The Significance of Electronics in Karlheinz Stockhausen's Work

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.