Karlheinz Stockhausen's OKTOPHONIE at the Park Avenue Armory

Work receives its New York premiere in a production by Rirkrit Tiravanija

New York's Park Avenue Armory is currently hosting the city's premiere performances of Karlheinz Stockhausen's OKTOPHONIE. Forming part of the composer's Licht cycle of seven operas, the electronic work envelopes the audience in a sonic environment by surrounding them by eight groups of loudspeakers.

The New York performances are given by one of Stockhausen's original collaborators, Kathinka Pasveer, and are staged as closely as possible to the composer's vision of an event in outer space. Visual artist Rirkrit Tiravanija has been commissioned by the Armory to create a lunar experience - a floating seating installation within the Armory’s drill hall that transports the listeners, each of whom wear a white cloak, to another realm.

Further performances of OKTOPHONIE take place today (March 25), March 26 and March 27. Visit the Park Avenue Armory website for full details.

To see pictures from the performance, click the first image and launch the gallery below:

All photos © Stephanie Berger