The first project I had to work on for the 'aus LICHT' production was Stockhausen's INVASION – EXPLOSION mit ABSCHIED. The piece conforms the second act of the opera DIENSTAG aus LICHT (TUESDAY from LIGHT), from Stockhausen's LICHT cycle.
Signals of INVASION-EXPLOSION
252 signals are sung and played, by two interpreter-groups, to the 8-track tape of the electronic music of INVASION-EXPLOSION: MICHAEL-troop: tenor, synthesizer, percussionist, 9 trumpeters LUZIFER-troop: bass, synthesizer, percussionist, 9 trombones A performance of TUESDAY from LIGHT in its entirety commences with the TUESDAY GREETING for solo soprano, choir, 9 trumpeters, 9 trombonists and 2 synthesizer players. The signals of INVASION-EXPLOSION may be performed by the same musicians or with fewer trumpeters and trombonists. There should, however, always be an equal number of trumpet- ers and trombonists. Players 1, 2 and 3 are obligatory. In large auditoriums with three left-to-right passages and three rear-to-front passages, all 9 trumpeters and 9 trombonists should, if possible, play in the 3rd INVASION. The singers are amplified over transmitters, mixing console, hall loudspeakers. Their movements are followed by the sound projectionist (if possible, using joy stick s). The synthesizer players use portable samplers, keyboards, and battery- powered loudspeakers. The percussionists carry self-designed fantasy-instruments having electrical pick-ups, and loudspeakers. They clearly play like percussionists, even though the transformation of the beat-impulses into electrical signals is free (see the Description of the instruments below). When necessary, also a synthesizer player (or percussionist) who carries loudspeakers on his body may additionally have to be slightly amplified over transmitter, mixing console, and hall loudspeakers (this has been the case for synthesizer 2 since the beginning).
We prepared INVASION-EXPLOSION for a performance in the Opera Preview cycle on March 25th 2018 in the Dutch National Opera (De Nationale Opera) in Amsterdam. This performance was a small taste of what was yet to come in the 'aus LICHT' 2019 marathon.
The following pictures were taken during the first rounds of rehearsals in October and November 2017.
More to follow...