KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN — HELICOPTER STRING QUARTET.

Karlheinz Stockhausen is a modern composer from Germany, who has composed many famous modern music. Stockhausen was one of the best electronic and spatialization musical composer in the 20th and 21st century. Stockhausen has been composing music since the 1950’s until 2007 when he died.

Some of Stockhausen’s theory was based up on many of the past composers like Debussy (french impressionist), Chopin (romantic composer, Bartok (Romantic composer), Stravinsky (Famous violin composer) and Mozart (classical composer) and many more. He has used the theories and the compositions of the past composers and directly used the theory into his composition to show the analysis and the theory.

Similar to John Cage, Stockhausen is also an avant garde composers who has also influenced the pop music and the bands who performs them.

One of Stockhausen’s most popular unusual piece is the Helicopter String Quartet. Stockhausen uses the string quartet (Violin I, Violin II, Viola and Cello) having each of the instrument on one helicopter. Stockhausen composes so that each of the instrument plays the sound of the helicopter and also the players of the instruments uses their voice to scat whilst they are playing as if there are voices coming from the radio. The string quartet were composed to play the sounds of the helicopter and the helicopter’s rotor sound goes in and out so the realistic sound of the helicopter is there and at 1min point and 1min24sec point the sound of the rotor disappears and only the string quartet plays the sounds. Therefore the audience imagines it is still the helicopter however it is the strings that plays the sounds. Another compositional technique he uses is the sound of the bow hitting the strings so it sounds like the motor of the helicopter running. The sound of the rotor, and the strings give the both melodical however the clash of the intervals give a mechanical sound and also gives the steady rhythmic pulse. He uses large sets of speakers and four screens to show each of the instrument in each helicopter on each screen and have made different times of the day to perform the piece.

Image I and II shows Stockhausen has used analysis images of the composition both graphically and in lines.

Image 1: graphic sounds of the Helicopter Quartet, http://www.stockhausen.org/heli_graphic_expl.html

Image II: Graphic Score of the Helicopter Quartet, http://www.stockhausen.org/heli_graphic_expl.html

In my composition of the city i have combined the four sounds from four different places to show the different sounds that combine in the city at different times.

1. I have used the sound of the foot steps in the Central station for the rhythmic pulse,
2. Townhall’s sound of the trains for mechanical rhythm
3. Talking of the people on George st early morning to give the sound of the pitch
4. Sound of the people bustling in the city (the natural sound of the city moving)

With all these elements the composition was drawn into the diamond (kite) shape to show the start to be quiet and then getting louder with the build up of the four sounds from four different parts of the city and it time, and then the sounds reduces down again into a quiet silence.

This assignment was very interesting to see the connection between architecture space and music. It was very enjoyable and was very interesting as well. I would have liked to see the assignment in more creative perspective however, i was looking at it more in a musical way.

Next if possible I would like to take more risks to make the assignment more interesting by taking more of a creative approach.

BIBLYOGRAPHY

BROWN, Mark, 15th MAY 2013, Staging of Stockhausen’s helicopter string quartet scores key prize: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/may/14/stockhausen-helicopter-string-quartet-prize Viewed 21st MAY 2018

SCHWEITZER, Vivien 13th JULY 2008, Fullfilling a Dream With Strings and Rotors, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/arts/music/13schw.html, Viewed on 21st MAY 2018

SERVICE, Tom, 8TH MAY 2013, A guide to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Music: https://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2013/may/07/contemporary-music-guide-karlheinz-stockhausen, VIEWED ON 25TH MAY 2018

WORBY, Robert, 26th DEC 2015, Crackle goes pop: how Stockhausen seduced the Beatles; https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/26/beatles-revolution-9-stockhausen-hymnen-avant-garde-pop, viewed on 25th May 2018

http://www.stockhausen.org/helicopter_intro.html

http://www.stockhausen.org/heli_graphic_expl.html

http://www.stockhausen.org/heli_graphic.html