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.
Hoffnung
*2022 Stock.* Hoffnung (Hope, 9th Hour from Klang, for string trio, 2007) and Glanz (Brilliance, 10th Hour from Klang, for septet, 2007) both adapt and re-sequence melodic and rhythmic material from Schönheit (on The Stockhausen Edition no. 87) to create a similarly hypnotic web of lyrical polyphony, approaching and receding from the listener. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Balance
*2022 Stock.* Balance (7th Hour from Klang, 2007) and Glück (Bliss, Eighth Hour from Klang, 2007) are both wind trios which adapt and re-sequence melodic and rhythmic material from Schönheit (on The Stockhausen Edition no. 87) to create a similarly hypnotic web of lyrical polyphony, approaching and receding from the listener. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Harmonien
*2022 Stock.* Harmonien (Harmonies, 5th Hour from Klang, 2006) consists of three adaptations (for bass clarinet, flute, trumpet) of a composition for a solo melody instrument, in which broad melodic fragments are answered by brisk cycles of related arpeggio figures (or broken chords). These ostinato figures are modulated dynamically so that they subtly approach and recede. In Schönheit (Beauty, 6th Hour from Klang, 2006) the material from the three arrangements of Harmonien are layered and synch…
Himmels-Tür (4. Stunde Aus Klang) - 24 Türin
*2022 Stock.* Himmels-Tür (Heaven’s Door, 4th Hour from Klang) for a "percussionist and a little girl" (2005) is essentially performed on a hand-made door, with panels constructed from different types of wood in order to obtain a broad range of timbral colors. The piece consists primarily of 15 moods, followed by a final theatrical event involving cymbals and sirens (the little girl element is not aural). This piece could be considered a kind of microtonal, neo-marimba piece performed on found …
Klang- Die 24 Stunden Des Tages: 3.Stunde: Natürliche Dauern Für Klavier
*2022 Stock.* Natürliche Dauern (Natural Durations, 3rd Hour from Klang) for piano (2005/06) is presented in a 2 CD set. Some of these short piano etudes (24 in all) are predicated on the decay times of sustained, pianistic attacks, while others are fascinating explorations of melodic and rhythmic contrast. These final, late-era piano pieces are truly beautiful postcards of shape and color.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Freude
*2022 Stock.* Freude (Joy, 2nd Hour from Klang) for 2 harps (2005) consists of 24 moments, each linked with a liturgical verse sung by one or both harpists during performance. This piece is one of Stockhausen's most lyrical pieces in the traditional sense, although it is still based on a chromatic tonality.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Himmelfahrt
*2022 Stock.* Himmelfahrt (Ascension, 1st Hour from Klang, for synthesizer, soprano and tenor (and some percussion) (2004/05): This work primarily features the polyphonic/polytimbral synthesizer of Antonio Pérez Abellán, with added sung text by Hubert Mayer (tenor) and Barbara Zanichelli (soprano). Abellán did the synthesizer programming and also provides the intermittently-occurring percussion parts (bamboo chimes, metal bowl, gong percussion). As a bonus, the 48 timbres employed (blended synth…
Michaels-Ruf / Bassetsu / Synthi-Fou / Quitt / Komet / Trumpetent
*2022 Stock.* Chamber Works from Licht, for Brass, Reeds, Percussion & Electronics.
Punkte with introduction
*2022 Stock.* Punkte was presented in an earlier form on The Stockhausen Edition no. 2 (1966 version, rec. 1977). This version, recorded in 2004 with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne under Péter Eötvös (and using modern high fidelity), is a version of Punkte revised in 1994. The CD includes an introduction by Stockhausen (in German and English). - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Momente
*2022 Stock.* This is a 2 CD presentation of a new recording of Momente from 1998. Momente has a "mobile-form", which means that the individual segments can be rearranged from performance to performance (typically pre-arranged at the conductor's discretion). Therefore this version is again unique from the 1965 and 1972 versions of Momente found on The Stockhausen Edition no. 7. Like the 1965 version, it does start with the "clapping" sequence, but in this performance the transition from "audienc…
Vibra-Elufa
*2022 Stock.* This CD highlights three different percussionists (Michael Pattmann, Andreas Boettger, and Stuart Gerber), as well as the synthesizer of Antonio Pérez Abellán. Klavierstück XVIII and Mittwoch-Formel are two arrangements of the Licht super-formula (theme) on synthesizer and percussion trio, respectively. Komet (for a solo percussionist) is accompanied by a unique tape piece where the voice of Kathinka Pasveer takes on the two children's chorus parts from Kinderkrieg (1995). This pie…
Music for saxophone with Julien Petit
*2022 Stock.* This CD features the saxophone artistry of Julien Petit. Some of these works were originally written for other wind instruments from 1976 to 1986, but are here newly arranged for saxophone. The 2nd saxophone part of Knabenduett is played by Antonio Felippe Belijar, and some relatively minimal percussion was provided by Michael Pattmann and Kathinka Pasveer.- Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Tierkreis / 7 Lieder Der Tage / Vision
*2022 Stock. Includes a 30-page booklet.* This CD features three works (all recorded in 2005) featuring Hubert Mayer as tenor vocalist and Antonio Pérez Abellán on synthesizer (Marco Blaauw joins on trumpet for the third piece). This is notably the debut of the "Zodiac" pieces with sung lyrics. The texts for all three works are included in the booklet. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Strahlen (Für Einen Schlagzeuger)
*2022 Stock.* Strahlen is an arrangement of Hoch-Zeiten's choir part for tuned percussion (manipulated through signal processing). In a live performance presented here, a percussionist (vibraphone) performs to a tape containing the other 9 complementary layers. These effervescent layers are organized as slowly changing, static harmonies - but with very active inner vibrations. This is a very aurally-appealing piece (from a more conservative viewpoint, perhaps), but its shimmering surface belies …
Sonntags-Abschied
*2022 Stock. Includes a 20-page booklet in German and English.* Sonntags-Abschied (Sunday Farewell) contains the exit music for Sonntag aus Licht, programmed and performed by a synthesizer quintet. Harmonically, Sonntags Abschied is an arrangement of the choral structure from Hoch-Zeiten (CD 73 or 71). These dynamic, somewhat vocally-articulated layers are organized as slowly changing, static harmonies - but with very active inner vibrations (embellishments and melodic transitions). - Stockhause…
Hoch-Zeiten
*2022 Stock.* Hoch-Zeiten (High-Times, 2001/02, 5th scene of Sonntag aus Licht) for orchestra and choir. The 5th scene of Sonntag aus Licht is actually a 2-part conception. One part is staged as an instrumental orchestral work, and the other is a simultaneous a cappella choral work performed in another room. However, sounds from the orchestral part are piped into the choral work, and vice-versa. This CD presents the orchestra point of view (WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne), followed by that of th…
Hoch-Zeiten für orchester
*2022 Stock.* Hoch-Zeiten für orchester (High-Times for orchestra) features each of the orchestral sub-groups from Hoch-Zeiten (presented in its staged form on the Stockhausen Edition no. 73) as individual tracks. These tracks essentially allow the listener to hear the orchestral parts more clearly in smaller ensembles. Musically, each ensemble explores static harmonies but with a dynamic emphasis on polyphonic embellishment and articulation. A version for the complete ensemble (all together as …
Hoch-Zeiten für chor
*2022 Stock.* Hoch-Zeiten für chor (High-Times for choir) features each of the choral sub-groups from Hoch-Zeiten, 5th scene of Sonntag aus Licht (presented in its staged normal form on the Stockhausen Edition no. 73) as individual, isolated tracks. These tracks essentially allow the listener to hear the choral parts more clearly in smaller ensembles. A version for the complete ensemble (all together as a "tutti") is also included. Musically, each ensemble explores static harmonies but with a d…
9 Düfte Der Woche
*2022 Stock.* 9 Düfte Der Woche (9 Scents of the Week, from Düfte – Zeichen) for 7 vocalists, boy’s voice, synthesizer (2002). This CD contains the nine songs from Düfte – Zeichen (Scents – Signs), 4th scene of Sonntag Aus Licht (Sunday from Light) on the Stockhausen Edition no. 69, but without the background ensemble vocals. In other words, each song is presented as an independently-performed vocal work, backed only by the synthesizer part. - Stockhausenspace.blogspot.com
Düfte - Zeichen
*2022 Stock.* Düfte - Zeichen (Scents – Signs, 4th scene of Sonntag aus Licht (Sunday from Light) for 7 vocalists, boy’s voice, synthesizer (2002). This Scene features six vocalists grouped as soloists, in duets, and in trios, supported and bracketed by rhythmically-free (aleatoric) background ensemble text and glassy synthesizer harmonies. At the end are two additional songs featuring a youth "from the audience". The vocal texts (included in the booklet) describe the themes behind each of the s…