Topic: Karlheinz Stockhausen: RIP

[MDL]

Karlheinz Stockhausen has died at the age of 79.

[Lethevich]

Doh, I was hoping that his mad large composition projects would've kept him going for a fair while. RIP.

[not edward]

Sad, and rather unexpected: other than Boulez he seemed to be the most vigorous of all the composers of that generation.

[lukeottevanger]

I am shocked - I wasn't expecting this. It seems epochal, somehow - it leaves only Boulez of those high-profile radical figures born in the 20s (Xenakis gone, Ligeti gone, Berio and Nono gone...).

[Al Moritz]

God rest his soul.

This was indeed rather unexpected; when I saw him last, in summer 2006, he was in fantastic shape. The compositions that I have heard from his new cycle Klang (Sound), started in 2004, are all of the highest quality, and he seemed bound to go on composing for a long time.

I will miss him, but I will always treasure his music.

[johnQpublic]

Here's a short article:


Composer Stockhausen dies aged 79

Obituary: Karlheinz Stockhausen
 
David Batty and agencies
Friday December 7, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most influential composers of the 20th century, has died at the age of 79, it was announced today. The German composer, best known for his groundbreaking work in electronic music, died on Wednesday at his home in Kuerten-Kettenberg. He will be buried in the forest cemetery in Kuerten, according to the Stockhausen Foundation.

Stockhausen, who was born in the village of Modrath, near Cologne, in 1928, studied at the National Conservatory of Music and the University of Cologne. He composed 319 individual works over his lifetime, according to his official website.

The composer's widespread use of electronics throughout his work has had a significant impact on classical, avant-garde and electronic music.

His breakthrough came in 1956, with the release of Gesang der Junglinge (Song of the Youths), which blended electronic sounds with the human voice.
 
Four years later, he released Kontakte (Contacts), one of the first compositions to mix live instrumentation with pre-recorded material.
A wide range of musicians, including Miles Davis, Frank Zappa and Bjork, have cited him as an influence.

Stockhausen was married twice and had six children.

[karlhenning]

It seems epochal, somehow - it leaves only Boulez of those high-profile radical figures born in the 20s (Xenakis gone, Ligeti gone, Berio and Nono gone...).

And of them all, he's the only one to appear on the cover of a Beatles album 

[Guido]

I just heard on Radio 3 that he actually died on Wednesday but that the news wasnt released until today.

[Guido]

Perhaps this would be an appropriate moment to supply suggested listening for this composer - I have heard almost nothing of his, and the sheer scale of works in utterly unconventional styles and ensembles makes it daunting to know where to start.

[not edward]

Perhaps this would be an appropriate moment to supply suggested listening for this composer - I have heard almost nothing of his, and the sheer scale of works in utterly unconventional styles and ensembles makes it daunting to know where to start.

I think the answer to that, unfortunately, is pretty much "anything you can get hold of." So little of his music is available through anywhere other than stockhausen.org that it's not always easy to select. Here's a few I'd say show the composer at something near his best.

Gruppen is probably the most impressive work from his early period. The Abbado recording is disappointing, and I'd suggest this BMC recording as an alternative:



Stimmung's perhaps the most radically minimal of Stockhausen's works: the original Hyperion recording is still available, as is a new one from Paul Hillier's Theatre of Voices:





The earlier Klavierstucke are remarkable, dynamic pieces and Mikrophonie I and II are fascinating explorations of sound.



Little of his Licht-era work has appeared on labels with wide distribution, but this has and is a good summary of his later style:

[Josquin des Prez]

Good rid..., erm. Yeah, not exactly a fan.

[Peregrine]

And from the BBC web-site:

"But he was not universally popular. The conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was once asked whether he had conducted any Stockhausen. He replied: "No, but I once trod in some."

[greg]

Good rid..., erm. Yeah, not exactly a fan.

Me neither...... still, somehow, a bummer.....

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5idBKki5GZhppC5ce8we20_x3IJpg


i found out an interesting way...... viewing Penderecki's myspace page, since "he" put up new music, some guy posted a comment "Goodbye to Stockhausen", so i searched his name and found the article.

if Penderecki is next........ i'll pretend he never died. 

[MDL]

Good rid..., erm. Yeah, not exactly a fan.

Thank you for your valuable, tasteful, compassionate contribution to this thread. Perhaps we could have a whip-round so that you can pop over to Germany and shit on his grave while you're at it.

[MDL]

And from the BBC web-site:

"But he was not universally popular. The conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was once asked whether he had conducted any Stockhausen. He replied: "No, but I once trod in some."

I laughed at that joke when I first heard it (in the early '80s, a decade or two after Beecham originally cracked it) and I'm sure I'll chuckle over it again, even while listening to such astounding masterworks as Gruppen, Carré and Momente. But I suppose that it's a big ask to hope that people might show a bit of respect today of all days, or that they might at least wait until Stockhausen has been buried before they start rehashing tired old jokes about him.

[Josquin des Prez]

Thank you for your valuable, tasteful, compassionate contribution to this thread.

I do my best.

[Al Moritz]

Good recommendations, Edward. I like that particular Gruppen/Punkte disc a lot.

[springrite]

I am very much saddened by this news. I will spend some time today listening to his music.

Suggested listening include Stimmung, Gruppen, Carre as recommended earlier, as well as Inori, which I love. Come to think of it, Inori is probably the most appropriate of the ones mentioned above at this moment.

[uffeviking]

Gruppen conducted by Eötvös is definitely better than the one by Abbado, but the GM Abbado disc has also György Kurtág's Grabstein für Stephan.

Hans Werner Hanze is not quite as well known as Stockhausen, but he is still alive, though not in the best of health. Kurtág is still alive, as far as I know.

[RebLem]

Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pivotal German Composer, Dies at Age 79

By Mark Beech and Mark Schoifet

Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Karlheinz Stockhausen, the avant-garde German composer who influenced pop musicians from the Beatles to Bjork, has died aged 79, his Web site reported today.

Stockhausen died Dec. 5 at his home in Kuerten-Kettenberg, the Web site said. His electronic music and ``controlled chance'' sounds led to new styles of computerized and sampled compositions.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon of the Beatles were Stockhausen fans, and the group honored the composer by using his image on the cover of its 1967 album, ``Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.'' The single ``Strawberry Fields Forever'' showed Stockhausen's influence.

He inspired some of the music by Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Miles Davis and Brian Eno. His groundbreaking electronic beats found echoes in long compositions by Can, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream in the 1970s. Of classical composers, Igor Stravinsky was an admirer, though not an uncritical one. Stockhausen's music was compared to Arnold Schoenberg and Oliver Messiaen before him. He went on with Pierre Boulez to offer a vision of the future.

Stockhausen was seen by some as the greatest German composer since Wagner. To others, his music was empty and devoid of merit. Conductor Thomas Beecham was asked, ``Have you heard any Stockhausen,'' and said, ``No, but I believe I have trodden in some.''

Stockhausen, who was born in 1928 in the village of Moedrath, near Cologne, studied at the National Conservatory of Music and the University of Cologne. He composed 319 individual works during his life, according to his official Web site.

Breakthrough Song

His breakthrough came in 1956, with the release of ``Gesang der Junglinge'' (Song of the Youths), which combined electronic sounds with the human voice, the Guardian newspaper said.

In 1960, he released ``Kontakte'' (Contacts), one of the first compositions to mix live instrumentation with prerecorded material.

He ran into trouble after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when he was reported to have said the incidents were ``works of art.'' The composer later put out a statement saying his remarks had been taken out of context and misinterpreted.

Stockhausen, who was married twice and had six children, will be buried in the Waldfriedhof (forest cemetery) in Kuerten. A commemorative concert will take place at the Suelztalhalle in Kuerten.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Beech in London at mbeech@bloomberg.net ; Mark Schoifet in New York at mschoifet@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: December 7, 2007 19:12 EST
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a1TZKK4_l8zU&refer=muse