fbpx
Wikipedia

Expo (Stockhausen)

April 09, 2024

Expo, for three performers with shortwave radio receivers and a sound projectionist, is a composition by Karlheinz Stockhausen, written in 1969–70. It is Number 31 in the catalogue of the composer's works.

Stockhausen's Expo was written for the blue spherical auditorium (out-of-view at the right of this picture) of the German Pavilion at Expo '70

Conception edit

Expo is the penultimate in a series of works dating from the late 1960s which Stockhausen designated as "process" compositions. These works in effect separate the "form" from the "content" by presenting the performers with a series of transformation signs which are to be applied to material that may vary considerably from one performance to the next. In Expo and three companion works (Kurzwellen for six performers, Spiral for a soloist, and Pole for two), this material is to be drawn spontaneously during the performance from short-wave radio broadcasts.[1] The processes, indicated primarily by plus, minus, and equal signs, constitute the composition and, despite the unpredictability of the materials, these processes can be heard from one performance to another as being "the same".[2]

Each plus, minus, or equal sign indicates that, upon repetition of an event, the performer is to increase, decrease, or maintain the same level in one of four musical dimensions (or "parameters"): overall duration of the event, number of internal subdivisions, dynamic level, or pitch register/range. It is up to the performer to decide which of these dimensions is to be affected, except that vertically stacked signs must be applied to different parameters.[3] Despite this indeterminacy, a large number of plus signs (for example) will result in successive events becoming longer, more finely subdivided, louder, and either higher or wider in range; a large number of minus signs will produce the reverse effect.[2] To the signs previously used in Prozession, Kurzwellen, and Spiral Stockhausen adds some new ones.

History edit

 
Stockhausen (back, centre) at the Shiraz Arts Festival, September 1972, with several of the Expo '70 performers: front: P. Eötvös, D. von Biel, G. Rodens, W. Fromme, H. Albrecht; second row, second from left: H.-A. Billig; far right: C. Caskel

In 1968 the West German World Fair Committee invited Stockhausen to collaborate on the German Pavilion at the 1970 World Fair in Osaka, Japan. Other collaborators on the project included the pavilion's architect, Fritz Bornemann, Fritz Winckel, director of the Electronic Music Studio at the Technical University of Berlin, and engineer Max Mengeringhausen. The pavilion theme was "gardens of music", in keeping with which Bornemann intended "planting" the exhibition halls beneath a broad lawn, with a connected auditorium "sprouting" above ground. Initially, Bornemann conceived this auditorium in the form of an amphitheatre, with a central orchestra podium and surrounding audience space. In the summer of 1968, Stockhausen met with Bornemann and persuaded him to change this conception to a spherical space with the audience in the center, surrounded by loudspeaker groups in seven rings at different "latitudes" around the interior walls of the sphere.[4][5] In addition, Stockhausen would participate by presenting daily five-hour programs of his music.[6] Stockhausen's works were performed for 5½ hours every day over a period of 183 days to a total audience of about a million listeners.[7] Expo was written, as the title indicates, for these performances and was composed in Kürten in December 1969 and January 1970, at that time under the working title of Trio.[8] Between 14 March and 14 September 1970, Expo was played and sung many times at the German Pavilion at Expo '70, in daily performances by twenty different musicians including the composer.[9] The English group Intermodulation (Roger Smalley, Tim Souster, Peter Britton, and Robin Thompson) performed it a number of times and made recordings for the radio.[8]

Structure and technique edit

Expo is a more relaxed and cheerful piece than its companions, and features an unusual degree of synchronised gestures and canonic imitation.[10] It consists of a sequence of approximately 135 events, grouped into two large sections divided in the score by wavy barlines, each interrupted once by an insert lasting up to 2½ minutes. One of these inserts is slow, the other fast; both are characterised by a synchronised periodic beat. Stockhausen explained that in pieces like this, "the first step is always that of imitating something and the next step is that of transforming what you're able to imitate" .[11]

Discography edit

  • Karlheinz Stockhausen: Expo für 3 (Integrale Version in zwei Fassungen). Michael Vetter (voice, recorder, and short-wave radio), Natascha Nikeprelevic (voice and short-wave radio), F. X. Randomiz (lap-top computer system, voice, and short-wave radio). Recorded 12 October 2013 at Sound Studio N, Cologne. CD recording, 1 disc: digital, 12 cm, stereo. Stockhausen Complete Edition CD 104. Kürten: Stockhausen-Verlag, 2014.

References edit

  1. ^ Kohl 1981, pp. 192–193.
  2. ^ a b Kohl 2010, p. 137.
  3. ^ Stockhausen 1973, pp. 1, 11, 21.
  4. ^ Kurtz 1992, p. 166.
  5. ^ Föllmer 1996.
  6. ^ Kurtz 1992, p. 178.
  7. ^ Wörner 1973, p. 256.
  8. ^ a b Stockhausen 1978, p. 152.
  9. ^ Stockhausen 2009, p. 260.
  10. ^ Maconie 2005, p. 324.
  11. ^ Cott 1973, pp. 33.

Cited sources edit

  • Cott, Jonathan. 1973. Stockhausen: Conversations with the Composer. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-671-21495-0.
  • Föllmer, Golo. 1996. "Osaka: Technik für das Kugelauditorium." In Musik..., verwandelt. Das Elektronische Studio der TU Berlin 1953–1995, edited by Frank Gertich, Julia Gerlach, and Golo Föllmer, 195–211. Hofheim: Wolke-Verlag. ISBN 3-923997-68-X.
  • Kohl, Jerome. 1981. "Serial and Non-Serial Techniques in the Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1962–1968." Ph.D. diss. Seattle: University of Washington.
  • Kohl, Jerome. 2010. "A Child of the Radio Age". In Cut & Splice: Transmission, edited by Daniela Cascella and Lucia Farinati, 135–139. London: Sound and Music. ISBN 978-1-907378-03-4.
  • Kurtz, Michael. 1992. Stockhausen: A Biography. Translated by Richard Toop. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-14323-7.
  • Maconie, Robin. 2005. Other Planets: The Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Lanham, Maryland, Toronto, Oxford: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-5356-6.
  • Stockhausen, Karlheinz. 1973. Nr 27 Spiral für einen Solisten. (score) UE 14957. Vienna: Universal Edition.
  • Stockhausen, Karlheinz. 1978. "Pole für 2 (1969–70) und Expo für 3 (1969–70)". In his Texte zur Musik 4, edited by Christoph von Blumröder, 152. DuMont Dokumente. Cologne: Verlag M. DuMont Schauberg. ISBN 3-7701-0493-5.
  • Stockhausen, Karlheinz. 2009. Kompositorische Grundlagen Neuer Musik: Sechs Seminare für die Darmstädter Ferienkurse 1970, edited by Imke Misch. Kürten: Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik. ISBN 978-3-00-027313-1.
  • Wörner, Karl Heinrich [de]. 1973. Stockhausen: Life and Work, translated by Bill Hopkins. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520021433

Further reading edit

  • Frisius, Rudolf. 2008. Karlheinz Stockhausen II: Die Werke 1950–1977; Gespräch mit Karlheinz Stockhausen, "Es geht aufwärts". Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Toronto: Schott Musik International. ISBN 978-3-7957-0249-6.
  • Fritsch, Johannes, and Richard Toop. 2008. "Versuch, eine Grenze zu überschreiten ... Johannes Fritsch im Gespräch über die Aufführungspraxis von Werken Karlheinz Stockhausens". MusikTexte [de] no. 116 (February): 31–40.
  • Hopp, Winrich. 1998. Kurzwellen von Karlheinz Stockhausen: Konzeption und musikalische Poiesis. Kölner Schriften zur neuen Musik 6. With CD recording. Mainz and New York: Schott. ISBN 3-7957-1895-3.
  • Stockhausen, Karlheinz. 1971. "Ein Abend EXPO 70". In his Texte zur Musik 3, edited by Dieter Schnebel, 229–231. DuMont Dokumente. Cologne: Verlag M. DuMont Schauberg. ISBN 3-7701-0493-5.

External links edit

  • Photos and architectural plans of the auditorium of the Expo '70 West German Pavilion and its sound system, for which Pole was conceived.

April 09, 2024
expo, stockhausen, expo, three, performers, with, shortwave, radio, receivers, sound, projectionist, composition, karlheinz, stockhausen, written, 1969, number, catalogue, composer, works, stockhausen, expo, written, blue, spherical, auditorium, view, right, t. Expo for three performers with shortwave radio receivers and a sound projectionist is a composition by Karlheinz Stockhausen written in 1969 70 It is Number 31 in the catalogue of the composer s works Stockhausen s Expo was written for the blue spherical auditorium out of view at the right of this picture of the German Pavilion at Expo 70 Contents 1 Conception 2 History 3 Structure and technique 4 Discography 5 References 5 1 Cited sources 6 Further reading 7 External linksConception editExpo is the penultimate in a series of works dating from the late 1960s which Stockhausen designated as process compositions These works in effect separate the form from the content by presenting the performers with a series of transformation signs which are to be applied to material that may vary considerably from one performance to the next In Expo and three companion works Kurzwellen for six performers Spiral for a soloist and Pole for two this material is to be drawn spontaneously during the performance from short wave radio broadcasts 1 The processes indicated primarily by plus minus and equal signs constitute the composition and despite the unpredictability of the materials these processes can be heard from one performance to another as being the same 2 Each plus minus or equal sign indicates that upon repetition of an event the performer is to increase decrease or maintain the same level in one of four musical dimensions or parameters overall duration of the event number of internal subdivisions dynamic level or pitch register range It is up to the performer to decide which of these dimensions is to be affected except that vertically stacked signs must be applied to different parameters 3 Despite this indeterminacy a large number of plus signs for example will result in successive events becoming longer more finely subdivided louder and either higher or wider in range a large number of minus signs will produce the reverse effect 2 To the signs previously used in Prozession Kurzwellen and Spiral Stockhausen adds some new ones History edit nbsp Stockhausen back centre at the Shiraz Arts Festival September 1972 with several of the Expo 70 performers front P Eotvos D von Biel G Rodens W Fromme H Albrecht second row second from left H A Billig far right C CaskelIn 1968 the West German World Fair Committee invited Stockhausen to collaborate on the German Pavilion at the 1970 World Fair in Osaka Japan Other collaborators on the project included the pavilion s architect Fritz Bornemann Fritz Winckel director of the Electronic Music Studio at the Technical University of Berlin and engineer Max Mengeringhausen The pavilion theme was gardens of music in keeping with which Bornemann intended planting the exhibition halls beneath a broad lawn with a connected auditorium sprouting above ground Initially Bornemann conceived this auditorium in the form of an amphitheatre with a central orchestra podium and surrounding audience space In the summer of 1968 Stockhausen met with Bornemann and persuaded him to change this conception to a spherical space with the audience in the center surrounded by loudspeaker groups in seven rings at different latitudes around the interior walls of the sphere 4 5 In addition Stockhausen would participate by presenting daily five hour programs of his music 6 Stockhausen s works were performed for 5 hours every day over a period of 183 days to a total audience of about a million listeners 7 Expo was written as the title indicates for these performances and was composed in Kurten in December 1969 and January 1970 at that time under the working title of Trio 8 Between 14 March and 14 September 1970 Expo was played and sung many times at the German Pavilion at Expo 70 in daily performances by twenty different musicians including the composer 9 The English group Intermodulation Roger Smalley Tim Souster Peter Britton and Robin Thompson performed it a number of times and made recordings for the radio 8 Structure and technique editExpo is a more relaxed and cheerful piece than its companions and features an unusual degree of synchronised gestures and canonic imitation 10 It consists of a sequence of approximately 135 events grouped into two large sections divided in the score by wavy barlines each interrupted once by an insert lasting up to 2 minutes One of these inserts is slow the other fast both are characterised by a synchronised periodic beat Stockhausen explained that in pieces like this the first step is always that of imitating something and the next step is that of transforming what you re able to imitate 11 Discography editKarlheinz Stockhausen Expo fur 3 Integrale Version in zwei Fassungen Michael Vetter voice recorder and short wave radio Natascha Nikeprelevic voice and short wave radio F X Randomiz lap top computer system voice and short wave radio Recorded 12 October 2013 at Sound Studio N Cologne CD recording 1 disc digital 12 cm stereo Stockhausen Complete Edition CD 104 Kurten Stockhausen Verlag 2014 References edit Kohl 1981 pp 192 193 a b Kohl 2010 p 137 Stockhausen 1973 pp 1 11 21 Kurtz 1992 p 166 Follmer 1996 Kurtz 1992 p 178 Worner 1973 p 256 a b Stockhausen 1978 p 152 Stockhausen 2009 p 260 Maconie 2005 p 324 Cott 1973 pp 33 Cited sources edit Cott Jonathan 1973 Stockhausen Conversations with the Composer New York Simon and Schuster ISBN 0 671 21495 0 Follmer Golo 1996 Osaka Technik fur das Kugelauditorium In Musik verwandelt Das Elektronische Studio der TU Berlin 1953 1995 edited by Frank Gertich Julia Gerlach and Golo Follmer 195 211 Hofheim Wolke Verlag ISBN 3 923997 68 X Kohl Jerome 1981 Serial and Non Serial Techniques in the Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1962 1968 Ph D diss Seattle University of Washington Kohl Jerome 2010 A Child of the Radio Age In Cut amp Splice Transmission edited by Daniela Cascella and Lucia Farinati 135 139 London Sound and Music ISBN 978 1 907378 03 4 Kurtz Michael 1992 Stockhausen A Biography Translated by Richard Toop London Faber and Faber ISBN 0 571 14323 7 Maconie Robin 2005 Other Planets The Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen Lanham Maryland Toronto Oxford The Scarecrow Press ISBN 0 8108 5356 6 Stockhausen Karlheinz 1973 Nr 27 Spiral fur einen Solisten score UE 14957 Vienna Universal Edition Stockhausen Karlheinz 1978 Pole fur 2 1969 70 und Expo fur 3 1969 70 In his Texte zur Musik 4 edited by Christoph von Blumroder 152 DuMont Dokumente Cologne Verlag M DuMont Schauberg ISBN 3 7701 0493 5 Stockhausen Karlheinz 2009 Kompositorische Grundlagen Neuer Musik Sechs Seminare fur die Darmstadter Ferienkurse 1970 edited by Imke Misch Kurten Stockhausen Stiftung fur Musik ISBN 978 3 00 027313 1 Worner Karl Heinrich de 1973 Stockhausen Life and Work translated by Bill Hopkins Berkeley University of California Press ISBN 9780520021433Further reading editFrisius Rudolf 2008 Karlheinz Stockhausen II Die Werke 1950 1977 Gesprach mit Karlheinz Stockhausen Es geht aufwarts Mainz London Berlin Madrid New York Paris Prague Tokyo Toronto Schott Musik International ISBN 978 3 7957 0249 6 Fritsch Johannes and Richard Toop 2008 Versuch eine Grenze zu uberschreiten Johannes Fritsch im Gesprach uber die Auffuhrungspraxis von Werken Karlheinz Stockhausens MusikTexte de no 116 February 31 40 Hopp Winrich 1998 Kurzwellen von Karlheinz Stockhausen Konzeption und musikalische Poiesis Kolner Schriften zur neuen Musik 6 With CD recording Mainz and New York Schott ISBN 3 7957 1895 3 Stockhausen Karlheinz 1971 Ein Abend EXPO 70 In his Texte zur Musik 3 edited by Dieter Schnebel 229 231 DuMont Dokumente Cologne Verlag M DuMont Schauberg ISBN 3 7701 0493 5 External links editPhotos and architectural plans of the auditorium of the Expo 70 West German Pavilion and its sound system for which Pole was conceived Portal nbsp Classical music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Expo Stockhausen amp oldid 1088783222, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.