Karlheinz Stockhausen

*2022 Stock.* Himmelfahrt (Ascension, 1st Hour from Klang, for synthesizer, soprano and tenor (and some percussion) (2004/05): This work primarily features the polyphonic/polytimbral synthesizer of Antonio Pérez Abellán, with added sung text by Hubert Mayer (tenor) and Barbara Zanichelli (soprano). Abellán did the synthesizer programming and also provides the intermittently-occurring percussion parts (bamboo chimes, metal bowl, gong percussion). As a bonus, the 48 timbres employed (blended synthesizer patches) are each demonstrated in isolation as well. This is enjoyable because each of Abellán's synth patches have at least 3 pitched elements (some of them dynamic) and these layers really can't be appreciated in the composition itself (Stockhausen introduces each sound personally). - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com