Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Titus Engel, Attilio Glaser, Tareq Nazmi, Paul Hübner, Paula Breland, Paul Jeukendrup

Only a few days before the premiere of the opera Mittwoch aus Licht, Titus Engel devotes himself in his first concert as conductor in residence with the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin to a scene from another day of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s week-long opera cycle – the second act of Donnerstag aus Licht. The purely instrumental section Michaels Reise um die Erde depicts the travels of a hero culminating in an ascension to heaven. There are clear parallels here to the journey of Parsifal which was profoundly characterised by Richard Wagner’s affinity with religious spirituality, and the evening concludes with extracts from this work. John Cage’s 4′33″, a composition that reoriented and challenged listening habits through the discovery of musical rests as sonic space, acts as a connecting element between these works, attuning the ear to a quasi-sacred atmosphere.

Programme

Karlheinz Stockhausen
Donnerstag aus Licht: 2nd Act Michaels Reise um die Erde

Paul Hübner trumpet, Paula Breland Bassetthorn, Paul Jeukendrup sound direction

John Cage
4' 33''

Richard Wagner
Parsifal: 3rd Act (Excerpts)

Attilio Glaser tenor, Tareq Nazmi bass