Karlheinz Stockhausen: Dead at 79
“Stockhausen gave us the courage to think anything was possible in music”.
Few composers in history have attracted such furious controversy as Karlheinz Stockhausen, the composer who claimed to be descended from astral beings and described composition as “listening to the vibrations of the universe”.
Here is one balanced appreciation. [...] It’s easy to take potshots at his pretentiousness and stupid politics, but he created more memorable and distinct sound worlds than any other twentieth century composer, except possibly John Cage. It’s hard to imagine music without him. Miles Davis and the Beatles would agree, and they were pretty smart guys. Addendum: Here is a YouTube of Kontakte. Here’s a bit of Gruppen. Here is a bit of Hymnen. [Link]
eÆsthete
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