Stockhausen & Elektronische Musik

Spatialization Concepts

Klangmühle

The Klangmühle was an early electronic device for spatialization, allowing the panning between different channels by moving a crank, which was then mapped to multiple variable resistors.

Rotationstisch

The Rotationstisch was used by Karlheinz Stockhausen for his work Kontakte (1958-60) (von Blumroeder, 2018). In the studio, the device was used for producing spatial sound movements on a quadraphonic loudspeaker setup. This was realized with four microphones in a quadratic setup, each pointing towards a loudspeaker in the center:

/images/spatial/rotational-table_W640.jpg

Functional sketch of the Rotationstisch (Braasch, 2008).

The predominant effect of the Rotationstisch is amplitude panning, using the directivity of the loudspeaker and wave guide. In addition, the spatialization includes a Doppler shift when rotating the loudspeaker. The rotation device can be moved manually, thus allowing to perform the spatial movements and record them on quadraphonic tape:

Rotationstisch , operated by Karlheinz Stockhausen (Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik, Kürten).

Kontakte

Stockhausen's 1958-60 composition Kontakte can be considered a milestone of multichannel music. It exists as a tape-only version, as well as a version for tape and live piano and percussion. For the tape part, the Rotationstisch was used to create the spatial movements - not fully captured in this stereo version (electronics only). Listen to 17'00'' for the most prominent rotation movement in four channels:

References

2018

Christoph von Blumröder. Zur bedeutung der elektronik in karlheinz stockhausens œuvre / the significance of electronics in karlheinz stockhausen's work. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 75(3):166–178, 2018.
[abstract▼] [details] [BibTeX▼]

Composing within the electronic medium, i. e. modifying sound with the help of electroacoustic apparatuses, has been an essential determinating factor in the musical work of Karlheinz Stockhausen, as a spectrum of electronic pieces from Studie I (1953) to Kontakte (1958-60), Mixtur (1964), Hymnen (1966-67), Oktophonie (1990/91), and Cosmic Pulses (2007) documents. The article considers this seemingly well-known fact from a revised musicological perspective. Considerations from a broader compositional-creative context that include both instrumental and vocal components lead to insights into the origins and history of some of Stockhausen's electronic projects that have found less attention until now.
```
@article{vonblumroeder2018zurbedeutung,
    author = "Blumröder, Christoph von",
    journal = "Archiv für Musikwissenschaft",
    number = "3",
    pages = "166–178",
    publisher = "Franz Steiner Verlag",
    title = "Zur Bedeutung der Elektronik in Karlheinz Stockhausens Œuvre / The Significance of Electronics in Karlheinz Stockhausen's Work",
    volume = "75",
    year = "2018"
}
```

2015

Martha Brech and Henrik von Coler. Aspects of space in Luigi Nono's Prometeo and the use of the Halaphon. In Martha Brech and Ralph Paland, editors, Compositions for Audible Space, Music and Sound Culture, pages 193–204. transctript, 2015.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@incollection{vonColer2015aspects,
    author = "Brech, Martha and von Coler, Henrik",
    editor = "Brech, Martha and Paland, Ralph",
    booktitle = "Compositions for Audible Space",
    pages = "193--204",
    publisher = "transctript",
    series = "{Music and Sound Culture}",
    title = "Aspects of Space in {Luigi Nono's Prometeo} and the use of the {Halaphon}",
    year = "2015"
}

Michael Gurevich. Interacting with Cage: realising classic electronic works with contemporary technologies. Organised Sound, 20:290–299, 12 2015. doi:10.1017/S1355771815000217.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{gurevich2015interacting,
    author = "Gurevich, Michael",
    doi = "10.1017/S1355771815000217",
    journal = "Organised Sound",
    month = "12",
    pages = "290--299",
    title = "Interacting with {Cage}: Realising classic electronic works with contemporary technologies",
    volume = "20",
    year = "2015"
}

2011

John Chowning. Turenas: the realization of a dream. In Proceedings of the 17th Journées d\rq Informatique Musicale. 2011.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@inproceedings{chowning2011turenas,
    author = "Chowning, John",
    booktitle = "{Proceedings of the 17th Journ{\'e}es d{\rq}Informatique Musicale}",
    location = "Saint-Etienne, France",
    title = "Turenas: The Realization of a Dream",
    year = "2011"
}

2010

Peter Moormann. Raum-musik als kontaktzone. stockhausens hymnen bei der weltausstellung in osaka 1970. Paragrana, 19(2):33–43, 2010. URL: https://doi.org/10.1524/para.2010.0023, doi:doi:10.1524/para.2010.0023.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{moormann2010raum,
    author = "Moormann, Peter",
    doi = "doi:10.1524/para.2010.0023",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1524/para.2010.0023",
    title = "Raum-Musik als Kontaktzone. Stockhausens Hymnen bei der Weltausstellung in Osaka 1970",
    journal = "Paragrana",
    number = "2",
    volume = "19",
    year = "2010",
    pages = "33--43"
}

2008

Marco Böhlandt. “kontakte” – reflexionen naturwissenschaftlich-technischer innovationsprozesse in der frühen elektronischen musik karlheinz stockhausens (1952–1960). Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte, 31(3):226–248, 2008.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{boehlandt2008kontakte,
    author = "Böhlandt, Marco",
    title = "“Kontakte” – Reflexionen naturwissenschaftlich-technischer Innovationsprozesse in der frühen Elektronischen Musik Karlheinz Stockhausens (1952–1960)",
    journal = "Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte",
    volume = "31",
    number = "3",
    pages = "226-248",
    keywords = "Karlheinz Stockhausen, electroacoustic, sound research, composing, music aesthetics, music history, musicology, psychoacoustics, realisation technology, sound studio technology., Karlheinz Stockhausen, Elektroakustik, Klangforschung, Komposition, Musikästhetik, Musikgeschichte, Musikwissenschaft, Psychoakustik, Realisationstechnik, Tonstudiotechnik.",
    year = "2008"
}

Jonas Braasch, Nils Peters, and Daniel Valente. A loudspeaker-based projection technique for spatial music applications using virtual microphone control. Computer Music Journal, 32:55–71, 09 2008.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{braasch2008aloudspeaker,
    author = "Braasch, Jonas and Peters, Nils and Valente, Daniel",
    year = "2008",
    month = "09",
    pages = "55-71",
    title = "A Loudspeaker-Based Projection Technique for Spatial Music Applications Using Virtual Microphone Control",
    volume = "32",
    journal = "Computer Music Journal"
}