Stockhausen: Sternklang

Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Sternklang – under the same sky, but looking at different stars: The Sonus Foundation is organizing two performances in the City Park in Budapest and in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria (Canada), played by an expanded version of the MIKAMO Central European Chamber Orchestra (Budapest) and the SALT Festival Orchestra (Victoria).

Stockhausen speaks about this piece with these words: “I think a human work should always be connected to the model of the universe. We are very small compared to the spirits that have composed and shaped the universe around us, and more and more we are becoming aware of the relationship between our work and the fantastic work of the divine composition of the universe!”

According to the program notes written by the composer, Sternklang is a park music with five groups of musicians as far apart as possible. All singers and players are amplified individually via loudspeakers. Sound runners transport musical models from one group to another, where they are adopted and integrated. At 10 different points in time, a centrally positioned signal person indicates common tempos for everyone and all groups synchronize with each other. All musical models are related to the classical star constellations in terms of rhythm, timbre or intervals. On clear nights, the constellations can be read directly from the sky and integrated as musical figures.

The performances of Stockhausen’s Sternklang are made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further information:
sonus.foundation

Dates

September 21, 2024
Finnerty Garden, Victoria

December 20, 2024
City Park around the House of Hungarian Music, Budapest