This is a work which resonated with me immediately, even though it was completely puzzling. Decades later, I still find new interactions and timbres every time I listen to a recording.
KURZWELLEN ("Shortwaves") For tam-tam (gong) with microphonist, viola (with contact mic), electronium, piano, 4 shortwave radios and sound mixer 1968 (55')
"An undreamed intensity of listening and of intuitive playing is reached – and shared by all co-players and listeners – through the concentration of all players on unforseeable events coming from the realm of short-waves, in which one only very rarely knows who composed or produced them, how they came into being or from where, and in which all possible acoustic phenomena can appear." - Stockhausen
I recently got a look at Winrich Hopp's book on KURZWELLEN. He did a fantastic job exploring the work, as well as KURZWELLEN MIT BEETHOVEN. Recommended.
I feel that it could be useful to have a discussion-forum on the music of Stockhausen. There are so many people from all over the world, young and old, learned and eager to get into contact with this musical world: musicologists, composers, musicians, music lovers; people who plan concerts - who write books or have to give lectures and so on. So there should be much stuff, many ideas that we can share. And when we have open questions, there may be people who studied just that and could give a hint or a stimulus.
A problem might be the English language, but i feel that is the only possibility that many people who are interested can participate. And we can exercise tolerance to mistakes!
Thomas Ulrich