George Orwell meets artificial intelligence: "1984" based on the famous novel leads into a totalitarian state of surveillance. Musical border crossings into the realms of rock and jazz.
Pedro Obiera, Aachener Zeitung, 18 June 2023
At the very least, one can wish this opera a wider distribution in state opera houses due to the strong original composition. The glacier would also melt listeners of the traditional opera repertoire - if they had the opportunity to experience it. In any case, it would be a wise programme choice for any alert artistic director.
Willi Vogl, Rohrblatt, Heft 4, Seiten 34-35 (2020)
Listening to it a second (or third) time, one is surprised by the richness of the micro-tones, the micro-intervals that permeate it. The plurality of voices, the strong reinforcement of percussion and wind instruments (flute and saxophones in particular), and sometimes even samples, create a skilfully coloured, singular and intensely original mosaic.
Eric Therer, jazzaroundmag.com 11 December 2020
... on els compositors contemporanis consideren part del seu propi llenguatge l’ús i l’experimentació de les eines tecnològiques disponibles. Aquest és el cas de l’òpera documental digital Three Tales amb música del gran tòtem de la música electrònica Steve Reich i vídeo de Beryl Korot que es podrà veure a les naus del Matadero de Madrid el proper març, o la recentment estrenada The Glacier – Un Opéradel compositor microtonal belga Christian Klinkenberg, que disposa d’una partitura videogràfica creada a partir de més d’un centenar de pintures de l’artista Marc Kirschvink que serveix tant com a partitura pels mateixos músics com a escenografia de l’òpera. Podem veure doncs, que l’experimentació més radical també empra sense complexes tècniques digitals, com ara el vídeo o l’electrònica com a part de la creació musical.
Generalitat de Catalunya - Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals
Cultura Digital - Tendències - Cultura digital a Catalunya
"Es ist eine wilde, bunte, interessante Mischung aus Jazz, Sampling, Rundfunk-Collage, Operngesang, populärer Musik verschiedener Zeiten, Radio-Essay, Erzählstimme, Bohlen-Pierce-Klarinette, 18-Ton-Trompete, 41-Ton-E-Gitarre, eigentlich auch noch Video und Schauspiel und anderem mehr."
Dietrich Heißenbüttel, Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 3/2020 , Seite 71
Der Gletscher/Oper 2.0' can be experienced as a cubist montage of aural puzzle pieces. Confusing? Not at all, only it requires a specific form of empathy to fully fathom and appreciate it. Anyone who recently found Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri their 'George Enescu - Deconstructed' top should certainly pay due attention to this.
Georges Tonla Briquet, jazzhalo.be
Klinkenberg has created a composition of about 80 minutes, which is a congenial symbiosis of groovy rock rhythms, jazz improvisations, some sound collages and mainly different systems of contemporary musical language ...
Hans Reul, BRF (Radio)
Award: Kreativsonar (Saarland)
Since the success of his first opera "Das Kreuz der Verlobten" two years ago, Eupen composer Christian Klinkenberg's self-confidence, joy of experimentation and wealth of experience have grown enormously. With his second attempt, Der Gletscher (The Glacier), which has now been premiered at the Eupen cultural centre Alter Schlachthof with great approval by the premiere audience, Klinkenberg presented a musically refined sound and an opera format in which the intended interlocking of various multimedia elements is smoothly achieved... All in all, a clear progress by Christian Klinkenberg on the way to a new opera format. The audience in the packed Alte Schlachthaus is accordingly enthusiastic.
Pedro Obiera, O-Ton Magazine
The Belgian composer and multimedia artist Christian Klinkenberg (Eupen, 1976) offers with Der Gletscher - Opera 2.0 an enriching and exciting listening experience. He shows that microtonality can open up many new areas.
Wynold Verweij, Klassiek-Centraal
An opera performance in East Belgium is already a special event. When, as in Christian Klinkenberg's second opera "Der Gletscher", such an ingenious musical symbiosis of different systems of contemporary music is created, then one can speak of a cultural highlight.
Grenz-Echo