Karlheinz Stockhausen
Born in Modrath, near Cologne, the prolific musician wrote more than 300 works from orchestral pieces to pure electronic music during his career. Best known for his avant-garde electronic work, Stockhausen was an experimental musician who utilised tape recorders and mathematics to create innovative, ground-breaking pieces. His Electronic Study, 1953, was the first musical piece composed from pure sine wave sounds. Electronic Study II, produced a year later, was the first work of electronic music to be notated and published. But the composer rejected the idea that he was making the music of the future, writing in 1966: What is modern today will be tradition tomorrow.
Born in Modrath, near Cologne, the prolific musician wrote more than 300 works from orchestral pieces to pure electronic music during his career. Best known for his avant-garde electronic work, Stockhausen was an experimental musician who utilised tape recorders and mathematics to create innovative, ground-breaking pieces. His Electronic Study, 1953, was the first musical piece composed from pure sine wave sounds. Electronic Study II, produced a year later, was the first work of electronic music to be notated and published. But the composer rejected the idea that he was making the music of the future, writing in 1966: What is modern today will be tradition tomorrow.
50 Years
In 2012, the Wergo label celebrates its 50th anniversary. For half a century, Wergo has been synonymous with contemporary music. The label's catalog reads like a virtual who's-who of modern music, both in terms of composers and performers. From the beginning, the intent of founder Werner Goldschmidt (from whom the label derives its name) was to provide listeners with a snapshot of current musical activity and innovation. Goldschmidt's label and mission, now managed by the publisher Schott, is ma…
Radio Cologne Sound Das Studio für Elektronische Musik des WDR
Biggest Tip possible! ** English/German edition. 288 pp + 5CD plenty of incredible music, most of which have never been heard before ** From the Wolke Verlag imprint, who've already brought us incredible books like Karl Berger's "The Music Mind Experience", "FMP Free Music Production - The Living Music", Peter Brötzmann's Along the Way, and George Lewis' "Composing While Black. Afrodiasporic New Music Today", to name only a few and a great many more - comes one of the most engrossing volumes we…
The Avantgarde Series
The legendary DG Avantgarde vinyl series (1968-1971) is turning 55! In order to celebrate this occasion, the series is now released on 21 CDs for the first time. The Avantgarde series serves as a historical document for a time of radical change in musical thinking and the breaking of artistic boundaries. The question "What is music?" confronted many of the composers and musicians involved in the series, and the anti-authoritarian spirit of the 1960s and 1970s was a palpable influence. Deutsche G…
Spiral - Pole
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Spiral was composed in 1968 while Stockhausen was living in Connecticut (United States). It was developed through his association with a guitarist student, Michael Lorimer, and originally dedicated to him (tho never performed by him). Spiral had it's greatest success when it was premiered by the oboist Heinz Holliger (and subsequently performed more than 1300 times!) at the Osaka 1970 World's Fair Expo in Stockhausen's own performance pavilion, a speaker-lined spheric…
Mixtur 2003 Vorwärtsversion
*2022 Stock.* This recording of an updated version of Mixtur (for 5 ring-modulated orchestra groups, orig. 1964/67) features the Deutsche-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, conducted by Wolfgang Lischke. In contrast to the original, graphic notation-based version of Mixtur (on The Stockhausen Edition no. 8), all of the orchestra parts for the updated 2003 version are completely notated.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
In Freundschaft
*2022 Stock.* The Stockhausen Edition no. 105 contains chamber works recorded between 2011-15. In Freundschaft was written as a clarinet solo for (and dedicated to) woodwind player Suzanne Stephens for her birthday and was first premiered by her in 1978, though a flute version was performed earlier during Stephens' actual birthday celebration. In the following years, Stockhausen composed versions for many more instruments, including recorder, oboe, bassoon (w. teddy bear costume), basset horn, b…
Expo Für 3 (Integrale Version In Zwei Fassungen)
*2022 Stock.* This CD contains the complete and only recording of Expo (1969-70) for 3 soloists with shortwave radio (and small instruments). Vocalists Natascha Nikeprelevic and Michael Vetter (from Pole on The Stockhausen Edition no. 103) are joined on this disc by F.X. Randomiz (Felix Hoefler) on computer and voice. The booklet includes essays by all three performers on their experiences with these open-form "plus-minus" works. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Pole Für 2 (Integrale Version)
*2022 Stock.* 'The Stockhausen Edition no. 103 contains the first complete recording of Pole (Poles, 1969-70) for 2 soloists with shortwave radio (and small instruments). Vocalists Natascha Nikeprelevic and Michael Vetter are featured here. The score for Pole includes directions for spatial placement of sound sources, which were realized through panning and digital reverb. An earlier recording of this piece with Péter Eötvös & Harald Bojé can be found on The Stockhausen Edition no. 15.' - Stockh…
In Freundschaft
*2022 Stock.* The Stockhausen Edition no. 102 contains five new arrangements of the solo work In Freundschaft (In Friendship). In Freundschaft was written as a clarinet solo for (and dedicated to) woodwind player Suzanne Stephens for her birthday and was first premiered by her in 1978, though a flute version was performed earlier during Stephens' actual birthday celebration. In the following years, Stockhausen composed versions for many more instruments, including recorder, oboe, bassoon (w. ted…
In Freundschaft
*2022 Stock.* The Stockhausen Edition no. 101 contains four new arrangements of the solo work In Freundschaft (In Friendship). In Freundschaft was written as a clarinet solo for (and dedicated to) woodwind player Suzanne Stephens for her birthday and was first premiered by her in 1978, though a flute version was performed earlier during Stephens' actual birthday celebration. In the following years, Stockhausen composed versions for many more instruments, including recorder, oboe, bassoon (w. te…
Jubiläum
*2022 Stock.* Jubiläum and Tierkreis (Zodiac) for orchestra. This disc features primarily orchestral works, as well as recordings of the Tierkreis melodies while installed for the Cologne Town Hall carillon. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Paradies
*2022 Stock.* Paradies (Paradies, 21st Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Flute and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 22-24. These layers also include an additional, intermittent soprano vocal element (Kathinka Pasveer), which cues each of the 24 sections. This CD features the flute of Kathinka Pasveer, rec. 2009. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloi…
Edentia
*2022 Stock.* Edentia (20th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Soprano Saxophone and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 19-21. These layers also include an additional, intermittent soprano vocal element (Kathinka Pasveer), which cues each of the 24 sections. This CD features the soprano saxophone of Marcus Weiss. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist…
Urantia
*2022 Stock.* Urantia (19th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Soprano and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 16-18. This CD features the soprano vocal of Kathinka Pasveer, rec. 2008. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for rehearsal.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Jerusem
*2022 Stock.* Jerusem (18th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Tenor and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 13-15. This CD features the tenor vocal of Hubert Mayer. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for rehearsal. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Nebadon (17. Stunde Aus Klang)
*2022 Stock.* Nebadon (17th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Horn and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 10-12. These layers also include an additional, intermittent soprano vocal element (Kathinka Pasveer), which cues each of the 24 sections. This CD features the horn of Christine Chapman. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for rehearsal. …
Uversa (16. Stunde Aus Klang)
*2022 Stock.* Uversa (16th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Basset-horn and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 7-9. These layers also include an additional, intermittent soprano vocal element (Kathinka Pasveer), which cues each of the 24 sections. This CD features the basset-horn of Michele Marelli. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for r…
Orvonton
*2022 Stock.* Orvonton (15th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Baritone and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 4-6. This CD features the baritone vocal of Jonathan de la Paz Zaens. As a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for rehearsal.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Havona
*2022 Stock.* Havona (14th Hour from Klang, 2007) is for Bass and Electronic Music. The electronic music element is derived from 3 extracted layers from Cosmic Pulses (The Stockhausen Edition no. 91), specifically Layers 1-3. This CD features the bass vocal of Nicholas Isherwood and as a bonus, the electronic music is also presented without the soloist part for rehearsal. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Treue
*2022 Stock.* Treue (Fidelity, 11th Hour from Klang, for wind trio, 2007) and Erwachen (Awakening, 12th Hour from Klang, for trio, 2007) both adapt and re-sequence melodic and rhythmic material from Schönheit (The Stockhausen Edition no. 87) to create a similarly hypnotic web of lyrical polyphony, approaching and receding from the listener. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com