Maxime Pascal's 'Freitag aus Licht' Triumphs at Philharmonie de Paris

On November 14, 2022, at the Philharmonie de Paris as part of the Festival d'Automne, conductor Maxime Pascal and his ensemble Le Balcon presented the complete version of Karlheinz Stockhausen's 'Freitag aus Licht,' the Friday opera from the 'Licht' cycle. This performance, following previous successes with 'Donnerstag,' 'Dienstag,' and 'Samstag,' marks a milestone in Pascal's ambitious project to stage the entire 29-hour cycle by 2025. 'Freitag' explores the temptation of Eve (sung by Jenny Daviet) by Ludon (Antoin Herrera-López Kessel), leading to a 'kinder krieg' (children's war) dedicated to all children. Director Silvia Costa replaced Stockhausen's original choreography with children in white lab coats, emphasizing a child's perspective. The production features three singers, three solo instrumentalists, two synthesizer players, a children's choir (Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris), and a youth orchestra from the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Lille. Stockhausen, who died in 2007, was often criticized for his cosmic vision and controversial remarks about the 9/11 attacks, but this revival has been hailed as a triumph, potentially inspiring a new generation of 'Stockhausenians.'