For Atlas Eclipticalis John Cage was inspired by the collection of sky maps which the Czech astronomer Antonín Becvár published in 1958. He literally took this book as point of departure: on top of the star charts he placed staves on which he drew larger or smaller dots according to the stars’ brightness. The result is a murmuring multitude of subtly buzzing dots in a sonorous firmament.
Cages Cartridge Music is used as guideline to apply chance operations triggering the recording, manipulation and spacialized distribution of the sounds produced by the musicians.
For Tierkreis Karlheinz Stockhausen on the other hand, departed from astrology. Twelve melodies characterize the signs of the zodiac. In an adaptation specially made for this event, SPECTRA positions eight musicians and loudspeakers over the width, length and height of the library building.
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007)
Tierkreis (1974-1975)
realisation live electronics: Dirk Veulemans
John Cage (1912-1992)
Atlas Eclipticalis (1961)
Cartridge Music (1960)
Simonluca Laitempergher (°1980)
Music for birds that are supposed to breathe underwater (2019)
commissioned by SPECTRA
creation
Lucien Goethals (1931-2006)
Studie III (1962)
performance
SPECTRA conducted by Filip Rathé
live-electronics: Dirk Veulemans and Simonluca Laitempergher