Trumpetent

Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1996

Trumpetent is a quartet for four trumpets by the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, written in 1995. It is Number 73 in his catalogue of works and one of four independent compositions related to his opera, Mittwoch aus Licht. A performance lasts about 16 minutes.

History

Trumpetent was written in October 1995 for Markus Stockhausen, Achim Gorsch, Andreas Adam, and Marco Blaauw, who gave the first performance on 31 May 1996 at the Philharmonic Hall in Cologne. The score is dedicated to these four performers, and to "all trumpeters who play in the spirit of Michael" (Stockhausen 2007, 16, 29).

Analysis

Philharmonic Hall in Cologne, the space in which Trumpetent was premiered

The work is based on the superformula for Mittwoch aus Licht, which is played at the end of Trumpetent in its simplest form from inside the tent, starting in bar 34 (Stockhausen 2007, 16, 29). It is one of several independent works built in various ways from the Mittwoch superformula. The others are Europa-Gruss, Klavierstück XVIII, and Mittwoch Formel for percussion trio (Frisius 2013, 33, 390–94, 398).

A white, pyramidal tent is set up on the stage at the front of the auditorium with two sides facing the audience. There are four round holes—two in each of the visible sides—a little larger than the bell of a trumpet cut in the walls of the tent. The composition falls into four sections, defined in part through the movement of the performers through and around the audience (Stockhausen 2007, 16–18, 30–31):

The pitch structure consists of the three strands of the Wednesday formula (Lucifer formula beginning on A, Eve formual beginning on D, Michael formula beginning and ending on E), rotating among the four trumpets together with a fourth strand compositionally embellished from various parts of the formulas. Durations are serially disposed in sets of 7 + 5 + 6 minims (14 + 10 + 12 crotchets) (Frisius 2013, 399–400).

Discography

References

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