ALPHABET for Liège, AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH

Original LP cover art.  Stockhausen is sitting where the audience would normally sit.
This rehearsal is in the same Oeldorf barn where HERBSTMUSIK was premiered.
No. 36: ALPHABET for Liège,
13 Musical Scenes for soloists and duets
(with electro-acoustic equipment)
1972 (~4 hours)

No. 36 1/2: AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH
(In the Sky I am Walking)
Indianerlieder (American Indian songs) for 2 voices
1972 (51:30)

ALPHABET for Liège

Development
     ALPHABET for Liège is semi-theatrical performance piece designed to illustrate the effect of sound vibrations on organic and inorganic matter.  For example, sounds were produced and amplified so that very light particles would move around and create patterns, or sounds were produced with the intention of harmonizing one's chakras, etc...  This work, a commission from the City of Liège (Belgium), was premiered in a basement complex of unfurnished white-washed rooms connected by unadorned open doorways and window openings.  As the audience moved from room to room during this 4 hour event, 11 sound "Situations" (out of a proposed 13) were realized by 17 participants, including Peter Eötvös (as a coordinator/prompter percussionist), Jill Purce, Michael Vetter, Herbert Henck, Joachim Krist, Hugh Davies and many others (all 13 Situations would have required 1 additional performer).

Structure
     The title ALPHABET comes from the use of 30 word-based actions (each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet, plus 4 more blended characters) which individual members of the Situation groups would use when visiting another group (something like an "insert").  For example, one member of a duo could break off to visit another soloist in another room, and then have a dialogue with that person using one of these 30 alphabetized instructions (call/appeal, accompany, "chaos", "tootle", monotone, etc...), after which the sounds captured during this visits could be brought back to be incorporated into his/her home Situation..  Before a performance, each person draws 2 cards from a deck of these 30 words, and then uses these to make 2 visitations during their Situation.

     Stockhausen designed a "time plan" for this enormous production, and a "musical leader" used various percussion-based instruments to mark the sections for all of the performers.  These included kane (large Japanese bells), rin (Japanese singing bowls, small Indian bells, and a string of large camel bells (which signal 5 moments of frozen silence).  This aspect is well-represented in the film "Alphabet pour Liège", directed by Georges Yu.

13 Situations
     The 13 Situations (each performed by a soloist except for 1, 5, 6 and 8) are basically as follows (more detail can be found in the Wikipedia article):
  1. Perform AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH (see below), twelve songs on American Indian poems (duo).
  2. Make visible the vibrations of sound in liquids, light rays, flames.
  3. Make sound spectra visible in solid material (powder, iron filings, etc.).
  4. With tones, cause glass to break.
  5. Magnetize food with tones and make the magnetization visible by means of a pendulum (duo).
  6. Massage a human body with sounds (vibrations of a musical instrument are translated by a dancer) (duo).
  7. Play self-extinguishing tones (e.g., play a trumpet closely or at varying distances against a wall that is either bare or hung with a variety of surface materials, in order to muffle the sound).
  8. "Make love" with tones (e.g., with two recorders and/or voices generate beat frequencies) (duo).
  9. Using tones, harmonize the seven centers (chakras) of the body (using mantras).
  10. Use tones to repel thoughts and keep thinking at bay.
  11. Use tones to speed up and slow down the respiration and heartbeat of living creatures (such as fish).
  12. Invoke and summon the spirits of the dead with sounds (until in a trance).
  13. Pray using tones (sometimes intelligibly, informed by sung prayers of all religions).


Nr. 2: Amplifed voice vibrations makes white powder vibrate and bubble.

Nr. 11: An EMS Synthi A creates pulses to affect the heartbeat of fishes.

The musical leader with metal bowl to make signals.
(Images from "ALPHABET für Liège, click to enlarge)

AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH
     These 12 "Indianerlieder" (American Indian Songs) make up the only fully-notated Situation (the other 12 are all mainly based on verbal text instructions which the participant uses to make a performance).  These 1 1/2 to 10 minute songs ("scenes", performed without breaks) were composed in barely a week, and mainly use 12 texts from "The Winged Serpent/Indian Prose and Poetry: An Anthology" edited by Margot Astrov.  Besides the various rhythmic phrasings of the texts (including free repetitions of fragments), other additional vocal elements are also inserted throughout the text-settings, such as onomatopoetic vocal sounds (bird calls, war cries, etc...), "magic names", heckling, erotic whispering, a performer-chosen fairy tale (which must be about sounds), nicknames for Jill Purce or Stockhausen ("Jillika", "Eagloo"), etc...

Karl O. Barkley (baritone) and Helga Hamm-Albrecht (mezzo-soprano)
 www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
     The 1st song only uses 1 pitch, and the following songs each in turn add 1 additional note until the 12th song includes 12 unique pitches.  At the same time, the rhythms between the 2 vocal parts becomes progressively more and more complex and contrapuntal.  For each song, the performers use dynamics and tempi chosen beforehand from 2 sequences of 12 possible types (independently).  This sequence can be different for each performance.  Within a 4 hour performance of ALPHABET, this Situation is repeated 4 times, and each time possibly with a different dynamics/tempo sequence.  The sequence chosen for the premiere recording (Stockhausen Complete Edition CD 20) is shown below.
Sequence of dynamics and tempi chosen for the premiere recording of AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH.
 www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
       In addition to the musical material, each song also has specific theatrical gestures and atmospheres indicated in the score, but for the most part they are seated cross-legged on rugs, singing to each other.  During a performance of ALPHABET for Liège, however, each of the performers frequently visits performers of the other Situations and engages them in a duet using his/her song (while the other Indianerlieder singer performs solo).

12 Indianerlieder
(based on the premiere recording by Karl O. Barkley (baritone, V1) and Helga Hamm-Albrecht (mezzo-soprano, V2) on Stockhausen Complete Edition CD 20) 

CD
Trk
Song
Title
Indian Tribe Musical/Stage Activity (each follows directly into the next)
For dynamics and tempo, see the above chart.
Text
sample
Dur.
1 (Entrance) Dream Song Chippewa Entrance sounds, then (at 0:58) unison rhythm on a single pitch, soon slightly drifting, and including a pair of mirrored glissandi. In the sky I am walking… 0:58
0:32
2 Love Song Chippewa After V1 sings a rolled vowel, he sings held tones on a single pitch, as V2 sings a more syncopated figure.  As V2 changes to held dynamic swells, V1 rises to a 2nd pitch held.  At the end, V2 features a repeating, fading "lo-ver", and V1 shouts "oh yes!". Oh I am thinking - I have found my lover… 2:04
3 War Song Pawnee Features repeated refrains of "Is this real", "tegedega", etc...   
V2 has somewhat more melodic activity than V1.  Mixture of unison, exchanged and counterpointed rhythms (and 2 Magic Names).
Let us see, is this real, this life I am living? 3:30
4 Love Song Nootka After a brief introduction, V1 huddles in a far corner, quietly whispering (erotically) with individual scored syllables surfacing from time to time, and V2 responds with the repeating refrain "You always come back to my mind".  Afterwards, both gradually rejoin in an accelerating dialogue, ending in a slow unison phrase separated by pauses. No matter how hard I try to forget you… 5:16
5 Song, Sung Over A Dying Person Chippewa The 2 voices are somewhat harmonized, or in alternating solos, or are in canon-form.  More Magic Names and "unusual vocal sounds" begin to be featured (wind, etc..). 
The "dying one" is imagined to be in between the singers, who sometimes cover their faces while singing.  
You are a spirit, I am making you a spirit… 4:19
6 Opening Prayer Of The Sun Dance Teton Sioux The performers react to one another with eyes, eyelid, neck and ear-cupping motions, as well as a gesture where V1 sprinkles water on V2 and as well as on the walls.
After a unison "Eagloo" and a V2 solo, V1 mostly hums with a few Magic names inserted in the end section (during the sprinkling actions).  V2 sings melodically, but in the end section uses accented repeated notes.
…All over the universe, a voice I am going to send… 4:37
7 Peruvian Dance Song Ayacucho V2 sings melodically and gradually begins dancing ("May the Dance arrive!"), as V1 makes quiet vocal noises.  In the middle section, V1 enters with a melody and V2 (dancing & clapping) rhythmically chants  "tageda".  Suddenly they "see Death" and sing "Da! What a chill..."  In the end they sing in rhythm. …Comes the dance, you must dance, comes the death… 4:30
8 Plaint Against The Fog Nootka The performers lean back, singing long held notes, "sowing the sky" (during pauses).  After a brief V2 solo and a duo vowel section in the middle, the singers vocally "draw clouds in the sky" (shaping rising/falling glissandi vowels and overtones by following top and then bottom edges) in between short unison fragments. …don’t you ever get tired of having the clouds between you and us? 5:19
9 A Song By Nezahualcoyotl Aztec Here, the performers at times make bird-like flying gestures with their arms.  After a tongue-rolling (flapping?) intro, the 2 performers sing rhythmically, but take turns singing melodies and single note rhythms.  After a section with a more lively unison rhythm, they humorously make pitched bird noises (whistling, cawing, etc...). I am like the quetzal bird, I am created in the one and only god… 4:16
10 Song To Bring Fair Weather Nootka After a brief intro of melody, vocal sounds and a Magic Name, V2 half-whispers a fairy tale (in German for the premiere recording), and V1 listens (sometimes interjecting Magic Names or vocal sounds).  While intoning her tale, V2 also intersperses forceful words from the Indian text and V1 (as listener) responds in imitation. …make it beautiful, get out your rainbow colors… 2:54
11 Love Song Aztec After a brief intro, the performers sing (independently) in counterpoint and in mirrored shapes (inversions).  The melody and rhythms sung are indicated in the air by hand signs.  They sing in unison at the end ("I know it is thou..."). …If my eardrops tremble in my ears, I know it is thou moving within my heart. 3:34
12 Song Of A Man Who Received A Vision 
(Departure)
Teton Sioux V1 points and throws blossoms over V2's head (who has made a kind of "goalpost" with her hands).  After a brief harmony intro, they sing in counterpointed rhythm, slowing down and then speeding up (twice).  After a faster refrain-driven middle section (rhythmic but melodically counterpointed), the singers independently sing the repeating refrain "Friends behold" over the complete 12-note pitch row, gradually inserting noises and Magic Names, and accelerating until "ecstatic".  The performers then depart while singing the refrain "Sacred he/she/I have been made..." Friends behold!...In a sacred manner I have been influenced at the gathering of the clouds… 10:42

Score
Indianerlieder 8: Plaint Against The Fog.  In the top system's bracketed notes, the sky is "sown".
In the bottom system after the brackets with vowels, the bracketed notes are "clouds" are shaped by glissandi.
 www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
Sound Impressions
     The idea of exploring how sound can affect living and non-living matter is a fascinating one.  Often times the sound levels experienced at a loud rock concert or in a subway train tunnel during rush hour can cause physical discomfort.  The movie "Dune" by David Lynch even had sound-based weapons.  Fortunately the Situations in ALPHABET for Liège aren't designed for destruction!  In fact, the main idea seems to be the use of sound to achieve harmony or balance, or at least harmlessly illustrate sound vibrations on inanimate matter.  This idea was probably born from discussions with singer Jill Purce, who even now still uses sound and voice for therapeutic healing.  It's actually an ancient tradition to use music as a therapeutic method (for example, using Turkish makamlar).  In any case, it's a fascinating idea for a sound installation, and nowadays this kind of sound illustration still seems to be popular (for example, Bjork's Biophilia concerts).  The DVD showing the dress rehearsal of ALPHABET gives a pretty fascinating look into this performance piece, though it does seem to belong most at home in the "free-wheeling" late 60's/early 70's...

     AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH's text-influenced melodies could possibly be viewed as Stockhausen's version of the madrigal tradition, mixed with ancient ritual and a glorification of nature (I suppose the fact that they are typically performed between a man and a woman makes them come across as love songs as well).  The idea of having almost innumerable possible dynamic and tempo sequences for each song cycle allows the possibility of many different interpretations, but also highlights Stockhausen's ingenuity and craftsmanship in creating a scenario for just 2 voices building from only 1 note.  Even when the 12th song reaches a pool of 12 notes, the melodic structure remains tightly-controlled and focused, and anything but "point-like".  The spare setting and ritualistic interactions between the performers also makes this one of Stockhausen's most intimate and playful vocal works.  The Peruvian Dance Song especially sounds like 2 children playing a game of some sort and the following song, Plaint Against The Fog, certainly inspires me to "sing a cloud shape" next time I'm lying down in the park...

Links 
AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH Sound samples, tracks listings and CD ordering 
AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH Score
DVD of "ALPHABET für Liège, World première, September 23rd 1972" (dress rehearsal footage)
English translation of DVD narration (PDF)
Wiki Entry
AM HIMMEL WANDRE ICH (alternate staging, Youtube)

Stockhausen on Electronic Music (1952-1960) --------- WDR Electronic Music Studio Tour (2015)

www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
Introduction
      The first half of this post will summarize the main points from a Stockhausen lecture given at the Oxford Union (England) on May 6th 1972, where the composer uses excerpts from his seminal electronic work KONTAKTE to demonstrate “4 Criteria of Electronic Music”.  This summary will also serve as an introduction to my post on the electronic and electroacoustic version of KONTAKTE (Part 1 of which can be found here).

     The second half - WDR Studio Tour - is a photo essay of a few of the electronic devices used to realize these 4 criteria (from my 2015 tour of the WDR Electronic Music Studio storage repository in Cologne).

"4 Criteria of Electronic Music" (KONTAKTE)
     After studying the harmonically-liberating methods of the 2nd Viennese School (basically Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern, who explored the chromatic scale through the use of unique ordered tone rows and intervals),  Stockhausen became interested in how sounds themselves were constructed.  To do this, he studied the timbre structure of primitive ethnic instruments (such as wood/metal percussion), as well as recordings of concrete sounds from daily life.  The goal was to artificially synthesize these sound timbres through electronic means, basically using equipment designed for radio station maintenance and measurement.  This collection of re-purposed equipment mainly consisted of impulse noise generators (which create "clicks/pulses" at different speeds), sine wave tone generators (sometimes also used to create overtone “partials” by layering sine tones), and noise generators (used in some earlier works, but not in KONTAKTE).  Additionally, frequency filtering, distortion, ring modulation, reverb and variable speed tape recorders were used to color or speed up/slow down recorded fragments or loops (as musique concrete). 
These 2 devices generated most of the basic source material for KONTAKTE.
The top device generated pulses, and the bottom device was used to mostly create low frequencies.
Many other pieces of equipment (variable speed tape recorders, etc...) were used to process or change the speed of the sounds recorded on tape loops (see section below). 
(KONTAKTE Realization score© www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
     With these concepts in mind, Stockhausen developed 4 Criteria of Electronic Music:
  1. Unified Time Structuring
  2. Splitting of the Sound
  3. Multi-Layered Spacial Composition
  4. Equality of Sound and Noise
1. Unified Time Structuring
     If a piece of music is dramatically sped up as a loop (without changing the pitch), then a specific tone and color timbre eventually results.  If the music has an even rhythmic structure (such as a Beethoven sonata), then the timbre would be "purer" than that from a piece which was rhythmically or melodically irregular (such as a Webern piece).  The reverse is also true - a short "noise", if stretched out to several minutes, could result in a piece of music with its own structure, or form.  From a pitch perspective, if a repeating pulse (click) is sped up to very high speeds (without pitch transposition of the pulse), it eventually becomes a held tone, and as the speed increases further, the pitch rises.

     In KONTAKTE, Stockhausen recorded pulses in irregular rhythms and then made tape loops of the recordings.  By changing the tape loop playback speed, different timbres and pitches were obtained.  In other words, a unique rhythm is transformed into a pitched noise by greatly increasing its tempo.  440 pulses per second would result in concert pitch "A 440" for example.  Broader noises of a wider bandwidth could be created by irregularly varying the speed of the loop (and/or the micro-durations between the pulses on the tape) to create a “cloud” of pitches (ie - aleatoric pulse velocities result in aleatoric pitches).  The level of “noisiness” is also based on the degree of aperiodicity (rhythmic irregularity) within the loop itself (as mentioned in the Webern example).  In fact "white noise" is a full range of pulses with speeds from 20 pulses per second to 16,000 pulses per second. 

     From this idea, one could say that a rhythm of pulses become a pitch, which could be used to create a melodic rhythm, which could then be used as part of a larger form.  Stockhausen calls this phenomenon "Unified Time Structuring", since it creates a continuum between very short events and very long structures.  Pitch and rhythm are basically the same thing, just at different levels of time perception, and timbre (noisiness) is related to the internal rhythmic irregularities of a sound.

Stockhausen Edition CD 3, Track 14: KONTAKTE Structure X (listening score excerpt, colored):
A pulse-based noise tone wavers and falls. At the same time its frequency-filtered bright tone layer ("pitch", essentially) becomes darker and then brighter again.  Then the pitch gradually zigzags down, slows down, plays a 7-note "melody", finally becomes individual pulses, gradually lengthening, etc...
 www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
     In KONTAKTE's Structure X (from 17:12), a pitched noise slows into a regular repeating pulse (and descends), which eventually becomes a repeating low pitch, becoming an “ooh” timbre.  This then changes it's overtone elements to create “ah”, “ee”, etc….
     (For an example of the opposite, with pulses increasing in speed until they become rising tones, see Dan Tepfer's informative demonstration page.)

2. Splitting of the Sound
     In this scenario, a central tone is held, but several “satellites” split off (rising/falling, spreading out into particles, etc..) and the sound timbre of the original central tone changes (becomes less complex).  Stockhausen describes this process as an example of a new kind of "form" in composed music.  In contrast to the traditional way of composing music, where themes are used to describe a feeling or travel through a dramatic arc, here the theme is basically the carefully-shaped transformation of a sound (done  in an “artful” way).  The listener is led through this process, and by paying close attention to the sound's journey, it's possible that his/her perceptions could even be “widened”.  By following the path of a sound, the listener, in a way, “becomes the sounds”, and as the sounds split apart, one could even try to split apart with it, becoming a "polyphonic being".

SE CD 3, Track 15: KONTAKTE Structure XI: A centerline tone is held, while parts of this tone split off on their own rising/falling trajectories. 
www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
     In Structure XI (starting at about 21:41, or CD 3 track 15), a held sound is split in 6 places where a layer peels off and goes on its own path:
  • 0:24 (brief split, like a shooting star)
  • 0:30 (gliss)
  • 0:47 (gliss into points)
  • 1:00 (oscillating)
  • 1:13 (rising, chopped)
  • 1:21 (rising/falling)
  • Etc.. (ending in blocks of white noise)

3. Multi-Layered Spacial Composition
     Stockhausen used KONTAKTE to further explore motion in space (which he first explored in GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE), this time with a new "rotation table" which was able to spin a mounted speaker, allowing 4 microphones to capture the sounds as they passed by.  In playback, the sound would appear to be rotating among 4 speakers.  Besides directional location (360 degrees), Stockhausen also experimented with the creation of sounds at different distances from the listener - in other words, depth perception.  In KONTAKTE there are up to 6 levels of distance from the listener for each sound.  When several sounds are stacked as multiple layers, a feeling of depth is created by chopping out gaps in one layer (like cutting open windows ) to reveal the layer or layers beneath.  This immediate contrast is designed to clearly demonstrate the differences in sound distances.

     This idea is pretty interesting because spatial motion is typically envisioned (at least by me) as a "ring" around the listener.  The added element of depth turns this ring into a "disc".

     Stockhausen mentions a few important elements to depth perception in sound:
  • Familiarity of the sound (an unknown sound will not have anything for the listener to compare with for distance characteristics)
  • Dynamics (loud is close, quiet is far)
  • Distortion (diffusion, reverb, echoes etc…)
     In KONTAKTE, far away (“wet”) figures are also highlighted by close (“dry”) figures passing in front.  This is an example of using contrast to highlight foreground and background elements.  Stockhausen asks that the listener must believe only his/her ears, and try to forget about what one sees (or knows).  This is a very important mindset to have when listening to “new music” - do not believe one's eyes – believe one's ears.
Stockhausen demonstrates how a rotation table is used in KONTAKTE
(from what I've heard, this photo features a "stand-in" table,
the table actually used in KONTAKTE is shown a few pages down).

 www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
      In his lecture, Stockhausen plays Structure XII (23:58, CD track 16).

4. Equality of Sound (or "Tone") and Noise
     A noise is made of irregular/aperiodic sound pulses, and the”spread” of a group of noises determines a bandwidth (as described in Criteria 1).  Traditionally, “noise” was a taboo compositional element because notated music originally concentrated on indicating intervals between sung vowels (consonants were excluded or only used to mark a rhythmic punctuation).  Now, with electronic sound synthesis,  a continuum from tones to noises can be expressed as a scale.  However, the use of noise is not generally balanced equally with pure tones, since noises have a tendency to cover up tones (due to their "novelty").  For this reason, tones and noises must be balanced using special, unique scales.

     In KONTAKTE, Stockhausen used 42 different scales of different interval steps to manage his sounds.  Each sound, based on it’s bandwidth, was assigned 1 of the 42 scales.  A pure sound (very narrow bandwidth, clear pitch) would get a microtonal scale (very small interval steps), since it is very easy to perceive small scale steps in pure pitches.  A noisy sound with a large bandwidth would get a scale with large intervals, since large intervals are needed to make the differences in complex noises perceivable.  The widest bandwidth noise stretched covered a full 2 octave bandwidth, and it was assigned a scale based on intervals of a 5th (12 notes of this scale would actually cover the entire audible range for humans).

     This matching of sounds to scales was a revelation to Stockhausen, in that he realized that this was the first time that the “material” determined the “form”.  This concept would echo on into the far future operas of LICHT.

Links
Stockhausen Edition CD 3: ETUDE, STUDIE I & II, GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE, KONTAKTE: Sound samples and CD ordering 
Stockhausen on Music : Four Criteria of Electronic Music (Maconie edited transciption)
The Concept of Unity in Electronic Music (Stockhausen, Perspectives of New Music Vol. 1, No. 1)
Stockhausen Lectures on DVD
Four Criteria of Electronic Music Pt 1 (YouTube)
Four Criteria of Electronic Music Pt 2 (YouTube)
"From Tape Loops to MIDI, Karlheinz Stockhausen's 40 Years of Electronic Music" (Manion)
Rhythm / Pitch Duality: hear rhythm become pitch before your ears (Dan Tepfer)
WDR Studios Vintage Pictures & Video Tour (120 Years of Electronic Music)
Discovering Electronic Music (1983)

The WDR Electronic Music Studio
     In 2015 I was able to visit the WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk/West German Radio) Electronic Music Studio repository space.  Below are a few photographs of the equipment used during the early years of Stockhausen's electronic music explorations.  Nowadays it is possible to hear these sounds created by online software, such as at this site.  In retrospect, it's very amazing that Stockhausen and his peers were able to create synthetic music out of radio testing equipment.  With some exaggeration, you could say they made a motorcycle engine out of toaster parts...
All inset pictures ©www.karlheinzstockhausen.org.

1/3 Octave Bandwidth Filter. Functions like a graphic EQ.


Top: Heathkit Sine/Square wave generator (tone oscillator), (used in KONTAKTE, etc...)
Bottom: Tone (sine wave) generator (different than the frequency amplifier/feedback filter in the inset photo)


Left: Beat frequency oscillator. Used to change the resonant frequencies of input pulses.
Right: 2 Pulse generators. Used to create noise pulses of different speeds and durations.


Active Octave (bandwidth) filter (custom made by WDR).  Accentuates different frequency bands (like a parametric EQ).


Tape loop on stand during a demonstration of tape loop manipulation by Volker Müller.
Inset: Behind Stockhausen (working on KONTAKTE) are several long tape loops stretched out and held in place by 3 small stands.
To the back wall is (left to right) a sine wave beat frequency oscillator (used since GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE), a signal (sine wave) generator,
and a 1/3 octave filter (sitting on top of the octave filter, also used since GESANG...).


The Rotation table used to spread the sound over 4 microphone inputs in KONTAKTE.
Just to the left (on the shelf) are 2 beat frequency oscillators.


These devices are to be seen in the photo at bottom right of Stockhausen in 1975.
Left column: Tunable frequency amplifier, Bandpass filter, Tunable frequency detector amplifier/feedback filter
(used in GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE, KONTAKTE, etc... for "variable, relatively narrow filtering of impulses or noise bands, but also as a generator at extremely high feedback sensitivity.")  This device was used in KONTAKTE's Structure X to create the falling glissandi of slowing pulses.
Right column: Timer/counter, Sine wave sweep generator
(also used in MIXTUR to produce the base frequencies for the the ring modulation).


Stockhausen's Maihak W49 bandwidth filters and 2-channel faders (screwed on)
for live manipulation and EQ filtering of amplified sound signals. (KONTAKTE, MIKROPHONIE I, PROZESSION, many others...)

WDR Studio during the production of HYMNEN.
www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
More WDR equipment photos are in the articles on STUDIE I & II, GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE, HYMNEN and MIXTUR, or in my Picasa WDR Album below.

The Stockhausen Courses and Concerts in Kürten

Stockhausen at the mixing board during the 2007 Stockhausen Courses
www.karlheinzstockhausen.org)
Introduction
     In 2015, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2015 Stockhausen Courses and Concerts held in Kürten (July 11-19, 2015). This article will have some general material on the Courses themselves, followed by some personal impressions of this unique experience (in green). Every participant's experience will be different, of course, depending on his or her goals, and besides the many things I was looking forward to, my main objective during this visit was music research on works which I had not yet written about on this site. However, I did find time to sample (almost) everything, at least as an observer.

History
Marco Blaauw performing ARIES
     In 1998, Stockhausen initiated a yearly summer study and performance program near his home in Kürten, Germany, with each of the "Courses" lasting 10-17 days. Stockhausen had previously taught at or initiated other "new music" summer study programs (such as the Darmstadt Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik and the Kölner Kursen für Neue Musik), and the Stockhausen Concerts and Courses were probably designed in a similar spirit - but concentrating on just his own works. Here he could host discussions of his works, offer composition seminars, have his works taught from experienced Stockhausen interpreters, and present almost a dozen concerts featuring music from his entire oeuvre, as well as premier new works. From a musical analysis standpoint, the most fascinating event might be Stockhausen's week-long composition class on one or more of his works (with demonstrations on a fully-spatialized surround-sound system). During the Courses, the composer was also generally available for questions and discussion during and in between rehearsals for the evening concerts. Besides overseeing rehearsals with the concert performers, Stockhausen also did the sound mix projection for every performance. The BBC Music Masters Stockhausen DVD shows him during a Courses dress rehearsal for a performance of 3X REFRAIN 2000, which gives a good idea of the rigorous standards he holds the performers up to.

     Since Stockhausen's death in 2007, Kathinka Pasveer and other close collaborators of Stockhausen's have taken over the sound projection role, and the "lecture" aspect of the courses has been distributed among guest musicologists, musical interpreters, composers, theologians, philosophers, blog writers (such as myself), etc... The focus of the lecture/seminar topics has thus expanded from pure musical analysis to also include topics revolving around symbolism, theology, philosophy, staging, etc... In all other respects, the activities of the Courses have continued on under the direction of Kathinka Pasveer and Suzanne Stephens.

Participants
Lecturer Ian Parsons in a discussion forum.
     The participants of the Stockhausen Courses come from all over the world, and are made up of composers, musicologists, musicians and music fans of all ages and musical backgrounds. One of the main aspects of the Courses is for aspiring musicians to learn directly from Stockhausen and his chosen musical interpreters (who have all made premier recordings for the Stockhausen Edition CDs) during master classes and private sessions. During the week, a few "Participants' Concerts" are held, and a few attendees (who have prepared works up to Stockhausen's standard) are selected to perform at these. At the end of the week, a prize ceremony is held, rewarding the best performances. Many of the premier recordings of Stockhausen's works since the Courses began actually feature former Course participants who have been subsequently invited to stay at Stockhausen's home to learn and record new works. Others have gone on to record Stockhausen repertoire for their own solo CDs (most recently, Vanessa Benelli Mosell).

     During Stockhausen's lifetime the number of attendees regularly exceeded 130, but since Stockhausen's passing, that number has somewhat decreased (update - the attendance for the 2017 Courses has soared to its former numbers since my visit in 2015). However, the concerts and the musicianship of the performers have, if anything, thrived in quality, and every year new generations of youthful interpreters attend, learn, and go on to perform Stockhausen works in their own countries with different ensembles.
     As a "musicologist", my personal goal (besides simply enjoying the concerts and meeting fellow Stockhausen fans) was to gain access to the wealth of scores and recorded materials, and do research on the works which I have not yet written blog entries on (as well as make corrections to previous entries). Additionally, by contacting the Stockhausen Foundation prior to my visit, I was able to request unpublished and unreleased materials and recordings in which I was interested in for examination. A few months prior to the Courses I was also given the opportunity to present my own "informal" lecture and moderate a discussion forum. I offered to give talks about the works which were being presented in the evening concerts, since the official pre-concert talks were all going to be held in German (the language used at the courses is English).

Daily Schedule
     Each year (bi-annual since 2013 to make room for the Darmstadt Summer Courses), the "timeplan" for the Courses is different, but in general the schedule is fairly consistent.

Alain Louafi INORI gestures instruction


     In the morning, Alain Louafi (INORI, DONNERSTAG AUS LICHT, MONTAG AUS LICHT, etc...) holds yoga and INORI classes (teaching of the INORI body gestures).

     In some years, this morning period also featured an "intuitive music" workshop presented by the Ensemble for Intuitive Music Weimar, where participants could learn works from AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN or FÜR KOMMENDE ZEITEN.




     During my stay at the Courses I stayed at the Hotel Tritz, which is walking distance to the school where the Stockhausen Courses are held. During breakfast, I met fellow hotel guests who were entirely Stockhausen musicologists and musicians, such as Rudolf Frisius, Robin Hartwell, Ian Parsons and Rumi Sota. These breakfast discussions would invariably plunge me into immediate "Stockhausen-mode", and lead to hours-long discussions of unusual (for me at least) depth. For this reason, I never actually made it to the INORI classes, despite my initial plan to check them out. Hopefully next time...

NATÜRLICHE DAUERN dress rehearsal with pianist
Duccio Beverini and instructors Benjamin Kobler and Kathinka Pasveer

     In the latter part of the morning, the concert hall holds a dress rehearsal for the evening's performance. This rehearsal also gives the attendees an excellent insight to the performance preparation of Stockhausen's works. This period also functions as a kind of "sound projection course", in that the participants can be close to the mixing desk and can interact with the sound and light mixers. Perhaps the best aspect of the dress rehearsal is the chance to experience a (usually) full performance of the works scheduled for the evening. Stockhausen's works, perhaps more than any other composer I can think of, are best appreciated over repeated listenings.



Score/music study room/shop

      During the day, for those who do not attend the dress rehearsals, the score library/shop is open as well as the video room. This gives the participants the opportunity to study, listen to and watch all of the scores, CDs and DVDs sold by the Stockhausen Foundation. Basically, scores and CDs of every work are available for study, and many books written by Stockhausen and others are available for study at one of the many reading tables. Musicologists can also inquire ahead of time to request archival materials such as unpublished sketches and unreleased recordings and videos.




     Since my main focus this year was to concentrate on the scores and archival materials, I usually spent my mornings after breakfast in the score room or video room, writing down notes for future blog entries. However I was able to attend a couple of the dress rehearsals (LAUB UND REGEN, UD, TRUMPETENT) and it was fascinating to see how these very specifically-staged works were polished and sometimes altered to solve any problems (almost all of Stockhausen's works require demanding stage movements and costuming). LAUB UND REGEN was an interesting example of seeing the process at work. This work was originally designed to be performed by a male and female couple in a somewhat sexually-charged setting, but in this case two women were performing it. Prior to the Courses they had together reworked some of the stage setting to create a more "sisterly" chemistry, and it was fascinating to see one of the original performers of LAUB UND REGEN (Suzanne Stephens) assist the two female musicians in realizing their own interpretation.
LAUB UND REGEN participant's rehearsal with Julia Lindner, Johanna Stephens-Janning

     After lunch (catered and provided onsite for a small fee) the regular lectures or presentations are given in a seminar room equipped with sound and visual projection equipment, as well as the simultaneous continuation of rehearsals in the concert hall. The lectures and presentations are given by a veritable who's who of Stockhausen writers and specialists from many different disciplines, and range from very detailed high-level musical analysis to more lay-oriented discussions of the meanings and spiritual aspects of Stockhausen's works. Sometimes presentations are given by performers from the evening concerts explaining the pieces they will play, or sound designers working on new electronic realizations of Stockhausen's early works. After a prepared presentation, a question and answer period usually follows. One of the most rewarding aspects of the lectures is to be exposed to new ways of approaching Stockhausen's music, or to hear archival recordings of individual tracks from Stockhausen's electronic or electro-acoustic works.

     This year, there were 9 presentations with discussion:
Lecturer Ed Chang on DUFTE - ZEICHEN
  • Joe Drew: Stockhausen's Approach to Narrative & Character
  • Ed Chang: Overview of the works being performed in the evening faculty concerts and an explanation of the super-formula (2 sessions)
  • Ian Parsons: The LIGHT within: What the symbolism of LICHT tells us about ourselves 
  • Thomas Ulrich: Music and Reality in the works of Stockhausen 
  • Sean Williams on his new realization of STUDIE II and his research on GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE using the original material tapes
  • Juan Verdaguer on his interactive digital educational project GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE
  • Gustavo Alfaix: Transreality in ORCHESTER-FINALISTEN
  • Rudolf Frisius: Systematisation, Polarisation and Integration: Central aspects in Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Music
     My two presentations were basically sourced from my blog entries on Stockhausen: Sounds in Space, but greatly enhanced with new visual aids and diagrams. In fact, I actually approached the LICHT superformula explanation in backwards order (retrograde!) from my original blog article, since in retrospect that seemed more natural (the other works which I covered were MICHAELs REISE UM DIE ERDE, TELEMUSIK, COSMIC PULSES, DÜFTE-ZEICHEN, LICHTER–WASSER, and SIRIUS, as well as a little bit about Xi, HARMONIEN, and GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE). In general, all of the talks of the presenters were well-received and illuminating, and I even learned some key insights during the Q & A portions of my own presentations (which of course, have since been incorporated into the already-published blog entries here). Usually either Kathinka Pasveer and/or Suzanne Stephens were present to add additional commentary (or make corrections!). One of the concerns of these presentations is that there is such a wide spectrum of familiarity with Stockhausen's works among the audience members, and it is at times difficult to gauge at what academic level to present one's subject. In my own talks I basically started from "ground zero" and worked my way up as far as I could go. The post-presentation discussions would lead to either simpler or more academic conversations, depending on the more vociferous audience members.
     In the late afternoons from 1998 to 2007, Stockhausen conducted a daily composition class in the main concert hall, providing detailed explanations with musical examples of key works from his past or works which were being premiered that year. The course books for these classes are available for purchase from the Stockhausen website, and feature facsimile sketches (as well as lecture transcriptions in English for the 2001-2007 classes). These composition classes were as follows:


Suzanne Stephens demonstrating "shortening" of the clarinet
(DER KLEINE HARLEKIN) during her master class
with Diego Vasquez
      Also in the afternoon (after the seminars/presentations), the instructors for piano, brass, winds, synthesizer, percussion, etc... give master classes to small groups of musicians, some of whom have prepared works in the hopes of performing one of them at one of the evening Participants' Concerts. These master classes are crucial to the understanding and performance of Stockhausen's works because many times a published score may have been further revised or corrected, and only in the master classes can one learn the (unpublished) additions or alterations. The master classes also give the student interpreter the opportunity to see how the movement instructions are executed, which can only be partially described by score text and photographs. The instructors also all have a very precise sense of dynamics and tempo, and this is important because these aspects of Stockhausen's works are especially difficult to perfect without an instructor who has previously performed these works under Stockhausen's supervision, and the requirements of Stockhausen's works typically go well beyond the fine-tuning of most classical repertoire. Finally, since the instructors are typically the performers for whom the work was originally written, they can provide background information on the development and subtext behind these works, as well as describe how they themselves overcame difficulties involved with the execution of difficult passages.
     Again, due to my concentration on the scores, I was only able to attend a couple master classes by woodwind performer Suzanne Stephens and flautist Kathinka Pasveer. The pieces taught at the classes I attended were IN FREUNDSCHAFT, Xi, and DER KLEINE HARLEKIN. As mentioned above, the attention paid to detail and the revised corrections to the scores were extremely valuable to  the student performers. As an observer, hearing the careful shaping (and re-shaping) of isolated passages of a seemingly simple work such as IN FREUNDSCHAFT gave me a much greater appreciation of the craft of Stockhausen's specific articulations. Too often I probably concentrate too much on analyzing the pitches and durations at the expense of the dynamics and tempi, and the slow, methodical navigation through these aspects of the work revealed to me new narrative layers hidden in the more surface-level melodic shapes. It was clear after these classes that every articulation marking in a given measure (and there are usually quite alot!) serves a specific purpose and gives each line an "inner life". 
     Besides the scheduled master classes, some students also can schedule private lessons with faculty members. I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a session where Hubert Mayer (tenor) and Merve Kazokoğlu (basset horn) rehearsed MONDEVA, in preparation for the staging of Stockhausen's opera DONNERSTAG AUS LICHT, in Basel in 2016. In other words, if one is lucky, one can actually experience a few "extra" Stockhausen works not on the Courses concert program (in a more informal setting, naturally).

Kathinka Pasveer performs SUSANIs ECHO
     After dinner, an introductory talk for the evening concert takes place (in German and geared towards the more casual concert-goer, since all concerts are free to the public), which is soon followed by the evening performances. These concerts are probably one of the main attractions of these Courses, and provide the attendee a perfect opportunity to experience Stockhausen's works in up to 16 sound channels in an acoustically-perfect setting. Since these concerts were/are produced by Stockhausen or his personally-trained sound projectionists, the listener can be assured of a performance and listening experience up to the standards of the composer himself.






KONTAKTE, with Benjamin Kobler and Michael Pattmann
     The level of musicianship in the concerts is of a nearly superhumanly high standard (which almost goes without saying for Stockhausen works), but one of the most rewarding aspects of seeing Stockhausen's music performed live is that there is almost always a visual layer expressed in the body movements of the instrumentalists and singers. In every work Stockhausen includes physical gestures designed to highlight or otherwise demonstrate facets of his music, such as the "tracing" of the melodic line in IN FREUNDSCHAFT, or the gestural narrative in the "songs" of DÜFTE - ZEICHEN. These and other works which have performer movement as integral parts of the performance (such as INORI, AVE, DER KLEINE HARLEKIN, TRUMPETENT, etc...)  can only be partly appreciated from a CD recording.



     The majority of the concerts in recent years feature solos, duos or trios, though sometimes a larger ensemble may be gathered to perform a chamber orchestra work (such as SIRIUS, PROZESSION, KURZWELLEN, MICHAELs REISE UM DIE ERDE for Trumpet and 9 Soloists, etc...). If a live orchestra is not present, there is still ample opportunity to hear larger ensemble works, since multi-channel recordings of some choral or orchestral works are projected from spatially-accurate speaker locations (CARRÉ, MIXTUR, LICHTER–WASSER, ENGEL-PROZESSIONEN, etc...). Additionally, multi-channel electronic works (GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE , HYMNEN, COSMIC PULSES, OKTOPHONIE, etc...) are projected in surround sound in Stockhausen's specified spatial orientation.
MICHAELS REISE for Trumpet and 9 soloists, featuring Paul Hübner as MICHAEL and Merve Kazokoğlu as EVA.

     Besides the scheduled "faculty concerts", there are usually around three Participants' Concerts, as described earlier. These are often almost as superbly-executed as the faculty concerts, but usually consist of soloists or duos. The most common works performed by the participants are pieces such as IN FREUNDSCHAFT, one or more of the KLAVIERSTÜCKE, DER KLEINE HARLEKIN, KONTAKTE, ZYKLUS, TIERKREIS, soloist's versions of SIRIUS, and various solo or duo extracts from the LICHT operas. All of these participant performances include full dress/costuming, body movements and spatial projection from the mixing board, just as in the faculty concerts. The dress rehearsals for these concerts also serve as a final master class, taught by Stockhausen (when he was alive) or the master class faculty instructors.
Barbara Borowicz performs IN FREUNDSCHAFT for clarinet, during a Participants' Concert.
     I attended every concert (naturally) and frankly it is now kind of a blur, but it can safely be said that it was the richest sustained flow of musical wonder I've ever experienced without actually being one of the main performers myself :-). One of the nice things about the general seating arrangement (unassigned seats) is that it is possible to sit at different places in the auditorium in order to have a different listening experience than from a previous performance (such as from the morning dress rehearsal). For the electronic works this is especially rewarding. One thing I noticed was that since the speaker placement formed a very high sound space, it was often better to listen with my head tilted straight up, facing the ceiling. In this position, the sounds from the surrounding speakers could easily be visualized as swirling around before my eyes (for example, when listening to COSMIC PULSES or KONTAKTE).

     I have to admit, this was probably the first time in 20-odd years that I had attended concerts with any kind of spatial projection beyond the normal "stereo" of a regular concert, and it was a bit disorienting for the first few days (also jet-lag...). The familiar stereo CD versions of the electronic works were here "spatially-exploded", and I think it was initially too much (newly-revealed) information for me to fully appreciate (especially for a super-dense 24-track work like COSMIC PULSES). Personally, it takes me many repeated listens to come to terms with a new Stockhausen piece, and so, when confronted with these spatialized versions of the pieces I knew so well (from decades of headphone listening), I felt like I had to start all over again at times (I suppose at heart I'm kind of slow to warm up to new experiences...). I can only feel pity for people who are used to the spatialized versions and they have to resign themselves to "mere stereo" at home!  In any case, it's a great thing that I can "re-learn" these works in the future.
UD (DUFTE - ZEICHEN) with Michael Leibundgut

WDR Studio Tour
     Aside from the Courses themselves, in recent years a tour of the WDR Electronic Music Studios museum/storage center is offered for a small additional fee. The original radio studio where Stockhausen created works like GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE, KONTAKTE and SIRIUS is no longer open, but almost all of the equipment of that studio has been preserved in a working space in Cologne (next to a fitness center, no less!). At this facility, the primary activity is the digitization of WDR analog tapes for archival purposes. One of Stockhausen's main collaborators at the original studio, Volker Müller, is present at these tours to talk about the equipment Stockhausen used, as well as demonstrate some tape loop manipulation techniques. Many essential artifacts from Stockhausen's career can be seen there, including the KONTAKTE rotation table, an EMS Synthi 100 (used in SIRIUS), the "filters and potentiometers" rig which Stockhausen used with the 1960's Stockhausen Group (KURZWELLEN, AUS DEN SIEBEN TAGEN , etc...) and the EMS Vocoder (used to great effect in the concrete and electronic music of PAARE vom FREITAG). Personally, this was another highlight, and the opportunity to have hands-on experience with some of these sine wave impulse generators (and the KURZWELLEN "filters and potentiometers" rig!) was priceless. My photo-tour of this facility can be seen here.
Volker Müller during tape loop demonstration at WDR studio repository

Final Remarks
     Besides all of the "official activities" described above, another no less rewarding aspect of the Stockhausen Courses is the chance to meet and share knowledge with many other fans, researchers and interpreters of Stockhausen's works. The atmosphere is extremely casual, and all of the musicians and vocalists which one has heard on the Stockhausen recordings (who are teaching that year, of course) are available for casual conversation and to answer questions in between master classes and rehearsals (or at lunches). In fact, I have to thanks Benjamin Kobler especially for the time he spent explaining to me some key aspects of KLAVIERSTÜCK VI which I have never read before (but now seem so obvious in retrospect!).

     All of the student participants were in general very approachable, and showed great respect for Stockhausen and his music. Even after spending so much time studying and writing about Stockhausen's works, I was constantly surprised by how much more I learned, and how much deeper the "Stockhausen rabbit-hole" goes. Beyond the purely musical analysis which I concentrate on in this blog, it was also very interesting to hear some multi-disciplinary approaches to Stockhausen's works as well.

     Finally, Kathinka Pasveer and Susanne Stephens were an integral part of Stockhausen's life when he was alive and since his passing are the main overseers of Stockhausen's legacy. Because of this they are a great fount of information on Stockhausen's inspirations, working methods, spiritual aspects and general personality (besides being a primary source for all information related to Stockhausen's woodwind works and sound projection practices). They are both also extremely genial and patient!  Perhaps the only downside to the Courses is the tendency to gain some weight from eating the rich German fare...

WEIHRAUCH (DUFTE - ZEICHEN) with Hubert Mayer and Csilla Csővári


     Below is a listing of the concert works presented by the faculty for the 2015 Courses, followed by a list of the works performed by the participants. Sound projection for all concerts was realized by Kathinka Pasveer (except for a few performances by Florian Zwißler).
2015 Faculty Concerts MICHAELS-RUF 
DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED
4 Trumpets
5 Trumpets
TELEMUSIK  Electronic and Concrete music (2-channel projection)
MICHAELs REISE (Soloists’ Version) Trumpet soloist, 9 co-players and sound projectionist 
(feat. trumpet soloist Paul Hübner)
SUSANIs ECHO Alto flute (feat. Kathinka Pasveer)
HAVONA Bass and electronic music (feat. Michael Leibundgut) 
COSMIC PULSES Electronic music (8-channel projection)
TRUMPETENT 4 Trumpeters, tent
LICHTER – WASSER Orchestra with vocal soloists and synthesizer  
(16-channel projection)
ROSA MYSTICA Tenor and synthesizer (feat. Hubert Mayer)
KLAVIERSTÜCK VI Piano (feat. Benjamin Kobler)
KONTAKTE Tape, piano and percussion
(feat. Benjamin Kobler & Michael Pattmann)
UD Bass and synthesizer (feat. Michael Leibundgut)
WEIHRAUCH Soprano, tenor and synthesizer
(feat. Hubert Mayer and Csilla Csővári)
ARIES Trumpet and electronic music (feat. Marco Blaauw)
CAPRICORN Bass and electronic music (feat. Michael Leibundgut)
MIXTUR 2003 Orchestra with ring modulation (5-channel projection)
GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE Electronic Music (4-channel projection)
 The final day's Prize Ceremony for the musicians who performed in the Participants' Concerts.
(the trumpeters have already departed to prepare for a performance of DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED to mark the official end of the Stockhausen Courses)
2015 Participants' Concerts Xi Liam Hockley (clarinet)
IN FREUNDSCHAFT Barbara Borowicz (clarinet)
ARIES Sam Jones (trumpet and electronic music)
KONTAKTE (2 performances) Helga Karen, Lucia Carro Veiga 
&
Hajong Kim, Jaime Moraga Vasquez
(tape, piano and percussion)
NATÜRLICHE DAUERN 1, 8 , 9 Duccio Beverini (piano)
PICCOLO Stephanie Mills (piccolo flute)
LAUB UND REGEN Julia Lindner, Johanna Stephens-Janning 
(viola and clarinet)
KLAVIERSTÜCK XII (video) Simon Smith (piano)
HARMONIEN Callum G`Froerer (trumpet)
PIETÀ Joe Drew (flugelhorn and electronic music)

Thanks to Margriet Kicks-Ass for use of her photographs during the 2015 Courses.
TRUMPETENT with Joe Drew, Callum G`Froerer, Sam Jones, Christopher Collings
Links
Official page of the Stockhausen Courses on the Stockhausen Site
Stockhausen Courses 2015 Facebook Page (more photos)
Announcement page for the 2015 Courses
Composition Course book Publications from Stockhausen Classes 1998-2007
Post-2015 Courses News Article with Susanne Stephens and Kathinka Pasveer
Tristram Williams on his experience at the Courses in 2006
Al Moritz text on his experiences at the 2001 Courses (Google Groups)
Overview of the Stockhausen Composition and Interpretation 2001 Courses (Connally, Truelove)
"Kürten and the Stockhausen Courses: an Introduction (of sorts)" - 2001, DAC Crowell
Journal D‘Un Musicologue a Kurten (Rigoni, French)
Stockhausen Courses Page from Stonebraker site (archive.org)
Sonoloco Report of a 2002 Stockhausen Composition Class
The Stockhausen Composition and Interpretation Courses (2004, Medić)

Concert History
     Below is a historical listing of all of the prior faculty concerts presented at the Stockhausen Courses from 1998 to 2013. A "*" indicates "world premiere", and a "**" indicates "German premiere".
1998 ZYKLUS percussion
KLAVIERSTÜCKE I - V, VII, X, XI, XIII, XIV piano, synthesizer
FLAUTINA flute with piccolo and alto flute
WOCHENKREIS basset-horn and synthesizer player
TRAUM-FORMAL basset-horn
NASENFLUGELTANZ percussionist and synthesizer player
OBERLIPPENTANZ  piccolo trumpet
BIJOU alto flute, bass clarinet and tape
ARIES trumpet and 8-channel electronic music
TIERKREIS (Trio-Version) clarinet, flute and piccolo, trumpet and piano
PIETÀ flugelhorn, soprano and electronic music
SYNTHI-FOU (KLAVIERSTÜCK XV) synthesizer and electronic music
TELEMUSIK electronic music
AVE basset-horn and alto flute
KONTAKTE 4-channel tape with piano and percussion
1999 MONDEVA tenor and basset-horn
EXAMEN tenor, trumpet, dancer, basset-horn, piano
DRACHENKAMPF trumpet, trombone, synthesizer, tenor, bass, percussionist
VISION tenor, trumpet, dancer, synthesizer, tape
DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED trumpet live and tape
KREUZSPIEL oboe, bass clarinet, piano, 3 percussionists
SIGNALE trombone and electronic music
YPSILON flute
KLAVIERSTÜCKE V - IX, XVI piano, synth, tape
IN FREUNDSCHAFT trumpet
SCHLAGTRIO piano and 2x3 timpani
AMOUR  flute
BASSETSU-TRIO basset-horn, trumpet, trombone
LUZIFERs TRAUM (KLAVIERSTÜCK XIII) bass and piano
KATHINKAs GESANG flute and electronic music
MANTRA  two pianists with electronics
2000 SIRIUS (Summer-Version, 3 performances) trumpet, bass, soprano, bass clarinet with electronic music
3x REFRAIN * piano, vibraphone, synth
KOMET * percussion and tape
KOMET * (piano ver., KLAVIERSTÜCK XVII) piano and tape
FREIA flute
VORTRAG ÜBER HU musical analysis of INORI
INORI 2 mime soloists with tape projection of orchestra
KLAVIERSTÜCKE I-V, XI piano
IN FREUNDSCHAFT oboe
OBOE oboe with tape
SPIRAL oboe with shortwave
2001 Scenes from FREITAG aus LICHT soprano, baritone, bass, flute, basset-horn, electronic music
ZYKLUS percussion
KLAVIERSTÜCK X, XIII piano
EINGANG UND FORMEL trumpet
TANZ LUCEFA! * basset-horn
MISSION UND HIMMELFAHRT trumpet and basset-horn
UNSICHTBARE CHÖRE 8-channel choral tape projection
NASENFLUGELTANZ percussionist and synthesizer player
SUKAT basset-horn and alto-flute
OBERLIPPENTANZ (ens. version) piccolo trumpet, synthesizer player, 2 percussionists
MONTAGS-GRUSS electronic music
LUZIFERS ZORN * bass, actor, synthesizer player, tape
DER KINDERFÄNGER * alto flute with piccolo, two synthesizer players, percussionist, tape
2002 EUROPA-GRUSS * winds and synthesizers
STOP und START * 6 electro-acoustic instrumental groups
MITTWOCHS-ABSCHIED Electronic and Concrete Music
OKTOPHONIE (with SIGNALS, PIETÀ and SYNTHI-FOU) Electronic Music
KLAVIERSTÜCKE XII, XIV, XVI, XVI piano
LIBRA bass clarinet and Electronic Music
"Fremde Schönheit" Stockhausen lecture
Xi basset-horn
YPSILON  flute
AVE  basset-horn and alto flute
SOLO trumpet with feedback delay
STRAHLEN * percussionist and tape
ARIES trumpet and Electronic Music
HYMNEN Electronic and Concrete Music (multichannel)
MONDEVA tenor and basset-horn
EXAMEN tenor, trumpet, dancer, basset-horn, piano
VISION tenor, trumpet, dancer, synthesizer, tape
DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED trumpet live and tape
2003 RECHTER AUGENBRAUENTANZ (ens. ver.) * clarinets, bass clarinets, percussionist, synthesizer 
KATHINKAs GESANG flute and electronic music
KLAVIERSTÜCKE I - XIV piano
YPSILON (basset horn ver.) * basset horn
NASENFLUGELTANZ percussionist and synthesizer player
OBERLIPPENTANZ (ens. version) piccolo trumpet, synthesizer player, 2 percussionists
CAPRICORN  bass and electronic music
TIERKREIS (Trio-Version) clarinet, flute and piccolo, trumpet and piano
CARRÉ for 4 choirs and 4 orchestras (4-track projection)
VORTRAG ÜBER HU musical analysis of INORI
INORI 2 mime soloists with tape projection of orchestra
2004 QUITT * alto flute, clarinet, trumpet
TIERKREIS Version 2004 * Tenor and Synthesizer
KLAVIERSTÜCK XIII piano
SONNTAGS-ABSCHIED * 5 synthesizers
HELIKOPTER-STREICHQUARTETT 8-track projection
KOMET percussionist, electronic and concrete music
PIETÀ soprano, flugelhorn and electronic music
MITTWOCHS-GRUSS electronic and concrete music
KLAVIERSTÜCK VI piano
KLAVIERSTÜCK XV (SYNTHI-FOU) synth  and electronic music
ROSA MYSTICA * tenor with synthesizer
ARIES trumpet and electronic music
DIE 7 LIEDER DER TAGE tenor and synthesizer
Xi flute
VIBRA-ELUFA * Vibraphone
BASSETSU * Basset horn
AVE basset-horn and alto flute
ENGEL-PROZESSIONEN choral (8-track projection)
2005 LICHT-BILDER basset-horn, flute with ring-modulation, tenor, trumpet with ring-modulation, synthesizer
DÜFTE-ZEICHEN vocal and electronics (8-track projection)
ENGEL-PROZESSIONEN choral (8-track projection)
STIMMUNG 6 vocalists
KLAVIERSTÜCKE I–V, VII–X piano
KLAVIERSTÜCK XVIII * piano
MITTWOCH-FORMEL * 3 percussionists
NASENFLÜGELTANZ percussionist and synthesizer player
OKTOPHONIE Octophonic Electronic Music
MANTRA 2 pianos with electronics
2006 KATHINKAs GESANG flute and electronic music
LUZIFERs ABSCHIED tape projection
HIMMELFAHRT * synthesizer, soprano and tenor
LICHTER – WASSER orchestral (tape projection)
FREUDE ** two harps
LIBRA bass clarinet and electronic music
NATÜRLICHE DAUERN 1-15 * piano
HIMMELS-TÜR ** percussionist and a child
Dein Engel wacht über Dir – Vier Sterne (aus AMOUR) saxophone
OBERLIPPENTANZ piccolo trumpet, synthesizer, 2 percussionists
TELEMUSIK Electronic Music
SONNTAGS-ABSCHIED tape projection
VISION tenor, trumpet, dancer, synthesizer, tape
DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED trumpet live plus 5-track tape
2007 KLAVIERSTÜCKE I–V, VII–X piano
FREUDE  two harps
VORTRAG ÜBER HU musical analysis of INORI
INORI 2 mime soloists with tape projection of orchestra
IN FREUNDSCHAFT trumpet
KOMET percussionist and tape
CHÖRE vom MONTAG aus LICHT choral (8-track tape projection)
HARMONIEN * bass clarinet
HARMONIEN * flute
HIMMELS-TÜR  percussionist and a child
MITTWOCHS-ABSCHIED Electronic Music
MICHAELS-RUF 4 trumpets
TRUoMPETENT 4 trumpets
TIERKREIS Version 2003 Tenor and Synthesizer
COSMIC PULSES ** Electronic Music
OKTOPHONIE Electronic Music
2008 ELEKTRONISCHE STUDIEN I und II Electronic Music
GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE Electronic Music
KONTAKTE Electronic Music
HYMNEN Electronic Music
UNSICHTBARE CHÖRE choral (8-channel tape projection)
COSMIC PULSES Electronic Music
TELEMUSIK Electronic Music
OKTOPHONIE Electronic Music
MITTWOCHS-GRUSS Electronic Music
MITTWOCHS-ABSCHIED Electronic Music
ENGEL-PROZESSIONEN 8-channel tape projection
DÜFTE – ZEICHEN 8-channel tape projection
ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK mit TONSZENEN vom FREITAG aus LICHT 20-channel tape projection
GLANZ ** chamber sextet
INORI 2 mime soloists with tape projection of orchestra
NATÜRLICHE DAUERN 1– 24 piano
KLAVIERSTÜCKE VI, XI, XIV piano
SYNTHI-FOU synth and tape
ZYKLUS percussion
CAPRICORN bass and electronic music
AVE basset-horn and alto flute
CARRÉ for 4 choirs and 4 orchestras (4-track projection)
MISSION und HIMMELFAHRT trumpet and basset-horn
HOCH-ZEITEN choral and orchestral (8-channel projection)
2009 ELECTRONIC STUDY II Electronic Music
GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE Electronic Music
TELEMUSIK Electronic Music
KOMET (KLAVIERSTÜCK XVII) synth, tape
HOFFNUNG string trio
SAMSTAGS-GRUSS brass ens. (stereo projection)
LUZIFERs TRAUM (KLAVIERSTÜCK XIII) bass and piano
KATHINKAs GESANG flute and electronic music
HYMNEN Electronic Music
ZEITMASZE wind quintet
PROZESSION tam-tam, viola, electronium or synthesizer, piano, microphonist, filterer and level controller
PROZESSION laptops
BALANCE bass clarinet, English horn, flute
DIENSTAGS-GRUSS brass, synth and vocal ens. (stereo projection)
OKTOPHONIE Octophonic Electronic Music
KLAVIERSTÜCK XVIII piano
HELIKOPTER-STREICHQUARTETT 8-track projection
DONNERSTAGS-GRUSS chamber (stereo projection)
MONDEVA tenor and basset-horn
KLAVIERSTÜCKE XII, XIV piano
DRACHENKAMPF trumpet, trombone, synthesizer, tenor, bass, percussionist
ARGUMENT tenor, bass, synthesizer
ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK mit TONSZENEN vom FREITAG aus LICHT 20-channel tape projection
KONTAKTE 4-channel tape with piano and percussion
LIBRA bass clarinet and Electronic Music
HAVONA ** bass and electronic music
LICHTER – WASSER orchestral (8-track projection)
MONTAGS-GRUSS multiple basset horn and elec. keyboard instruments 
(4-track projection)
DIE 7 LIEDER DER TAGE tenor and synthesizer
MONTAGS-ABSCHIED piccolo flute, multiple soprano voice and synths 
(4-track projection)
EUROPA-GRUSS winds and synthesizers (stereo projection)
URANTIA ** soprano and electronic music
MITTWOCHS-ABSCHIED Electronic Music
MUSIK IM BAUCH 6 percussionists and music boxes
COSMIC PULSES Electronic Music
ENGEL-PROZESSIONEN choral (8-track projection)
SONNTAGS-ABSCHIED 5 synthesizers (5-track projection)
2010 HALT trumpet and double-bass
UNSICHTBARE CHÖRE choir (8-track playback)
DONNERSTAGS-ABSCHIED 5 trumpets
KLAVIERSTÜCKE I -VI, X piano
PARADIES flute and electronic music
NATÜRLICHE DAUERN 16–24 piano
INTENSITÄT intuitive music
CUCHULAINN soprano with synthesizer
ROSA MYSTICA tenor with synthesizer
UD bass with synthesizer
UVERSA basset-horn and electronic music
MITTWOCH-FORMEL 3 percussionists
HIMMELFAHRT synthesizer, soprano and tenor
TREUE bass clarinet, basset-horn, EB clarinet
MIKROPHONIE I tam-tam, 2 microphones, 2 filters with potentiometers
KREUZSPIEL oboe, bass clarinet, piano, 3 percussionists
GESANG DER JÜNGLINGE Electronic Music
SCHÖNHEIT bass clarinet, trumpet, flute
HIMMELS-TÜR percussionist and a little girl
TÜRIN door, rin and speaker (stereo play-back)
FREUDE 2 harps
2011 MICHAELS-RUF 4 trumpets
NATÜRLICHE DAUERN 7–15 piano
TELEMUSIK Electronic Music
NASENFLÜGELTANZ percussion solo
JUBILÄUM orchestra (tape projection)
LICHT-BILDER basset-horn, flute with ring-modulation, tenor, tpt with ring-modulation, synth
STRAHLEN percussionist and 10-track recording
LUZIFERs ZORN bass, actor, synthesizer player, tape
WOCHENKREIS basset-horn and synthesizer player
AVE basset-horn and alto flute
OKTOPHONIE Electronic Music
SIGNALE zur INVASION trombone and electronic music
SYNTHI-FOU synth and electronic music
3x REFRAIN 2000 piano, celesta, vibraphone
UNBEGRENZT intuitive music
KURZWELLEN laptops
POLE 2 singers
ORVONTON baritone and electronic music
TATE YUNANAKA soprano, baritone and synthesizer
ZYKLUS percussion solo
ARIES trumpet and electronic music
MANTRA 2 pianists and electronics
2013 MICHAELS-RUF 4 trumpets
SAMSTAGS-GRUSS brass ens. (stereo projection)
LUZIFERs TRAUM (KLAVIERSTÜCK XIII) bass and piano
KATHINKAs GESANG flute and 6 percussionists
EXPO for 3 2 vocalists and electronics
FREUDE 2 harps
HYMNEN Electronic and Concrete Music
STIMMUNG 6 vocalists
MITTWOCHS-GRUSS electronic and concrete music
KAMEL-TANZ * bass, trombone, synthesizer and 2 dancers
THINKI  flute
BASSETSU-TRIO basset-horn, trumpet, trombone
ROSA MYSTICA tenor and synthesizer
KLAVIERSTÜCK X piano
WACH intuitive music
KONTAKTE electronic sounds, piano and percussion
INORI 3 mime soloists with tape projection of orchestra
(2013a) HERBSTMUSIK 
(non-faculty production)