Stockhausen Ora Prima (First Hour) Milan Premiere

"Will May 5, 2005, become a pivotal date in music history? We could think so, because that Ascension Thursday saw the creation, in Milan Cathedral, of a visionary work by Karlheinz Stockhausen, the only representative of the 1950s avant-garde who has never ceased to be innovative. With Ora Prima (First hour), a section of Klang (Sound), a cycle of pieces corresponding to the 24 hours of day, the German composer (b. 1928) not only propelled music into a new era, he also drew in his wake 2,500 listeners, an exceptional number in the world of contemporary music."

Pierre Gervasoni in Le Monde (June 8, 2005), as translated by Charles T. Downey of Ionarts (June 9, 2005).

-- Garth Trinkl