19m40s_11
11th of April 2020 7:40pm GMT+1
Karlheinz Stockhausen - Tierkreis, the Upside Down Versions
DESCRIPTION
In 1975, Karlheinz Stockhausen composed twelve melodies, one for each sign of the Zodiac, for the theatre piece Musik Im Bauch. The melodies, called Tierkreis, were intended for six percussionists and music boxes, and were inspired by children, friends, and acquaintances who were born under the various star signs. The melodies were later reworked for a variety of groups, including one to five voices, and Stockhausen also wrote twelve texts that described the characteristics of the 12 human types. The work has been performed in a special carillon version for the bell tower of the Cologne Town Hall. We suggest that listeners start with the zodiac sign for the day of the listening session or their own sign, and then proceed to complete the cycle.
TRACK LIST
Tierkreis, Karlheinz Stockhausen (1974-75), arranged by Sebastiano De Gennaro
1. Aquarius
2. Pisces
3. Aries
4. Taurus
5. Gemini
6. Cancer
7. Leo
8. Virgo
9. Libra
10. Scorpio
11. Sagittarius
12. Capricorn
TearCrisis, a Stockhausen-inspired space-promenade by Lorenzo Brusci
13. Aquarius upside down
14. Pisces upside down
15. Aries upside down
16. Taurus upside down
17. Gemini upside down
18. Cancer upside down
19. Leo upside down
20. Virgo upside down
21. Libra upside down
22. Scorpio upside down
23. Sagittarius upside down
24. Capricorn upside down
CREDITS
Esecutori di Metallo su Carta
Sebastiano De Gennaro, Casio SK-1
Enrico Gabrielli, mikroKORG and Casio SA-75
Yoko Morimyo, viola and violin
Giovanni Mancuso, Casio PT-180
Lorenzo Brusci sound design, meta-composition
Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Tierkreis arranged by Sebastiano De Gennaro.
Recorded at VHT of Porto Marghera (Venezia) on the 8th june 2018 by V.E.R-V. (Claudio Bellini, Giovanni Dinello, Furio Ganz, Michele Mescalchin, Valeria Segna, Riccaro Sellan, Giovanni Sparano, Enrico Wiltsch, Emanuele Wiltsch Barberio)
Mixed by Emanuele Frison
TearCrisis, a Stockhausen-inspired space-promenade by Lorenzo Brusci
Recorded at Angelica Festival (Bologna) on the 12th Hanuary 2018 by Roberto Rettura.
Meta-Mix by Lorenzo Brusci (MusstDesign)
Graphic Design by Lorenzo Brusci
DESCRIPTION
Everyone says they don’t believe in the Zodiac, until they are found composing (some seriously scrumptious) music inspired by it!
The title may trick you into thinking Stockhausen got trapped into that thing called programme music but don’t be fooled: it’s still good old Karlheinz we are talking here, with serially-structured melodies, arithmetic series, and a vertigo-inducing number of versions and interpolations as you would expect from the helicopter-quartet man. Let’s revisit the basics, then: it’s 1975 and Stockhausen is busy with a theatre piece called Musik Im Bauch (‘Music in the Belly’), for which he pens twelve melodies (one for each sign of the Zodiac, "Tierkreis’ in German) for six percussionists and music boxes. As he said, “in inventing each melody, I thought of the characters of children, friends, and acquaintances who were born under the various star signs” (one is tempted to think of Elgar and his Enigma Variations here). The sheer wit and beauty of this set propelled it outside the piece, and made the now autonomous Tierkreis (for any melody instrument and / or chordal instrument) quite a favourite of his catalogue, and even—logistically speaking—an “easier” one to perform, too! As I said above, the work has also been reworked for a variety of groups, including in some cases one to five voices, for the composer himself penned twelve texts that “describe the most prominent characteristics of the 12 human types”. If you visit Cologne, you can also enjoy it in a special ‘carillon version’ designed for the bell tower of the local Town Hall.
Serving suggestion: start with the Zodiac sign within which the day of your listening session falls, or with your own sign, and then proceed to complete the cycle at your pace!