Momente

As early as the 1960s WERGO made a name for themselves as a contemporary music label with outstanding recordings released under the title of “studio reihe neuer musik”. Now WERGO releases these gems from their early years, these highlights of 20^th-century music history, in an excellent sound quality on CD for the first time.

“studio reihe” now continues with a work by Karlheinz Stockhausen:

His “Momente” [Moments] for soprano, four choral groups, and thirteen instrumentalists have not been designed as a fixed work with a clearly defined beginning, formal structure, and ending but as a composition of independent events with multiple meanings: For example, the individual groups of moments should be combined for certain performances of the work in such a way that they form their own version – in accordance with the given duration of programme and sound means. As soon as the arrangement of the moments has been determined and the performance material been set accordingly, certain moments are to be "inserted" in their neighbouring moments as well, to “remember” earlier ones or “announce” moments still to come.

Premiered on 21 May 1962, the composition underwent some changes in the following years which led to several variants, with this CD presenting "Version 1965".

The recordings were originally published on LP in 1967 (WERGO, WER 60024).