Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007)
Donnerstag aus Licht (1978-1980) | Thursday from Light

Opera in three acts, a greeting and a farewell
for 14 musical performers
(3 solo voices, 8 solo instrumentalists, 3 solo dancers)
choir, orchestra, and tapes

Music, libretto, dances, actions and gestures by Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Première journée du cycle Licht, créée le 3 avril 1981 à la Scala de Milan.

Double à la fois du compositeur et de l’archange Michel, Michael – triplement interprété par un chanteur, un danseur et un trompettiste – est d’abord enfant entre ses parents, puis homme amoureux, artiste et voyageur, et enfin archange confronté au mal, messager de paix et intercesseur entre les humains et Dieu. Explorant le temps, investissant l’espace, mobilisant les interprètes comme les spectateurs, Stockhausen a fait de Donnerstag, premier des sept opéras de son cycle Licht, une grande aventure pour l’oreille, l’oeil et l’esprit, avec un sens aigu du détail comme de l’unité organique.

First day of the Licht cycle, premiered at the Teatro Alla Scala di Milano on April 3rd, 1981.

Double of the composer and of an archangel, the character of Michael, interpreted by a singer, a danser and a trumpet player is first the child, then the loving man, the artist, the traveller, and finally, the archangel confronted to evil, the peace messenger and the bond between the humans and God. Exploring space and time, and the relationship between audience and artists, Karlheinz Stockhausen created with Donnerstag aus Licht an extraordinary adventure for the ear, the eye and the spirit, with a greater care of details and a sharp vision of unity.

Le Balcon
Michael, trumpet : Henri Deléger
Michael, tenor, Hubert Mayer (act 1), Safir Behloul (act 3)
Michael, dancer, Emmanuelle Grach
Eva, basset horn, Iris Zerdoud
Eve, soprano, (Act 1), Léa Trommenschlager
Eve, soprano, (Act 3), Elise Chauvin
Eve, dancer, Suzanne Meyer
Lucifer, trombone, Mathieu Adam
Lucifer, bass, Damien Pass
Lucifer, dancer, Jamil Attar
Accompanist of Michael (piano) & doctor, Alphonse Cemin
Clownesque pair of swallows, Alice Caubit & Ghislain Roffat
Electric organ and keyboards, Alain Muller

Conductor, Maxime Pascal
Stage director, Benjamin Lazar
Costumes & set design, Adeline Caron
Video, Yann Chapotel
Lighting design, Christophe Naillet
Sound projection, Florent Derex
Music-computing director, Augustin Muller

London Sinfonietta
Academy of Music Manson Ensemble
New London Chamber Choir

A Opéra Comique & Le Balcon production, co-produced by Opéra national de Bordeaux.

Presented by Southbank Centre, in association with London
Sinfonietta. This project is generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

For this project, Le Balcon is supported by La Fondation Orange, le programme CERNI du Ministère de la Culture, l’Institut français à Paris, Caisse des Dépôts, Fondation Singer-Polignac, Fabernovel, Areitec, La Fugue.