Discussion in music corner started by sordel, dec 28, 2015. It was a series of dreams that inspired the composer karlheinz stockhausen to write his controversial helikopterstreichquartett or the helicopter string quartet in 199293 stockhausen had been asked to compose a quartet for professor hans landesmann of the salzburger festspiele in early 1991, but the composer had no interest in writing one, that is until he had a dream. Helikopter streichquartett helicopter string quartet arditti quartet edition, vol. Karlheinz stockhausen, arditti string quartet stockhausen. In our view, stockhausens helicopter string quartet represents a kind of conceptual music. Helicopter string quartet, 3rd act of mittwoch aus licht for string quartet and 4 helicopters 19921993 ca. You write the worlds only string quartet meant to be played in four separate helicopters, and yet, as helicopter. Stockhausens audacious helicopter string quartet dangerous. The seven days of the week, and the last to be staged. Shining a licht on a 15hour opera with hundreds of. Helicopter string quartet frank scheffer, 1996 on vimeo.
Documentary paths through the labyrinth, a portrait of. December 7, 2007 german composer karlheinz stockhausen died wednesday after a short illness. Hovering in helicopters, string quartet gets stockhausen. Karlheinz stockhausen flute, arditti string quartet chant, arcadian academy. Karlheinz stockhausen helicopter string quartet video. For string quartet, 4 helicopters with pilots and 4 sound technicians, 4 television trasmitters, 4 x 3 sound transmitters, auditorium with 4 columns of televisions and 4 columns of loudspeakers, sound projectionist with mixing console, moderator ad lib. Behind the scenes of the premier of the helicopter string quartet he dreamt of it and he did it.
Culture hovering in helicopters, string quartet gets stockhausen right. Karlheinz stockhausen composes the cosmos serenade. The film on karlheinz stockhausens helikopterstreichquartett captures for the viewer a musical event that did not at all seem to be. Even karlheinz stockhausen s helicopter string quartet sounds feathery after two minutes of the melvins lysol. The helicopter string quartet 1993 by german composer karlheinz. Helicopter string quartet frank scheffer, 1996 from spectacle theater plus. Helikopterquartett arditti quartet on allmusic 1999. The helikopter streichquartett helicopter string quartet is one of karlheinz stockhausen s best known pieces, and one of the most complex to perform.
After turning down a commission to compose a string quartet in 1991, karlheinz stockhausen has a dream that causes him to reconsider. And the film, intelligently directed by frank scheffer, documents the rehearsals and logistical preparations for the premiere of stockhausen s wacky, egomaniacal helicopter string quartet. Karlheinz stockhausen helicopter string quartet youtube. With a string quartet flying in helicopters, musicians performing on giant swings and a dancing camel, karlheinz stockhausen s radical fivehour opera mittwoch aus licht was thought to be. Booklet with program notes by karlheinz stockhausen in german and english 96 p. Karlheinz stockhausen s music, works and history of the famous 20th century composer. It is exceptionally megalomaniac and laborious to perform, and from an everyday commonsense point of view it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Soundscapes exploring electronic music and karlheinz. Tonights performance is loosely based on the opening act of mittwoch, part of stockhausen s bonkers 29hour opera cycle licht. My favorite stockhausen piece is helicopter string quartet, in which a quartet literally performs in flying helicopters.
Each member of the quartet occupies one helicopter, playing eerie tremolos that blend with the sound of the spinning rotors. Frank scheffers film helicopter string quartet depicts the behindthescenes preparations for this event. Trans is rather conventional for ks, as an orchestral piece, which reveals his compositional cops more than you usually get. Licht unleashes a helicopter string quartet the new. Karlheinz stockhausen helikopterstreichquartett album. It requires a string quartet, four helicopters, and a team of sound designers and engineers. A musical pioneer, karlheinz stockhausen broke many barriers and taboos. It involves a string quartet, four helicopters with pilots, as well as audio and video equipment and technicians. This is the sorrow and grandeur of being karlheinz stockhausen. Pepper cutout karlheinz stockhausen helped popularize electronic music and the idea of aleatory controlled chance in serial composition with his interesting, often controversial, approach to composition. It was the sixth of seven to be composed for the opera cycle licht.
Helikopterstreichquartett arditti quartet on allmusic. Karlheinz stockhausen helikopter streich quartett auditorium parco della musica roma 19 gennaio 2009. June 6 amsterdam, netherlands what an experience to play the helicopter quartet by stockhausen. At first listen, the melvins produce filthy hesher rock, but through time, layers of fuzz and distortion reveal themselves as masterful arrangements, even as they become as overwhelming as a night of huffing tar.
Robin maconie essay 2 stockhausens musical helicopters pdf. It was a series of dreams that inspired the composer karlheinz stockhausen to write his controversial helikopterstreichquartett or the. Helicopter string quartet is one of karlheinz stockhausens bestknown pieces, and one of the most complex to perform. This performance is the elysian quartet performing in 2012 in birmingham, uk.
Stockhausens helicopter opera set for take off bbc news. This film is a documentary about the preparation of the amazing helicopter string quartet which stockhausen brought to fruition simply because he had experienced it in a dream. The preparations, including test flights, are documented from the first rehearsal. Formula composition is a term often used for stockhausen s compositional technique. Karlheinz stockhausen photo from ecm records a tribute by gary gomes february 2008 along with cage, and perhaps his teacher olivier messiaen, shoenberg and stravinsky, and fellow messiaen students boulez and xenakis, stockhausen is one of the pivotal figures of 20th century classical music. The complete work famously features a dancing camel. In 1991, karlheinz stockhausen, the mystical showman of the musical avantgarde, was commissioned to write a string quartet for the salzburg festival. Wednesday from light is an opera by karlheinz stockhausen in a greeting, four scenes, and a farewell. Helicopter string quartet is a 78minute 1996 dutch english and germanlanguage independent. He redefined notions of what types of sound could be deemed acceptable in composition and took a pioneering approach with his use of electronics in art music. Stockhausen s helicopter string quartet stresses the parity of the sounds of helicopter rotors and string instruments. The helicopter string quartet 1993 by german composer karlheinz stockhausen 19282007 is one of the most notorious works of classical music of the past decades. This film is a documentary about the preparation of the amazing helicopter string quartet which stockhausen brought to fruition.
For string quartet, 4 helicopters with pilots and 4 sound technicians, 4 television trasmitters, 4 x 3 sound transmitters, auditorium with 4. Scheffer also conducts and films an extended conversation with stockhausen in which the. The differences in price result from the stockhausen contents of the booklets. From his outrageous compositions such as the quartet. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Karlheinz stockhausen helicopter string quartet 1995 dvd9 ntsc. Karlheinz stockhausen 19282007 was a seminal figure in post1945 modernism and one of the most experimental and progressive composers of the 20th century.
Karlheinz stockhausens whirlybird song washington post. Karlheinz stockhausen 19282007 was a seminal figure in. Stockhausen rehearses and talks about his helicopter string quartet played by the. Licht unleashes a helicopter string quartet an extremely rare performance of karlheinz stockhausen s sprawling spectacle or at least 15 hours of it is coming to amsterdam. Helicopter string quartet 1995 starring arditti string quartet on dvd and bluray. It was written between 1995 and 1997, and first staged in 2012. Written in the early 1990s, helikopterstreichquartett, or helicopter string quartet, is one of stockhausen s bestknown pieces and one of the most toughest to perform.
Deceptive cadence theres music by karlheinz stockhausen and a few others, but why isnt science fiction a. The helicopter quartets place in mittwoch is much harder to imagine, but then stockhausens music has always been a fine mixture of apparently contradictory impulses and intentions. Composers, interpreters, musicologists, sound projectionists and music lovers are cordially invited to attend the stockhausen concerts. At the holland festival, a survey of radical musical innovator karlheinz stockhausens sevenopera cycle, complete with helicopterborne string quartet. Helicopter string quartet helicopter string quartet screen title. The helicopter quartet, composed in 1993 by karlheinz stockhausen. Helicopter string quartet is a 78minute 1996 dutch english and germanlanguage independent underground experimental documentary art film directed by frank scheffer. Helikopterstreichquartett karlheinz stockhausen helicopter string quartet. Mittwoch aus licht mittwoch aus licht wednesday from light karlheinz stockhausen, 24 august 2012 2 of 2. Karlheinz stockhausen helicopter string quartet arditti quartet.
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