Between 1965-68, composer Luc Ferrari collaborated with director Gérard Patris on a series of filmed intimate portraits of great musicians, Les Grandes Répétitions (The Great Rehearsals), which were broadcast on French TV. They are remarkable not only for their exceptional content, but also for their creative, dynamic camera work and playful juxtaposition of music and talk. Truly unique and enjoyable period documents.
Two of these films, on Stockhausen and Varèse, are released here for the first time with English subtitles, prepared especially for this Mode release. PCM (non-compressed) audio.
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Momente was filmed during rehearsals for the premiere of his monumental work Momente. The revealing rehearsal sequences are interspersed with Stockhausen speaking of his youth, work process and the genesis and meaning of Momente.
Hommage à Edgard Varèse became a tribute to Varèse, who died shortly before filming began. A distinguished group of friends and colleagues speak of Varèse, along with spoken comments from Varèse himself. Konstantin Simonovic conducts a complete Ionisation in a fascinating “period” performance and Bruno Maderna directs an illuminating rehearsal of Déserts as Marcel Duchamp listens and comments from New York City.
Notes by Eve Patris Schaeffer and many archival photos from the productions.
(Mono PCM audio, black & white, 4:3 aspect ratio, NTSC, Region 0)
Momente (1965, 45 minutes) by Karlheinz Stockhausen
Hommage à Edgard Varèse (1965, 66 minutes), with Marcel Duchamp, Iannis Xenakis, Olivier Messiaen, Hermann Scherchen, André Jolivet, Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Boulez, Konstantin Simonovic, Bruno Maderna, Ferdnand Ouellette and the voice of Varèse
Déserts in rehearsal with the Domaine Musicale Orchestra conducted by Bruno Maderna; Ionisation (complete) with the Ensemble Instrumentale de Musique Contemporaine de Paris conducted by Konstantin Simonovic
Martina Arroyo, soprano
Alfons and Aloys Kontarsky, electric organs
Choir and Orchestra of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk, conducted by Karlheinz Stockhausen
