 |
| Stockhausen playing the Kandy-drum in CEYLON (from LP) (© www.karlheinzstockhausen.org) |
17 "intuitive music" text compositions
for electroacoustic ensemble or small ensemble
During a period of personal upheaval and crisis, Stockhausen wrote a set of texts, AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN, which are essentially verbal instructions which an ensemble (usually small) could use to embark on a kind of "textural" improvisation. These works would tend to establish a kind of "vibratory environment" and then gradually develop into new ensemble landscapes. Stockhausen called these improvisatory journeys "intuitive music", and sometimes inferred that instead of playing from a score, the performers would receive musical vibrations from each other and possibly from some kind of external (spiritual?) force. FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN is basically a second collection of texts for use in creating intuitive music improvisations (it's recommended to read the text on AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN for more background information).
AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN was written in a very short period under physically and mentally taxing conditions, but FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN was written over the span of a few years, usually while teaching, traveling or touring. For this reason they seem a bit more playful and less "intense". The first 5 were written as "examples" while teaching intuitive music at the Darmstadt Summer Vacation Course in August 1968, the 6th (INTERVALL) a year later in Corsica (as a gift), the next 3 in Bali on the way to the Tokyo EXPO '70 concerts, and the last 8 in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) on the way back from the Tokyo concerts. The 17 texts are named:
- ÜBEREINSTIMMUNG ("Unanimity")
- VERLÄNGERUNG ("Elongation")
- VERKÜRZUNG ("Shortening")
- ÜBER DIE GRENZE ("Across the Boundary")
- KOMMUNIKATION ("Communication")
- INTERVALL ("Interval", piano duet for 4 hands)
- AUSSERHALB ("Outside")
- INNERHALB ("Inside")
- ANHALT ("Halt")
- SCHWINGUNG ("Vibration")
- SPEKTREN ("Spectra")
- WELLEN ("Waves")
- ZUGVOGEL ("Bird of Passage")
- VORAHNUNG ("Presentiment") for 4–7 interpreters
- JAPAN
- WACH ("Awake") (1971 and 2005)
- CEYLON
Recordings
In contrast to the pieces in AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN (in which 12 out of 15 texts are officially recorded), only a little over half of these works have been recorded with Stockhausen's participation (though at least most of the missing ones have been premiered by the group "Gentle Fire", presumably with Stockhausen's involvement).
CEYLON, ZUGVOGEL, JAPAN, and WACH were recorded in the 1970's and are now available on Stockhausen Edition CD 11, Special Edition Text CD 22 and on a Stockhausen EMI Classics release, respectively. These feature a version of Stockhausen's "live electronics" group which was first established to play MIKROPHONIE I (for more on the unusual instrumentation of these performances (electronium, electrochord, tam tam, etc...), see PROZESSION and SPIRAL). The recordings of JAPAN and WACH were actually engineered by Alan Parsons and not Stockhausen himself, so I'm not sure how involved the composer actually was with these 2 versions, but since the players are basically core members of the Stockhausen Group (playing Stockhausen's texts), it seems appropriate to include them here.
VERKÜRZUNG, WACH (2nd recording), ANHALT, VORAHNUNG, INNERHALB and WELLEN were recorded and released on Stockhausen Edition CD 17.1 in 2005, and were performed by the "Ensemble for Intuitive Music, Weimar", a trumpet, cello, piano and electronics group which originally began playing intuitive music without Stockhausen's involvement, but in these recordings were guided by the composer's presence.
| JAPAN | (11:41) | Composed 70.07.06 Recorded 71.12.08-10 Abbey Road Studios with Alan Parsons |
| This recording has a very "ritualistic" feeling, in that the woodblock rhythms seem to act as "signposts" against a backdrop of winding electronic ornamentation on drones or pedal tones. The drums are very minimal, mainly playing some light trills in the beginning and ending sections. This is the only intuitive text with a notated part. It's difficult to tell if the melody is actually played verbatim, but it seems fragments may be used as the basis for ornamentation. | ||
| Upwards-rain in drops and threads and a melody. (includes a slow 5-bar melody in 3 or 4 phrases, basically spiraling up and then falling back down to the starting note) |
Harald Bojé | Electronium, woodblock |
| Peter Eötvös | Electrochord, Japanese bamboo flute, woodblock | |
| Cristoph Caskel | Percussion | |
|
||
| WACH ("Awake") |
(19:57) | Composed 70.07.07 Recorded 71.12.08-10 Abbey Road Studios with Alan Parsons |
| Isolated points with falling glissandi, perhaps quiet trills/accents... Due to the instrumentation, similar to JAPAN, but much looser with more dialogue-like interaction. | ||
| Star constellations with common points and falling stars with secret wishes and nocturnal forest with dialogues Abrupt end. |
Harald Bojé | Electronium |
| Peter Eötvös | Electrochord | |
| Cristoph Caskel | Percussion | |
|
||
| CEYLON | (22:05) | Composed 70.07.07 Recorded 75.04.04 |
| Based on an unpublished form structure used for this particular recording (but included in the CD booklet!), the text seems to imply the sub-division of the group into 2 sections, or duos with commentary ("minorities") from the remaining players). This text also includes a notated rhythm for use with the Kandy drum, a 2-headed hand drum (this rhythm is also picked up and used by the other instruments). This performance is obviously driven by the Kandy drum rhythm, but the ring-modulated piano also gives it a kind of Balinese gamelan flavor. | ||
|
Everything divided into two and a few minorities For festive times a rhythm: (2 pages of rhythmic notation included) |
Harald Bojé | Electronium |
| Peter Eötvös | Persian Camel Bells, Triangles, Synthesizer |
|
| Aloys Kontarsky | Ring-modulated Piano | |
| Joachim Krist | Amplified Tam-tam | |
| Karlheinz Stockhausen | Kandy Drum | |
| Tim Souster | Sound Projection | |
|
||
 |
| Markus Stockhausen (© www.karlheinzstockhausen.org) |
| ZUGVOGEL ("Bird of Passage") |
(24:45) | Composed 70.07.06 Recorded 1975 |
| The first part of the text is pretty straight-forward, but the final phrase is obviously open to interpretation... The recording here features Stockhausen's son Markus in his first prominent role in one of his father's works. The recording has a definite free-jazz feel to it, but Stockhausen's "magic names" and other more ethnic instrumental textures add a somewhat more mystical feeling. In general, the music seems always wanting to "take off", but then hesitates, only to re-gather strength for another try. | ||
| Play/Sing as parallel as possible with the others Make exceptions and long pauses Bring the whole to a stand-still Fly away |
Markus Stockhausen | Trumpet, effects, Flugelhorn |
| John Miller | Trumpet | |
| Harald Bojé | Electronium | |
| Aloys Kontarsky | Piano | |
| Karlheinz Stockhausen | Rin Bowls, Indian
Bells, slide and bird whistles, voice |
|
|
||
 |
| Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar, 2005 (Michael von Hintzenstern, Matthias von Hintzenstern, Hans Tutschku, Daniel Hoffmann, Stockhausen) |
| VERKÜRZUNG ("Shortening") |
(9:16) | Composed 68.08 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Drones...until? | ||
| Play or Sing Extremely long sounds until each one seems like an instant |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
| WACH ("Awake") |
(10:00) | Composed 68.07.07 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Isolated points with falling glissandi, perhaps trills/accents... | ||
| Star constellations with common points and falling stars with secret wishes and nocturnal forest with dialogues Abrupt end |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
| ANHALT ("Halt") |
(10:00) | Composed 70.02.04 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Layered sound textures, play chordally if possible. | ||
| Seek harmony with a co-player Hold still, so that the others can find harmony with you Seek harmony with another co-player Hold still, so that… Seek harmony with each of your co-players Seek harmony with a co-player AND at the same time hold still |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
| VORAHNUNG ("Presentiment") |
(9:29) | Composed 70.07.06 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Staggered layers of sounds, interrupting each other, blending into each other, with clear divisions (attacks) of sound textures | ||
| Place each note on the head of another |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
| INNERHALB ("Inside") |
(8:43) | Composed 70.02.04 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Gradually staggered drone layers, eventually rising. The use of overtone singing adds some nice variety to the layered texture, sometimes on unison pitches. | ||
| Play a long note Penetrate into the note of a co-player (and then) another co-player When someone penetrates into your note make everything clear to him. (…) ...until all are moving within each other ...begin to burn and together coil into the heights |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
| WELLEN ("Waves") |
(10:27) | Composed 70.07.05 Recorded 05.05.28 |
| Overlapping swells of sound, eventually blending into a static texture. | ||
| Overtake the others Hold the lead Allow yourself to be overtaken Less often |
Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar: | |
| Daniel Hoffmann | Trumpet | |
| Matthias von Hintzenstern | Cello | |
| Michael von Hintzenstern | Piano, Harmonium | |
| Hans Tutschku | Synthesizer | |
|
||
The remaining texts of FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN have been recorded by various people, but are not "official", in that Stockhausen was not involved in the sessions or groups. Below are my "personal" interpretations of what they might mean and a few excerpts of the score texts. Included are also links to where "unsupervised versions" (not necessarily matching my own interpretation) can be found:
- ÜBEREINSTIMMUNG ("Unanimity"): quiet, long sounds and short loud sounds, increasingly in unison attacks. Recorded by composer Richard Barrett's group here and also by the "Intuitive Music Quartet" (Giorgio Dini (bass), Mell Morcone (piano), Walter Prati (Synthesizer, Electronics), Mario Mariotti (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) here.
- VERLÄNGERUNG ("Elongation"): extremely short events, an "Intuitive Music Quartet" version can be heard on YouTube.
- ÜBER DIE GRENZE ("Across the Boundary"): play as a "Humorous Master-Interpreter", exploring instrumental technique. As far as I know no CD recording is available of this one.
- KOMMUNIKATION ("Communication"): long, quiet sounds vs. loud short sounds vs. agitated sounds, using a kind of unspoken communication. Recorded by the "Intuitive Music Quartet" here.
- INTERVALL ("Interval", piano duet for 4 hands): start with isolated single notes, adding intervals when unison attacks between the 2 players occur. When 10-note chords are reached, begin moving towards each other (pitch-wise) on simultaneous attacks. When a common harmony is reached, proceed to subtract notes on simultaneous attacks. When a single notes are reached, the continue unison attacks, but begin cross-fading the other player's note (hummed) over your own note, etc... This work was recorded by Steffen Schleiermacher and Josef Christof on this CD. Another recording by Michael Century and Ryan Ross Smith can be seen here.
- AUSSERHALB ("Outside"): long sounds "break through" other long sounds..."Break through the note of the whole...and keep out of it." Recorded by the "Intuitive Music Quartet" here.
- SCHWINGUNG ("Vibration"): vibrate in unison, then independently, repeat this cycle, accelerating until "fused", repeat from beginning. Recorded by the "Intuitive Music Quartet" here.
- SPEKTREN ("Spectra"): "Divide the sound of another... Unite the divided sound of another... Gradually introduce indivisible sounds". Written in 1970, this concept and terminology seems to pre-echo the "spectral music" movement (STIMMUNG also somewhat prefigures that style/technique). A version can be found on a CD by "Prima Vista - Ensemble Pro Musica Da Camera".
Sound Impressions
These works are deceptively hard to play and even to adequately describe. One of the fascinating things about Stockhausen's text pieces is that they sometimes start with some very precise indications, but then end on a very vague or ambiguous instruction. I assume that once an initial "moment" texture/structure is achieved, the players may use the more poetic part of the text to go a bit farther afield and let "intuition" take over. As previously mentioned, these texts are somewhat more playful and almost mischievous in comparison to the texts of AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN (which are more "monastic" in mood, I think).
The available recordings of these works also have very different sound worlds, with each sounding very reflective of the time and place they were recorded. The 2005 Weimar group's recordings seem more precisely-controlled and self-conscious ("studio-bound") than the more free-wheeling 1970's explorations ("in the wild"). JAPAN, WACH and CEYLON are also dominated by novel electronic textures, but the folk/ritualistic atmosphere balances things out in an organic way. It would be very interesting to hear more recordings of these works by different acoustic and electronic ensembles (such as, for example, a string quartet or a Japanese gagaku orchestra...).
Links
Sound samples and CD ordering:
ScoreWiki Entry
Instructions on the Interpretation of Intuitive Music (transcripts of rehearsal extracts w Stockhausen, hosted by Living Scores Learn)
Ensemble for Intuitive Music, Weimar (site)
Ensemble for Intuitive Music, Weimar (performing WACH live)
Richard Barrett and ensemble: WACH
Stockhausen: Conversations With the Composer (Interviews by Jonathan Cott, 1974)
