Fourth Hour: Himmels-T.C3.BCr Klang (Stockhausen)

heaven s door, depicted on main entrance of milan cathedral

himmels-tür (heaven’s door), percussionist , little girl, 2005 (ca. 28 mins.). work number 84. specified colour bright blue [hellblau] (stockhausen 2007f, cover; stockhausen 2008b, cover).

himmels-tür commissioned italian concert organisation angelica, , composed in 2005. premiered on 13 june 2006 in teatro rossini in lugo, italy, american percussionist stuart gerber , arianna garotti little girl. gerber gave german premiere few weeks later @ stockhausen courses in kürten (stockhausen 2006b, 21 & 41; toop 2012, 425).

the overtly theatrical piece klang, idea himmels-tür came stockhausen in dream, in found himself @ gates of heaven, locked against him. (several of stockhausen s earlier theatrical compositions—such trans, musik im bauch, , helicopter string quartet—also had origins in dreams.) because of indefinite pitches of instruments (a large double-panelled door , assortment of cymbals , gongs), himmels-tür work in klang cycle not use 24-note series extrapolated all-interval gruppen row (kohl 2008, 17; toop 2008b, 199–200).

percussionist beats wooden beaters on heaven’s door made of wood. divided bottom top 6 fields. (she) stomps on floor (her) nailed shoes. there fourteen main sections defined moods, such cautious , entreating , agitated , , angry , until finally, door opens. after moment of silence, percussionist cautiously steps through doorway , disappears. terrifying noise of tam-tams, hi-hats, , cymbals bursts out”, not mention sirens. little girl comes out of audience onto stage, , disappears through doorway. metallic sounds become increasingly rare , gradually cease. finally, siren stops (stockhausen 2006b, 41).

it no coincidence many years earlier, in kontakte, stockhausen had associated metallic sounds heavenly , in contrast earthly sounds of skin percussion (entirely absent in himmels-tür), wooden sounds functioning transition between them, door heaven here. although graphic notation unconventional, improvisatory appearance of both performance , score deceptive. every stroke, every gesture precisely specified in rhythm, dynamics, , timbre (kohl 2008, 17).

although planned occupy twenty-four pages (a number found throughout cycle, reflecting number of hours in day), final score consists of twenty-two. first sixteen performed on door, remaining 6 behind door, out of sight of audience. in first, larger section of work number of strokes, types of strokes, , door panels on percussionist performs controlled global serial factors, details not serially determined. contrast, closing section, metal percussion instruments played backstage, serially organised using number squares, including version of source square second set of klavierstücke 1954–55 (toop 2012, 431–32, 463–65).

türin

japanese rin, 1 of sound sources in türin

in 2 days in october 2006, stockhausen realised 13-minute electronic work accompany himmels-tür on first cd recording. title türin combines names of 2 sound sources used, door (german: tür) percussion piece, , chromatic set of rin—japanese bowl-gongs stockhausen had used in several compositions, such telemusik, inori, lucifer s dance samstag aus licht, , orchestra version of hoch-zeiten sonntag aus licht, in himmelfahrt (hour 1) , twenty-second piece of natural durations (hour 3) klang. recorded sounds of strokes on door electronically processed focus pitch , extend resonance, , rin stroke of corresponding pitch added each attack (kohl 2008, 17).

the composition, written in september 2006 , realised on 7 , 8 october, consists of single, stately presentation of 24-tone klang row in original transposition, in rhythms derived pitches. within each of these long tones, stockhausen s voice intones different noble word (such hope , fidelity , balance , generosity , etc.). utter simplicity of piece puts @ opposite extreme hyper-complex cosmic pulses, work on in progress @ time türin created (kohl 2008, 17; kohl 2012b, 478–79).

there 2 versions of türin, 1 words spoken in german, other in english. according composer, these noble words meant keep himmels-tür open (booklet accompanying stockhausen complete edition cd 86, pp. 12 & 24). composition not assigned work-number stockhausen, included in official catalogue of works nr. 84 .