MICHAELS REISE UM DIE ERDE

“Michaels Reise um die Erde” [Michael's Journey Around the World] is the second act of the opera “Donnerstag” [Thursday] from the seven-part opera cycle “Licht” [Light] by Karlheinz Stockhausen, a cosmic world theatre in which three protagonists set the tone: Michael as Prince of Angels who appears in human shape to lead mankind to God; Eva as Power of Love, of Life; Lucifer as fallen angel and adversary. To each of these three figures has been assigned a characterizing melody (a musical “formula”); these three formulas unfold through the musical action of the entire opera cycle.