LICHT – MADNESS OR OPERA, dir. Oeke Hoogendijk / 2022 / Netherlands / 122 min.

Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most important composers of the 20th century, wrote the opera “Licht” over the course of half his life. The impulse came from the understanding that music is not only sound but also action, performance, and a universe of meanings. He did not live to see its premiere. No institution worldwide dared to stage a work that was divided into seven days and lasted a total of 28 hours. Concrete and electronic music was intended to be performed by orchestras, soloists, choirs, ballet, with helicopters as part of the scenography.