First day of Licht, which premiered on 3 April 1981 at La Scala in Milan.
A double embodiment of both the composer and the archangel Michael, Michael – portrayed in three roles by a singer, a dancer and a trumpeter – is first a child with his parents, then a man in love, an artist and a traveller, and finally an archangel confronting evil, a messenger of peace and an intercessor between humans and God. Exploring time, engaging with space, and involving both performers and audience alike, Donnerstag is the first of the seven operas of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Licht cycle.
Musical direction Maxime Pascal Stage direction Benjamin Lazar Sound design Florent Derex Computer music production Augustin Muller Vocal coach Alain Muller Chorus master Richard Wilberforce Set and costume design Adeline Caron Lighting Christophe Naillet, Sébastien Böhm Video Yann Chapotel Choreography Emmanuelle Grach Artistic collaboration Alphonse Cemin
