DXXX. STOCKHAUSEN, Karlheinz (1928-2007)
Helicopter String Quartet (1992-93)
Elysian Quartet
(30:20)
Early in 1991, I received a commission from Professor Hans Landesmann of the Salzburger Festspiele to compose a string quartet. The Arditti Quartet was to play the world première in 1994.
My first reaction was -- as often before in such cases -- that I would not write a string quartet, because I have never separated form, content and performance practice, and the string quartet is a typical genre of the 18th century.
Similarly, for 45 years, I have not written symphonies, sonatas, piano concertos, violin concertos, etc. Each of my works has its own form, instrumentation and performance practice.
And then I had a dream: I heard and saw the four string players in four helicopters flying in the air and playing. At the same time I saw people on the ground seated in an audio-visual hall, others were standing outdoors on a large public plaza. In front of them, four towers of television screens and loudspeakers had been set up: at the left, half-left, half-right, right. At each of the four positions one of the four string players could be heard and seen in close-up.
Most of the time, the string players played tremoli which blended so well with the timbres and rhythms of the rotor blades that the helicopters sounded like musical instruments.
When I woke up, I strongly felt that something had been communicated to me which I never would have thought of on my own. I did not tell anyone about it.
My first reaction was -- as often before in such cases -- that I would not write a string quartet, because I have never separated form, content and performance practice, and the string quartet is a typical genre of the 18th century.
Similarly, for 45 years, I have not written symphonies, sonatas, piano concertos, violin concertos, etc. Each of my works has its own form, instrumentation and performance practice.
And then I had a dream: I heard and saw the four string players in four helicopters flying in the air and playing. At the same time I saw people on the ground seated in an audio-visual hall, others were standing outdoors on a large public plaza. In front of them, four towers of television screens and loudspeakers had been set up: at the left, half-left, half-right, right. At each of the four positions one of the four string players could be heard and seen in close-up.
Most of the time, the string players played tremoli which blended so well with the timbres and rhythms of the rotor blades that the helicopters sounded like musical instruments.
When I woke up, I strongly felt that something had been communicated to me which I never would have thought of on my own. I did not tell anyone about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment