday Symbol has been explained all seven fragrances are released together and an alto voice is heard singing from the auditorium. The six visible soloists leave the stage in a great hurry calling for Eva. The audience hears their voices turbulently crying many names for Eva , such as "Santa Madonna", "Sonntagskind", "Isis", "Mondeva" and "Seniora Mystica".... until the Alto silences them with the cry of "Mich-a-el!"

The soloists make their way slowly back to the central Sunday podium with the exalted Alto singer among them, in the manner of a religious procession honouring the Virgin Mary.

The Alto sings for the youth "Knabe"... culminating in the words which translate as "Come Michael, Heaven's Child!"

At this point a boy treble seated the auditorium replies and makes his way to her at the Sunday podium. Their duet reveals the boy as "Christ-Michael" and the alto as "Eva-Maria". They leave the stage behind the Sunday podium and the other soloists exit as the lights and the electronic music fade.

 

(Dufte-Zeichen was premiered at Perner Insel, Hallein: Austria as part of Salzburger Festspiele, August 29th 2003)

 

5th & 6th scenes: Hoch-Zeiten (High Times / Marriages)

5 choral groups and 5 orchestral groups performing simultaneously and synchronously in two separate auditoriums. 

These scenes are performed twice, so each audience hears and sees both scenes. At specific moments, the music of each is transmitted to the listeners in the other auditorium. The two scenes of Hoch Zeiten may be heard in either order during a performance of Sonntag aus Licht. 

Hoch-Zeiten für Orchester  (High Times for Orchestra)  2001/2002 No.79

1. 3 x flutes, 3 x violins                 1 x antique cymbal
2. 3 x oboes, 3 x trumpets              4 x rin (japanese temple bells)
3. 3 x clarinets, 3 violas                  4 x plate bells
4. 3 x french horns, 3 xbassoons     4 x Thai gongs
5. 3 x trombones, 3 x cellos            4 x Sound Plates

Hoch-Zeiten für Chor (High Times for Choir) 2001/2002 No.79

1. 1st Sopranos    Hindi        1 x antique cymbal
2. 2nd Sopranos  Chinese     4 x rin (japanese temple bells)
3. Altos                Arabic       4 x plate bells
4. Tenors             English      4 x Thai gongs
5. Basses              Swahili      4 x Sound Plates

SONNTAGS ABSCHIED 2001/2003 No.80

- 5 synthesisersWorld Premiere was Sunday 1st August 2004 Kuerten, Germany

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LUZIFERIUM

A mysterious extra scene was referred to by Stockhausen, solely for the character of Luzifer, who is largely absent from the ceremonial dramas of Sonntag aus Licht *. The Luziferium is conceived to be performed elsewhere, but simultaneously to a performance of Sonntag aus Licht, dramatising the imprisonment of the Luzifer character. It is thought that this music was not composed, although it had been planned in detail. In the catalogue entry for Sonntag aus Licht `(work no. 75-80: 1998-2003) this Luziferium is not mentioned.

* The bass singer who explains the Samstag Sign and Scent in scene 4. Dufte Zeichen, certainly portrays the diabolical musical character of Luzifer. In this scene the Luzifer layer from the Licht Superformula (a low B flat-1) is also very audible. So the character of Luzifer and the Luzifer musical layer seems very much present within some of Sonntag aus Licht.

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