Nordic Voices takes you on a luminous meditation on resonance and the power of the human voice.
When a note is sung, the voice vibrates and produces a series of tones, or overtones, that ring above the main note like a shadow, giving it character and depth. In a reverberant space, these overtones are amplified. They linger and blend into a shimmering halo that can make the music feel spacious. Some speak of a glowing aura — a presence almost without weight.
Stimmung (1968), Karlheinz Stockhausen’s hour-long vocal piece, relies solely on overtone singing and vocal harmonies.
In the unusually reverberant mausoleum of Emanuel Vigeland, this aura expands tenfold, enveloping the listener. The piece incorporates the chanting of names of gods and goddesses from various cultures — Egyptian, Aztec, Christian — reflecting the composer’s interest in spirituality and ritual.
Though performed entirely with voices, Stimmung draws on electronic music thinking, particularly in the subtle pulsations that arise as performers overlap and phase with one another, repeating the same motifs with ever-changing articulation. The result is a music that is fluid, as if suspended.
Artist talk: Christel Stockhausen-Hektoen and Nordic Voices
14 September 14.30 – 15:00, Emanuel Vigelands museum
Admission included with the concert ticket
Nordic Voices invite you to a pre-concert talk with Christel Stockhausen-Hektoen and baritone Frank Havrøy about Stimmung, Karlheinz Stockhausen’s hour-long vocal work.
Composed in 1968, Stimmung is built entirely on overtone singing and harmonic vocal textures. Though purely acoustic, it evokes the electronic qualities of Stockhausen’s celebrated electroacoustic works such as Gesang der Jünglinge and Studie I and II, while also reflecting his deep and enduring fascination with the spiritual realm.
Christel Stockhausen-Hektoen, musician, teacher, and daughter of the composer, has a profound familiarity with his repertoire and practice, and plays a central role in carrying forward his musical legacy. Frank Havrøy is a baritone, a member of Nordic Voices, and co-artistic director of the Gloger Festival. He has performed Stimmung on numerous occasions.
Together, they will explore the genesis and context of the work, as well as its distinctive performance practice.
Facts
- Stimmung (German): mood; lively atmosphere; vibe; exuberance; tuning. Similar to stimme: voice. From stimmen: to harmonise; be in tune; set in accord
- Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928–2007) on composing Stimmung: "I'd just come back from Mexico where I'd spent a month walking through the ruins, visiting Oaxaca, Merida, and Chichenitza, and becoming a Maya, a Toltec and a Zatopec, an Aztec, or a Spaniard—I became the people."
- The Emanuel Vigeland Museum at Slemdal houses a dark, barrel-vaulted room covered with frescoes depicting human life from conception to death. Originally conceived as a museum, Vigeland later chose to use the space as his mausoleum. The space is beloved by musicians for its extraordinary acoustics: it takes around ten seconds for sound to fade.
Karlheinz Stockhausen. Photo: Stockhausen Foundation for Music
Concert photo from "Stimmung". Photo: Bjarne Kvinnsland
Concert photo from "Stimmung". Photo: Bjarne Kvinnsland
Nordic Voices. Photo: Fredrik Arff
Nordic Voices
- Tone Elisabeth Braaten
- Ingrid Hanken
- Ebba Rydh
- Per Kristian Amundrød
- Frank Havrøy
- Rolf Magne Asser
In collaboration with
- Nordic Voices
- Emanuel Vigelands museum
