Festival Dag in de Branding presents Stockhausen and Varèse on March 11, 2017

Several dozen wind players and percussionists will play a selection of Edgard Varèse’s most iconic compositions: masterpieces like Intégrales, Ionisation and Déserts, which to this day never fail to amaze because of their originality. Edgard Varèse was an independent spirit who was constantly searching out completely new sounds. Almost a century ago, in the 1920s, he began experimenting with new playing techniques and unconventional combinations of instruments. He had a tremendous impact, and Varèse profoundly influenced not only Igor Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen, but Frank Zappa was also influenced by his idiosyncratic music.

Varèse's music is best listened to in a live setting. Unfortunately, there are too few opportunities because concerts of his music require a highly unusual arrangement of many percussionists and wind players. Dozens of master students from the Royal Conservatoire have been brought together especially for this edition of the Dag in de Branding Festival. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Dutch National Opera, Holland Festival, Royal Conservatoire and the Stockhausen Foundation for Music jointly present aus LICHT at the 2019 Holland Festival: a selection from the seven-opera cycle LICHT by Stockhausen in a performance spread over three consecutive days. At Festival Dag in de Branding on March 11 (2017) we present the first preview.

Theater aan het Spui will form the backdrop for Stockhausen’s Kathinkas Gesang (Als Luzifers Requiem Vom Samstag Aus LICHT) for solo flute and six percussionists. Stockhausen wrote this scene especially for Kathinka Pasveer, his muse, who he had met while she was still studying at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He wanted to challenge her to push boundaries.

Artist-in-residence Christian Karlsen will conduct the Royal Conservatoire Orchestra with a performance of the opera Michaels Reise um die Erde (vom Donnerstag aus LICHT) for trumpet and orchestra. Stockhausen opened a new world of sound when he wrote this visionary music. Marco Blaauw, a Dutch trumpeter and eminent Stockhausen-interpreter, will play the role of the archangel Michael.

15:00 Korzo - Edgard Varèse
Edgard Varèse – Intégrales, Density 21.5, Octandre, Ionisation, Déserts
Ensemble Royal Conservatoire / Institute for Sonology / Christian Karlsen, conductor

19:00 Theater aan het Spui - Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Kathinkas Gesang als Luzifers Requiem
Karin de Fleyt, flute / Ensemble Royal Conservatoire

20:00 Paard van Troje - Concert Lecture (in English)
Composer Cristiano Melli will introduce excerpts from keyworks of Stockhausen in a four channel sound projection. In this presentation the Fourth Region of HYMNEN (1969) is played in its entire form.

21:30 Koninklijk Conservatorium (Arnold Schönberzaal) - Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Michaels Reise um die Erde
Marco Blaauw, trumpet / Royal Conservatoire Orchestra / Christian Karlsen, conductor

Tickets
Passe-partouts for Saturday 11 March 2017 can be ordered at dagindebranding.nl/en/shop. We sell only passe-partouts for the day; single tickets can be bought at the venue in question.