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FULL M’Illumino D’immenso (Sunghyun Lee) Düsseldorf 2024 Joowon Kim, Grantas Šileikis, Mathias Vieira Tönges

Video Recording from: YouTube     FULL VIDEO          Qries

Information on the Performance
Information about the Recording
  • Published by: Sunghyun Lee  
  • Date Published: 2025  
  • Format: Streaming
  • Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
  • Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, desubs  
  • Video Recording from: YouTube     FULL VIDEO
  •  
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

Claude Vivier lies in bed, feeling unwell. A mysterious figure appears to him.
Fear and uncertainty awaken—the fear of death.
As if speaking with one voice, they say: M’illumino d’immenso
(I illuminate myself through the infinite).

Vivier sees his life, his music, and his ambitions passing before him,
realizing that his end is near. Confused and weary of external pressures,
he attempts to bring about his own end. The attempt fails,
leaving him trapped between manic emotional outbursts and deep exhaustion.

The boundaries between dream and reality blur entirely as he faces death.

About the Music
This opera is a kind of small Requiem for the Franco-Canadian composer Claude Vivier (1948–1983), reflecting on his life and work. At its core lies the mystery of his death, which eerily echoes in his final composition.

Vivier was found dead in his Paris studio. Next to him lay the sketch of an unfinished work titled Do You Believe in the Immortality of the Soul? It tells the story of a character named Claude, wandering through nighttime Paris, meeting a stranger in the metro. After a brief exchange, the stranger suddenly stabs him in the heart—and at this very moment, the score ends.

Where is the light?

The opera explores the mystery of Vivier’s death, his music, and the unrecognized pain he endured. It reflects his experiences with solitude, melancholy, existential shadows, and the contemplation of annihilation.

The stage is designed to resemble his peculiar bedroom. The libretto is based on imagined events that could have appeared in his dreams. Vivier feared the night and darkness, longing to return to the eternal realm of light.

Using multiple languages—including his own invented ones—Vivier’s work is marked by a ritualistic and elegiac atmosphere, blending tragic and humorous elements that define his unique character.

Vivier and His Music
Highly regarded by Ligeti, Vivier’s compositions were performed more frequently after his death than during his lifetime. His distinct musical style deviated from the prevailing trends of his time,
yet his originality and unique voice secured his place as a significant composer.

His life and music have been the subject of numerous documentaries and have influenced many composers.

Mattina / Morning
When conceptualizing the opera’s title, I was reminded of Giuseppe Ungaretti’s shortest poem, Mattina:

M’illumino d’immenso
(I illuminate myself through the infinite)
— Giuseppe Ungaretti, 1917 (Translation: Ingeborg Bachmann)

Though the work primarily deals with darkness and night, the word Mattina (Morning) hints at another dimension. The deeper the darkness, the greater the significance of light. The more pain and fear are emphasized, the stronger the need to highlight joy.

Even amid loneliness, fear, and death, Vivier sought light and joy. In composing this work, I aimed to capture his complex emotions and the shifting psychological states of human experience.

The Music
The music is built on key elements of Vivier’s compositional style: simplicity, consonance, and a ritualistic primitivism. I sought to create a contrast by placing these characteristics in dialogue with the dominant trends of contemporary music at the time.

Since I wrote both the text and libretto, I wanted to ensure a seamless fusion of words and music. I particularly emphasized irony:

The music is grotesque yet humorous, sorrowful yet filled with fiery rage and joy. I aimed to capture the schizophrenic and manic-depressive aspects of Vivier’s personality in sound.

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