In memory of Karlheinz Stockhausen, 1928-2007
Thursday, December 20th, 2007
Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most innovative and controversial composers of our time, died on December 5th at the age of 79. Stockhausen was born in 1928 and started his musical career in the late 1940s. Almost immediately, his work was seen as being very prolific and he gained quite a reputation for his experimental “sound art” compositions. His music influenced many of the world’s greatest musicians including The Beatles, who actually included Stockhausen on the cover of their Sergeant Pepper album.
In total, Karlheinz Stockhausen finished 362 works during his lifetime. Among them is the world’s longest opera, “Licht”, which lasts for 29 hours. He also created one of the most technically complicated pieces ever written, the Helikopter Quartett, in which a string quartet flies in 4 separate helicopters above the audience, playing together with the helicopter blades as a fifth instrument.
I have no doubt that musicians for decades to come will discover and be amazed by the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen.
You can listen to some of his works on Stockhausen.org.
