zeitkratzer [old school] Karlheinz Stockhausen

zkr0012 zeitkratzer records, Barcode: 4250137262819, CD, 8-page-booklet, duration: 42:00
all music by Karlheinz Stockhausen performed by zeitkratzer
distributed by BROKEN SILENCE [UK: Shellshock, US: Forced Exposure, F: Metamkine, JAP: Disk Union]

Karlheinz Stockhausen From the seven Days /Aus den Sieben Tagen

zeitkratzer directed by Reinhold Friedl
Frank Gratkowski < clarinets || Hild Sofie Tafjord < french horn || Hilary Jeffery < trombone || Reinhold Friedl < piano || Marc Weiser < guitar || Christian Lillinger < percussion || Burkhard Schlothauer < violin || Anton Lukoszevieze < violoncello || Ulrich Phillipp < double bass || Martin Wurmnest < sound ||

recorded live April 12, 2011 at Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia, and April 14, 2011 at Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Zagreb, Croatia by Martin Wurmnest and Jermes Cernalogar, mixed by Martin Wurmnest, mastered by Rashad Becker

“I do not want a spiritualistic session. I want music.“ Karlheinz Stockhausen

Karlheinz Stockhausen is one of the most outstanding composers of the 20th century. After his early super organised compositions as Gesang der Jünglinge, Kontakte or Studien 1 and 2, he realised From the Seven Days as a precisely organised text composition. Not one single note is written, but it is exactly defined, from the type of material to how they should play it. Length, tempi, etc are not given. zeitkratzer had the chance to work on this pieces in Ljubljana in spring 2011, and developed an approach to interpreting the texts as precisely as possible – which means in the traditional way of score-reading. As Stockhausen pointed out: “musical meditation is not sentimentality, but ultra alertness and – in the lightest moments – creative ecstasy.” Set Sail for the sun!

Reviews

This is fresh, vigorous ensemble playing, beautifully recorded… Tight and exhilarating.
The Wire Magazine, 11/2011

Viel einleuchtender als etwa die bekannte Einspielung der Ensemble Musique Vivante.
Musik mit Kraft, Ziel und innerem Zusammenhang.
De:Bug, 12/2011

Ein E-Musik jenseits der Abendgarderobe, virtuos und zeitgemäß.
Quadrat Lüneburg, 2011-12

Gleichermaßen grandioser wie harter Tobak
Sonic Seducer 11/2011

Wer glaubt, Stockhausen sei ein spiritistischer Spinner, der die Türen zum Unterbewussten oder die Türen zum Übersinnlichen aufstoßen will, der hat zeitkratzer noch nicht gehört, wenn sie die Anweisungen von allem Hokuspokus entschlacken. […] zeitkratzer demonstrieren mit „Aus den sieben Tagen“ einmal mehr, dass sie zu den präzisesten Interpreten und Künstlern auf dem Feld der klassischen Avantgarde gehören.
The Gap, 12/2011

zeitkratzer deliver an outstanding job An excellent performance all around!
Vital Weekly 10/2011