Music Theatre
Karlheinz Stockhausen
On 10 March 2002, MICHAEL'S YOUTH, the first act of Karlheinz Stockhausen's opera DONNERSTAG aus LICHT (THURSDAY from LIGHT), will be staged for the first time in Germany at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. ‘DONNERSTAG aus LICHT’ is the first completed part of the ‘LICHT’ cycle and was premiered in 1981 at La Scala in Milan under the direction of the composer. Three years later, the work was restaged at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, also in close collaboration with the composer.
The Berlin production is currently the only performance from the seven-part ‘LICHT’ cycle that can be seen worldwide. After Karlheinz Stockhausen was significantly involved in the previous productions, ‘MICHAEL's YOUTH’ is being staged independently of the composer for the first time.
Karlheinz Stockhausen himself suggested this independent production to director Cornelia Heger after being impressed by her successful staging of his ‘Am Himmel wandere ich’ at the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg a few years ago. The composer will be present at the premiere.
In ‘MICHAEL's YOUTH’, the story is not told in a linear fashion, but rather we experience a continuous process of change and transformation. Stockhausen's work unfolds as musical theatre in the literal sense, as a theatrical form born out of the musical structure, in which the scene and music merge into a unity. With sound director Bryan Wolf and lighting designer Fred Pommerehn, choreographer Johannes Bönig, Hubert Mayer as MICHAEL (tenor), Ksenija Lukic as EVA (soprano) and Jonathan de la Paz Zaens as LUZIFER (bass), director Cornelia Heger has succeeded in putting together an internationally renowned ensemble.
Karlheinz Stockhausen
MICHAELs JUGEND
vom DONNERSTAG aus LICHT (1978/79)
for tenor, soprano, bass, trumpet, basset horn, trombone, piano, electronic organ, 3 dancers, tapes
Scenic German premiere
MICHAEL
Hubert Mayer – tenor
Willam Forman – trumpet
Angelika Thiele – dance
EVA
Ksenija Lukic – soprano
Rumi Sota-Klemm – basset horn
Jennifer Mann – dance
LUZIFER
Jonathan de la Paz Zaens – bass
Jürgen Schaal – trombone
Lole Gessler – dancer mime
Frank Gutschmid – accompanist in MICHAELs EXAMEN
Instrumental Ensemble – MICHAELs GRUSS
Oliver Snelinsky, Oliver Koch – 2 wardens
Choir of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Cologne in a 16-track recording conducted by Karlheinz Stockhausen – invisible choirs
Vladimir Cantiris, Luigo Goggen, Florina Juncker, Florian Kirchner, Martin Krause, Vit Polak, Bernd Vogel, Thomas Vogel, Miriam Werner – instrumental ensemble in MICHAELs GRUSS
Bryan Wolf – sound direction
Cornelia Heger – direction
Fred Pommerehn – stage and lighting design
Steffi Wurster – costume design
Johannes Bönig – choreography
Frank Gutschmidt – musical rehearsal / accompaniment
Jos Mulder – sound enginieer
Katja Lucker – production management
K&K Kulturmanagement – public relations / sponsoring
Jörg Schildbach – technical direction
Jens Schubbe – dramaturgy
A production by Cornelia Heger in collaboration with MaerzMusik / Berliner Festspiele, made possible by funding from the Capital Cultural Fund