# Stockhausen's Licht Cycle



## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Anybody who thinks Wagner's Ring Cycle is too long would probably faint, knowing the size and scope of Licht and rightly so because it's so HUGE and expensive to acquire the whole set. But, has anybody here heard the whole thing and what are your thoughts on it?


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

So I guess everyone wants to stay as far away from this opera cycle as they can? :lol:


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Well, the forum's biggest Stockhausen fan is currently on hiatus. I'm sure he'll wax enthusiastic as soon as he gets back.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Xenakiboy said:


> So I guess everyone wants to stay as far away from this opera cycle as they can? :lol:


You are a clever boy :tiphat:


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

I own the complete set of _Licht_ operas and have on occasion treated myself to a back-to-back cycle, listening to one part per day. Personally, I love the the variety that _Licht_ offers; each work is radically different and, in the case of _Mittwoch_, each "act". For this reason, perhaps, _Mittwoch_ is easily the most uneven work in the cycle, however I enjoy the constituent parts of _Mittwoch_ on their own terms. That said, when I attended the première production of _Mittwoch_ at Birmingham (UK) in 2012, it worked stunningly well - easily one of my most memorable theatrical experiences. Bonkers, yes, but enormous fun.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I have not made work of tracking down the entire cycle so I have only heard excerpts.

I was able to see Michaels Reise um die Erde, from _Donnerstag_, as staged by Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus) at Lincoln Center Festival a couple years ago. It was stunning - both the staging and the musicianship - and I'd love to see more.

They also performed the Abschied, not outside the house, but outside the performance hall.


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Pugg said:


> You are a clever boy :tiphat:


I'm not surprised, as it seems to scare people...


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Xenakiboy said:


> I'm not surprised, as it seems to scare people...


Keep on smiling and enjoy life :lol:
( With or without Stockhausen)


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Keep on smiling and enjoy life :lol:
> ( With or without Stockhausen)


All the more reason to play Stockhausen as loud as possible around crowds of people in public.


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Mahlerian said:


> Well, the forum's biggest Stockhausen fan is currently on hiatus. I'm sure he'll wax enthusiastic as soon as he gets back.


If he's Stockhausen's biggest fan, will I have arguments with him because I'm Xenakis' biggest fan? :lol:


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

No... you'll likely have arguments with those of us that can easily do without Stockhausen or Xenakis. :devil:


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## WaterRat (May 19, 2015)

I’m not a big fan of listening to an opera/s before I can actually see it/them. I wouldn’t mind checking out the Licht cycle if it ever becomes available on DVD, or Opera Australia ever decides to perform it.

However, I do appreciate the excerpts that I’ve heard (Oktophonie, Luzifers Abscied).


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## WaterRat (May 19, 2015)

Xenakiboy said:


> All the more reason to play Stockhausen as loud as possible around crowds of people in public.


A few weeks ago I was driving in traffic and had Stockhausen's Cosmic Pulses on the CD. At a set of lights a car-load of teens pulled up and were intrigued by the noises coming from the car next to them. As the lights changed one of them wound down his window, and I think he was about to ask what music I was playing. Alas..


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

WaterRat said:


> I do appreciate the excerpts that I've heard (Oktophonie, Luzifers Abscied).


Glad you enjoyed - there are many interesting pieces in the _Licht_ operas, and you've picked two good 'uns there!


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## WaterRat (May 19, 2015)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> Glad you enjoyed - there are many interesting pieces in the _Licht_ operas, and you've picked two good 'uns there!


I would have included Sonntag Abschied had I remembered it at the time.

I appreciate the feedback as I'm curious as to what more devoted Stockhausen fans think of his excerpts from Licht, and whether they have a high place amongst Stockhausen's output in themselves.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

WaterRat said:


> I appreciate the feedback as I'm curious as to what more devoted Stockhausen fans think of his excerpts from Licht, and whether they have a high place amongst Stockhausen's output in themselves.


I don't share the sometimes-held impression that Stockhausen's creativity started to wane with _Licht_. On the contrary, I believe that the cycle contains some of his most beautiful and imaginative creations.

If there is a tailing-off in the creative stakes, I'd nominate the later _Klang_ pieces. Not that I dislike _Klang_, it's just that things get a bit "samey" from _Cosmic Pulses_ onwards.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

It appears as if Pierre Audi is researching/planning a full cycle in 2019 in the Netherlands:



> In 2019 brengt het festival een integrale uitvoering van Licht van Karlheinz Stockhausen in wereldpremière.


from Dutch government document on cultural plans for 2017-2020. (2017 includes a focus on Helmut Lachenmann, 2018 on George Benjamin).

I saw this from a tweet from Alex Ross; his blog has further information, including further links, and notes that this is in the "research phase," and when asked about it Audi said "Nothing to report about Stockhausen."

Again, there is no official announcement, but, wow.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Theatre Basel is live streaming a performance of Donnerstag aus Licht. It is free but you do have to have/register an account.

It starts 1 October at 16:00 CET, which is just under 23 hours from now (so 7 AM PDT, 10 AM EDT). It will be available as archived for two weeks. It will run approximately 5.5 hours.

Titus Engel is the music director, and Lydia Steier is the stage director.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

mountmccabe said:


> It appears as if Pierre Audi is researching/planning a full cycle in 2019 in the Netherlands:
> 
> from Dutch government document on cultural plans for 2017-2020. (2017 includes a focus on Helmut Lachenmann, 2018 on George Benjamin).
> 
> ...


Interesting, thanks. Might result in an affordable, complete recording then ...


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