Karlheinz Stockhausen

Many years ago as a student, I went to a concert in Cologne. The work being played that night was being led by Karlheinz Stockhausen performing his own music. Looking back now, it is an experience I will forever cherish. I found myself sitting almost next to Stockhausen at his electronic console, nestled amongst the audience with an overview of the stage.

During the interval I plucked up the courage to approach him. I chatted to him briefly before getting his autograph. Here it is, on the programme notes for that concert:

As the years go by my love for Stockhausen really only grows. It is precisely that his approach to music is so wildly mystical, transcendental that it has an instant emotional appeal and impact. I laugh hysterically at people who try to dismiss him as being "intellectual". This is rhetoric from fools that proves definitely that the precise opposite is true. You might as well say that about Wagner. Stockhausen's music (scores and CDs) can be purchased via the Stockhausen website:

http://www.stockhausen-verlag.com/

http://www.stockhausencds.com/

In particular, I am fascinated by the Licht cycle of seven operas that is longer overall than even Wagner's Ring cycle. In my opinion, Stockhausen is a worthy successor to Wagner.

Originally, I had planned to write more about Stockhausen (as well as other 20th century and contemporary composers). I had no intention to make this a Wagner blog at all. Nor should anyone think of this as a Wagner blog. I do not even consider myself a Wagnerite. One of the reasons I write about Wagner because he is father of modern music. An attack on Wagner is also partly an attack on the roots of modern music. Moreover it simply simply galls me to read so many appalling and utterly pernicious lies written about Wagner. The last reason I have written my series of posts on Wagner is because I some sort of crazed Wagnerian who fanatically defends him against even the slightest of criticism. Yet that is always the tedious, predictable response of anyone who dares challenge the ex cathedra pronouncements on Wagner from the likes of Joachim Köhler and Hartmut Zelinsky. Let me assure you that nothing more could be further from the truth, since the previous post on this blog was even on Johannes Brahms: hardly a topic for a one-eye Wagner fanatic.