Nachtmusik at the Lapin Vert (Lausanne).

During the sixties, Stockhausen trusted more and more the performers, making them more and more independent from the composer. Step by step, with pieces always more open and graphic, Stockhausen ended up, in May 1968, writing down only specific mind conditions necessary for improvisation in Aus den Sieben Tagen.

"Think about the smallest particle of your body and play it", "play a vibration in the rhythm of the universe" are some of the directions one finds in the fifteens pieces of the book. The performer, likely dubious, not to say amused by these indications at first sight, quickly understands their relevance and their influence on the listening, the playing quality, the way to structure the piece, in short, on all the necessary qualities to a musical composition.

Aus den Sieben Tagen also contains an improvised theatre play, Oben und Unten. This play, which was premiered only a few years after it was written and which had never been performed again since then, was finally shown by us in 2008 under the set direction of Delphine Rosay at the théâtre du Grütli (Geneva) at the occasion of the festival “archipel”. Karlheinz Stockhausen had announced himself at the festival, but he unfortunately died a few months before. We are nevertheless very proud of having brought back this play on stage.

The festival Archipel was also for us the occasion to play the full Aus den Sieben Tagen book, whose best pieces are available on a free downloadable album on the website Insubordinations.


The beginning of Oben und Unten, at the théâtre du Grütli.


The first part of Goldstaub, at the théâtre du Grütli.


Setz die Segel zur Sonne, at the théâtre du Grütli.

Es, at the théâtre du Grütli.

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Discographie



Then le Car de Thon made this magnificent compilation of its best Stockhausen called Nos meilleurs Stockhausen (for "our best Stockhausen's) which you can download it for free on the Insubordinations netlabel.

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