This CD in part contains works that have been recorded in different instrumental versions over the years, like “Oberlippentanz” and “Tierkreis”. “Oberlippentanz” is part of Scene 3 – “Luzifers Tanz” - out of “Samstag aus Licht” (Stockhausen Edition Volume 34), and “Tierkreis” was originally composed for 12 music boxes as part of “Musik im Bauch” (Stockhausen Edition Volume 24). The most extensive version of “Tierkreis” to date is Stockhausen’s composition “Sirius” (Stockhausen Edition Volume 26).

The magic of these – and other – works by Stockhausen is their inherent possibility - and even craving – for new interpretations. There is a richness of expression hidden inside these works, which has to bloom in different instrumental and interpretational guises for it to realize its own charged splendor. There is no way you can exhaust this music’s inherent goldmine of musical and existential aspects through one version and one version alone. Stockhausen’s music in its many versions appears to me like an aspen-slope of a Scandinavian April day, when the brisk and chilly breeze clears the air and blows yesteryears brownish-grayish leaves away, exposing the clear blue upturned petal faces of the flocks of Anemone Hepatica, once again meekly demonstrating the botanic poetry of sunshine, air and water brought together in the utmost expression of spiritual force, for anyone with eyes and an open mind to enjoy and contemplate. This is not an unimportant issue. It has to do with how we treat ourselves in this belvedere we call life, and how we greet the day. Like Bob Dylan said in his song “All Along the Watchtower”: “Businessmen, they drink my wine, ploughmen dig my earth, but none of them along the line knows what any of it is worth…”.
There is a meaning and a content hidden in every aspect of this walk of life, and we have to see, touch, smell… ponder!

Stockhausen’s music is charged and loaded with meaning; intentional but also unintentional, amassed there by a spirit so creative and sparkling with ideas that most of the significance is stacked away inside the compositions until brought out by especially gifted interpreters and certainly also by gifted listeners! See the rays of light emitted by a diamond on display, slowly rotating; each cut surface rendering a different aspect on beauty and light, color and the essence of perfection!
The spring flowers in the leaves below the aspen trees; the Anemone Hepaticas; each one of them a version of a concept of the spiritual creativity of the flowing forces of the universe!
The cut surfaces of the slowly rotating diamond; all different aspects of the beauty of rock and light!
The different versions of a Stockhausen piece; all different aspects of a concept, an original idea, too ingenious and creative not to flower in many shapes!

Another strength that Stockhausen’s music does harbor is its modularity. One might expect the grand operas of Stockhausen to be endless and tiring journeys of Wagnerian proportions, but that is not the case, which anyone who listens will understand. Many sections of the “Licht” operas can be performed in concert versions or solo parts, which may be played by themselves, by virtue of their own artistic significance. Many parts of the operas can thus be experienced outside the framework of the operas, again giving rise to new ideas and an endless chain of impulses, musical and existential, aesthetic and philosophical. There is no end to it! Just think of, for example, “Kathinkas Gesang” from “Samstag aus Licht” – a piece of music which can even be used for the purpose of guiding a deceased person on through his Bardo towards enlightenment or rebirth. That is a very good example of how a sole part of a Stockhausen opera takes on a soloistic existence with many far-reaching implications, whereas it also, of course, is an integrated and crucial part of the opera that it rises out of.

The version of “Oberlippentanz” which opens this CD is a reduced version of approximately 14 minutes, scored for piccolo trumpet, euphonium, 4 horns and 2 percussionists. At the Stockhausen Courses in Kürten, Germany in 2001 a version for piccolo trumpet, one synthesizer player and 2 percussionists was performed. Markus Stockhausen on piccolo trumpet then performed it with Antonio Pérez Abellán [synthesizer], Andreas Boettger [percussion] and Almut Lustig [percussion].
It is also possible to play “Oberlippentanz” as a solo for piccolo trumpet.
Stockhausen explains in the brochure for the Courses of 2001 that he has written numerous trumpet pieces for his son Markus Stockhausen, like “Sirius”, “Michaels Reise um die Erde” (from “Donnerstag aus Licht”), “Vision” (also from “Donnerstag aus Licht”) and more. At times Markus Stockhausen would come to his father to have him listen to improvisations on the piccolo trumpet. It was this that inspired Stockhausen to write “Oberlippentanz” for Scene 3 of “Samstag aus Licht”; “Luzifers Tanz”, dedicating the piece to Markus Stockhausen.

A quote from the programme note for the premier performance:

The opening is a balance of the extremes, as light percussive tinglings, conjuring up our attention, is opposed or complemented by the forcefulness of a tam-tam, spreading invisible concentric rings of power, sweeping away all doubts of the importance of what is about to go down. A solitary, careful but self-assured horn speaks up, in a manner similar to someone coming from a deep, dark spruce forest into an open meadow, stopping to look around, seeing what is there, in the sudden clear light of day. In the middle of the meadow (all in the listener’s and reviewer’s imagination!) the piccolo trumpeter stands, lit by sunlight, playing dispersed, sparse tones in the color of sunlight, soon connecting his dispersed sprays of notes into golden garlands of wobbly, intense progressions, adding blowing sounds, excelling in a virtuous and spellbinding performance, centering the attention of the forest around the meadow in the listener’s imagination, focusing a whole century of whispering spruces in this trembling pillar of piccolo trumpet air in the sunlight of the meadow… and all unseen and unknown beings of the forests and the mountains stop their dubious and secret chores to listen, each one frozen in his own posture… and as if to spellbind their attention even more, the trumpeter recedes into a soloistic mouth sound section, using his breath in conjunction with his piccolo trumpet, managing to modulate his breath without having the trumpet breaking out into trumpet sound, as if the piccolo trumpet was whispering! In the silence the trumpeter again blows his instrument, but now he is tall and proud, standing at his full length in the sunlight, playing long, doubtless tones, like a prophet on a mount, telling the truth of the present and the future, in a voice that expects everyone to listen up, and the long, shiny piccolo trumpet statements ring around the meadow, echoing deep into the forest, so intense and persuasive that they reach even the farthest parts, right into the heart of rocks and mountains and enchanted hideaways.

On stage, at a live performance of the piece, it looks quite different from this reviewer’s vision, since Stockhausen has thrown in some performance instructions into the score too, and right about this stage of the performance the instructions read: “kneel, sit on heels”, “lie down on back and continue to play”, “sit on heels again” and “stand up”.
This possibly makes watching a live staging and the listening to the CD quite different experiences, but the message I want to get across to anyone in doubt is the power of imagination inherent in Stockhausen’s music, right from the first pieces on the first CD up to the composer’s intense activities this day of today. I believe each listener will have his own feelings, his own visions, in conjunction with this music, according to where in life (and in which life!) he indeed is, and my own visions expressed here are simply examples of what I experience, hopefully inspiring others who have not yet tried to listen in this wide-open way to do so, because I guarantee you that I’ve visited some splendid places of spirit and mind through this listening, that wouldn’t have been accessible otherwise.

I believe that there currently is only one performer that is in such command of his instrument as to make a recording like the one on this CD possible; Markus Stockhausen, who is playing here! His mastery of method and nuance is refined to the limits of perception!

“Ave” for basset-horn and alto flute is a piece that Stockhausen composed in Africa, in Kenya. Stockhausen vividly explains the piece in the booklet:

Those who attended the Stockhausen Courses in Kürten in August 2001 certainly remember a magnificent performance of “Ave” by Belgian flutist Karin de Fleyt and Italian basset-hornist Michele Marelli. There was magic at work that night of 9th August in the Sülztalhalle of the Kürten school complex between the rolling hills of the Bergisches Land.

I had the added pleasure of attending the master classes which Kathinka Pasveer and Suzanne Stephens conducted with the performers in the days ahead of their 9th August performance, and at the magical night of Karin de Fleyt’s and Michele Marelli’s appearance I couldn’t help but notice a tear in the eye of one of the teachers, who was seriously moved by the content of the composition, so tenderly expressed by the Belgian-Italian couple in a performance which indeed was devastating!
Their effort also won them a prize at the end of the Courses, handed to them by Stockhausen at a concluding ceremony.

In an introductory text from 1987 Stockhausen lets on that he spent several hours each day for three months experimenting with new micro-scales for “Ave”, “voiced and voiceless (‘rushing’) consonant timbres”, with his two musicians; Kathinka Pasveer and Suzanne Stephens. He explains that the piece contains “numerically indefinable intervals of up to 26 steps within a major third (quasi ‘13th-tones’)”.
Stockhausen especially puts our attention to “the indescribable timbre changes” which occur in “Ave”. It is a very fine-tuned music.

Another extremely important ingredient of this work is the choreographic content. The movements of the two players, swirling about each other, distancing themselves and then drawn to each other in an utter expression of spiritual as well as erotic love, is magnetic, mesmerizing - and the exemplary execution of this choreographic love dance by Karin de Fleyt and Michele Marelli in Kürten was enough all by itself to bring tears to eyes!

In connection with “Ave” Stockhausen gives these interesting pieces of information:

Everyone who has attended a Stockhausen concert or even the Stockhausen Courses (open to ordinary auditors as well as to composers, musicians and scholars) has experienced the richness of the concept given by Stockhausen in his summation above.

Then Stockhausen goes on to make a very important statement with a punch to the finishing sentence that should be heeded and taken to heart by artists and laymen and one and all:

In “Ave” there are four so-called sub-scenes, which flow on seamlessly without a break.

The first sub-scene is “Evas Spiegel” (“Eve’s Mirror”) – originating in “Montag aus Licht” (“Monday from Light”) (Stockhausen Edition Volume 36), where it appears in “Botschaft” (“Message”), a scene out of “Evas Zauber” (“Eve’s Magic”); Act III from “Montag aus Licht”. The original version of “Botschaft” is scored for basset-horn, alto flute, choir, and modern orchestra. The famous third version of “Botschaft” is indeed this here “Ave” for basset-horn and alto flute.

Stockhausen describes “Evas Spiegel” thus:

It is also possible to listen to “Evas Spiegel” on Stockhausen Edition Volume 32, where Suzanne Stephens plays the basset-horn.

The second sub-scene is “Nachricht” (“News”), wherein the flute draws nigh. The basset-horn and the flute call each other across the expanse.

The third sub-scene is “Susani”, wherein the basset-hornist plays the solo “Susani” and dances for her surrounding, imaginary audience. An alto flutist simultaneously plays “Susani’s Echo”, which is another independent solo piece with decidedly different characteristics and moods. Almost unseen by the basset-hornist, who just catches quick glimpses of her echo player, the alto flutist circles the basset-hornist.
“Susani” can also be heard on Stockhausen Edition Volume 32, with Suzanne Stephens on basset-horn.
“Susani” for basset-horn also originates in “Botschaft” (“Message”); Scene I of Act III; “Eva’s Zauber” (“Eve’s Magic”) of “Montag aus Licht” (“Monday from Light”).

Stockhausen says:

“Susani’s Echo” is also presented on Stockhausen Edition Volume 28, where Kathinka Pasveer performs it on alto flute.

Stockhausen describes the piece thus:

I quote my own text on “Susani’s Echo” from the review of Stockhausen Edition Volume 28 for the convenience of the reader:

The fourth and last sub-scene of “Ave” is indeed itself called “Ave”, and Stockhausen describes this sub-scene thus:

Suzanne Stephens’ and Kathinka Pasveer’s performance on this recording is nothing short of wondrous, but we have almost come to expect this from these gallant and decisive, utterly sensitive and immensely gifted artists, who are true masters of their instruments, but let’s not forget the hard road anyone wanting to achieve this mastery has to travel, and the over-zealous work that has to go into the effort of retaining that mastery, never for a second loosing focus, walking the razor’s edge of artistic perfection!

It is a great joy to find out – which I did at the Stockhausen Courses in 2001 – that also young people are willing to give their total attention to this zeal of reaching perfection, which evidently Karin de Fleyt (1972) and Michele Marelli (1978) are doing, and I send them my spiritual encouragement for a successful continuation of artistic fulfillment!

“Tierkreis” (“Zodiac”) is one of the most widely known of Stockhausen’s works, even among people who normally are indifferent to modern music or art, and perhaps only “Hymnen” (Stockhausen Edition Volume 10) can rival “Tierkreis” in a wider sense of popularity. “Tierkreis” has inspired numerous interpretations and versions, and I wonder if anyone really has a grasp on the exact number… Of modern music I can only think of Terry Riley’s “In C” inspiring as many interpretations, and the “Tierkreis” concept is as open to different instrumentations as “In C”.

At the Stockhausen Courses in Kürten 2001 the participants were treated to a most original version, when Japanese singer Takashi Matsudaira performed “Tierkreis” for baritone voice, and may I add; gestures and candles and rin!
I was also attending a master class which Nicholas Isherwood conducted with young Takashi Matsudaira before the performance; an elating event!

At the night of the performance – 9th August 2001 - I remember wondering what all those tables that were carried onto stage were all about (there had been no sign of them at the master class), and the candles and little brass rins… It turned out that the tables were 12; the number of signs of the Zodiac. The tables were placed in a circle on stage, the candles were lit, and Takashi Matsudaira commenced his performance, starting with the first table, hitting the rin and singing and gesticulating a Stockhausen “Tierkreis” melody with a magnificent and humorous bravura, walking up to the next table, hitting the rin and singing the next sign, until he came full circle and concluded his performance.

I liked this idea – which was Matsudaira’s original idea – a lot, and found it very creative and… entertaining, demonstrating that “Tierkreis” can evoke interpretational ideas that really are spectacular in their originality!
Takashi Matsudaira didn’t harvest any of the prizes granted the best performances at the Courses, but a the concluding dinner at the end of the Courses I happened to see how Stockhausen presented Matsudaira with a gift; a “Tierkreis” music box, no doubt constructed to play the Zodiac sign of Matsudaira!

Takashi Matsudaira tells me via email from Japan about his idea and his performance in Kürten and explains that there were 12 tables for the 12 star signs of the Zodiac. The 12 tables were placed in a circle like an illustration of the score. On each table he placed 1 chromatic rin and 2 candles.
The pitch of each rin adhered to the central note of each melody. “Aquarius”, for example, is D-flat, “Pisces” is D, “Aries” is E-flat and so forth. The rins were pitched accordingly when shaped.

Matsudaira hit the rin with a mallet especially designed for the rin. He explains that Nicholas Isherwood - the teacher of his master class - and himself, found 12 different ways of hitting the 12 rins.
In addition, Alain Louafi – who conducted a master class of “Inori” gestures for the Russian participant Michail Prosnjakov – suggested a set of gestures specialized for each star sign; for each Zodiac melody!

Matsudaira tells me that he chose candles of four colors; red, blue, yellow and white. He reminds us that the four main melodies of “Tierkreis” - “Aries”, “Cancer”, “Libra”, “Capricorn” – also are connected with the 4 elements; “Aries” with fire, “Cancer” with water, “Libra” with wind, “Capricorn” with earth. In regard to this Takashi Matsudaira connected the colors of the candles with the characters of the 4 elements. The red candle was connected to fire and “Aries”, the blue one with water and “Cancer”, the white one with wind and “Libra”, and the yellow one with earth and “Capricorn”.

Matsudaira also reveals that he imagined each table with the rin and the two candles set up on stage in the Sülztalhalle in Kürten as a kind of music box. When he hit the rin with the mallet magic started and the imaginary music box opened and began to play its melody. As he moved along and let the mallet strike the next rin, another melody began… and the melody rose out of his throat and his gestures!

My comment to Takashi Matsudaira’s story about how he envisioned and realized his performance of “Tierkreis” is that this highly creative and original way of taking in and giving out Stockhausen’s “Tierkreis” amply demonstrates how many unexpected and surprising performances lie dormant inside Stockhausen’s scores, only waiting for the right person to come along and liberate them, so that we all can enjoy them an marvel! I thank Takashi Matsudaira from my heart for sharing his vision of “Tierkreis” with me and all the others attending the Stockhausen Courses of 2001! In its originality his performance was a true gem that I will not forget.

On this CD – Stockhausen Edition Volume 35 - we hear the Trio version of “Tierkreis”, scored for clarinet, flute and piccolo, trumpet and piano. This may seem like a strange trio, with five instruments, but only three at a time are in action! Suzanne Stephens plays the clarinet, Kathinka Pasveer plays flute and piccolo and Markus Stockhausen plays trumpet and piano.

Concerning the original version of “Tierkreis”, for music boxes, please consult my text on Stockhausen Edition Volume 24 on this website.

The trio version on Stockhausen Edition Volume 35 starts with “Pisces”, since it was performed the first time for Doris Stockhausen’s birthday on 28th February 1984 at Belgisches Haus in Cologne.
The order and content of the Zodiac in this recording flow according to the following account:

The set opens in a Mediterranean, dreamy, impressionistic mood, as the “Pisces” melody gallantly swirls, dances… in airy transparency, in a sublime clarity! The trumpet joins and brings a beehive richness of sweet golden timbres, in a sense of gathering, collecting, bringing home… bringing it all back home!

“Aries” moves in triumphantly in sharp and shrill sword-like progressions of noble metals, in a curly, meandering hurry!

“Taurus” enters heavily in the piano, soon joined by the clarinet in a stooping walk through hard thoughts and less hope…

The structures of these different melodies in this trio version are palpable. You can touch them; you see them! They’re as obvious as the nerves of a maple leaf! They’re right there, so clear, like in Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Two-Part Inventions and Three-Part Sinfonias”, or in Arvo Pärt’s “Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Secundum Joannem”! The sounding result rising out of these spiderweb structures of perfectly ordered connections is overflowing with brilliance and beauty; sheer spring breeze and aspen slopes, the air fresh to breath – a feast for the senses!
This trio version of “Tierkreis” is one of the sunlit summits of 20th century music; a treasure of the arts!

The adventure continues in the following melodies, but I’ll stop my writing here and let the reader indulge himself in this music at will, having his own visions set his emotions in motion! Myself, I’ll turn the computer off and retreat to a cozy corner of my home and my mind and the undisturbed enjoyment of this “Tierkreis” trio!