INORI (Karlheinz Stockhausen)
was composed in 1973–74. Since the world premiere on 18th October 1974 during the Donaueschingen Festival for New Music, it has been performed many times in concert halls and theatres, with orchestra conducted by me (or tape) and one (or two, or three simultaneous) dancer-mime(s).
The Japanese word INORI means prayer, invocation, adoration. The entire work evolves from a basic form (formula), which was composed first. It has thirteen different pitches plus two which are repeated at the end. The thirteen pitches are associated with thirteen tempi, thirteen dynamic levels, thirteen timbres, and thirteen gestures of prayer (plus two closing gestures).
The basic form (formula) has five segments, separated by echoes and rests. In its original form it lasts about one minute.
All measurements and relationships in the large form are a projection of the original formula onto a length of about one hour. The five segments correspond in the large form to five sections, which last about 12 – 15 – 6 – 9 – 18 minutes respectively. In addition to these come an unmeasured transcendental moment (in the polyphonic section between Spiral and Adoration), fermatas, and the long end of the piece: the Indian bells alone.
In the first section, the rhythm unfolds and develops; in the second section, the dynamics; in the third section, the melody; in the fourth, the harmony; and in the fifth, the polyphony.
Thus the entire work develops like a history of music, from its primeval beginnings until the present.
In the genesis of rhythm, individual durations from the formula begin one by one to pulsate regularly, and during this process, each duration acquires a tempo of its own. Timbre and prayer gesture change with each tempo; thus, at first they exclusively serve the rhythmic development – only very late in the course of the work do they become independent at some points.
The development of the dynamic levels and dynamic envelopes of the individual durations is based on scales of dynamic levels. These scales have 60 degrees between extremely soft and extremely loud. The difference between degrees is effected by one note being played by different numbers of instruments simultaneously. For example, degree 1 = only one flute pianissimo; degree 2 = two flutes pianissimo; degree 3 = one clarinet and one violin pianissimo; degree 4 = one flute, one clarinet, and one violin pianissimo... etc. up to degree 60 = four flutes, plus four oboes, plus four clarinets, plus four trumpets, plus 26 violins, all fortissimo.
The prayer gestures are performed completely synchronously with the orchestra (tape) by two dancer-mimes who are elevated in the middle of the stage. A gesture with hands folded near the heart, just in front of the chest, corresponds to the middle pitch G (above middle C), the dynamic level pianissimoand the longest duration.
When this gesture moves to the front away from the body, this corresponds to a crescendo from pianissimo toforte fortissimo, which is divided into 60 degrees.
When the hands are raised or lowered, then this corresponds to changes of pitch, and these vertical changes of the prayer gestures are divided into a chromatic scale of three octaves.
When the hands and arms move outwards in steps to the right and left, this corresponds to a succession of durations which regularly become shorter. The different prayer gestures are used like timbres and tempi.
As the work progresses – due to this close relationship between gestures of prayer and musical steps and intervals – even purely musical changes are experienced as prayer.
The LECTURE ON HU serves as an introduction to the composition INORI. In it, a singer explains the structure and form of INORI as well as the most important connections between the prayer gestures and acoustical events.
