Freitag aus Licht
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Freitag aus Licht, opera in one salute, two acts and a farewell
Commissioned by Oper Leipzig
Composed 1991-1994
Full stage premiere on 12 September 1996, Oper Leipzig, conducted by the composer
Publisher Stockhausen Verlag
Dedicated ‘to all children’
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes + broadcast of Gruss and Abschied
Eve and Ludon, a new incarnation of Luzifer, meet. Ludon offers Eve the hand of his son, Kaino. She hesitates. Shortly afterwards, as Eve walks with her children, who are carrying musical instruments, she encounters Ludon with a choir of children. The two groups of children play one after the other, and Ludon suggests to Eve that the choir and orchestra play together. Eve agrees, and the children perform a tutti. Ludon joins the choir and sings with them. When Ludon and Eve are alone, she finally agrees to unite with Kaino. They disappear.
The next scene takes place at night. We see a lake, its surface reflecting the moon. Eve meets Kaino; together they sing a sensual duet, consummating their union. Ève leaves her lover, departing on a boat. A red comet crosses the sky; we hear the heart-rending cry of Michaël, betrayed. A war breaks out between Ludon's and Ève's children; some fall, wounded. As Ève's children seem to be gaining the upper hand over their adversaries, a flying rhinoceros comes to the latter's aid; and all disappear in a crash of noise and fury. As she repents and prays, Eve has a vision of Michael and, in the distance, a divine light.
Premiere of this production on 5 November 2022 at the Opéra de Lille
Revival at the Philharmonie de Paris, as part of the Festival d'Automne à Paris
Structure
Opera in one greeting, two acts and a farewell for five soloists (soprano, baritone, bass, flute, basset horn), children's orchestra, children's choir, 12 choir singers, one synthesiser player, 12 pairs of dancer-mimes, electronic music with sound scenes and sound projection.
Freitags-Gruss (Friday Greeting)
Freitag-Versuchung (Friday Temptation)
Freitags-Abschied (Friday Farewell)
Le Balcon
Musical direction Maxime Pascal
Stage direction and set design Silvia Costa
Assistant stage director Rosabel Huguet Dueñas
Assistant set designer Elena Zamparutti
Costumes Bianca Deigner, assisted by Domitile Guinchard
Lighting design Bernd Purkrabek
Sound projection Florent Derex
Electronic music Augustin Muller and Étienne Démoulin
Children's choir director Émilie Fleury
Vocal coach Alain Muller
Automata design Istvan Zimmermann, Giovanna Amoroso (Plastikart Studio)
Automation programming Paolo Cavagnolo
Ève Jenny Daviet, soprano
Elu Iris Zerdoud, basset horn
Lufa Charlotte Bletton, flute
Ludon Antoin Herrera-López Kessel, bass
Caino Halidou Nombre, baritone
Synthibird Sarah Kim, Haga Ratovo, synthesiser
Singers Emmanuelle Monier, Pauline Nachman, Marie Picaut, Michiko Takahashi, Léa Trommenschlager, Ayako Yukawa
Singers Frédéric Albou, Arthur Cady, Bertrand Bontoux, Jean-Christophe Brizard, David Colosio, Florent Martin
Choir of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris
Children's orchestra of the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Lille
Dance Rosabel Huguet Dueñas – the arm, Suzanne Meyer – the mouth, Jean-Baptiste Plumeau – the leg
Child actors, Colette Verdier, Marin Rayon, Alexis Mazars, Stéphane Poulet, Edgar Cemin, Arsène Jouet, directed by Jehanne Carillon
Tenor voice Damien Bigourdan
Produced by Le Balcon and Opéra de Lille, premiered at Opéra de Lille on 5 November 2022.
The performance at Philharmonie de Paris is a co-production between Philharmonie de Paris and Festival d’Automne à Paris.
With the support of Fondation Singer-Polignac.
