German composer Stockhausen dies

Why are some of you guys so negative about the man (probably mainly because you simply don't understand his music and his aesthetics...). Stockhausen was a goddamn genius not to be equaled by any of us here (ok, some of his thoughts, for instance on channeling and on 9/11, were quite insane, but then, there's a thin line between genius and insanity); he'll probably go down in history as the Wagner of our time. May he rest in peace.

What is it with you and your obsession with "better" and "worst" or "non equal", huh?

I mean does it take a huge amazing genious to provide feedback or share his opinion about something? 45 years of life and masters in music and a life long process of dealing with music, isn't it enough?

Stockhausen was a genious, I'll surely accept that! I'll even go to say that I enjoyed a bit of his music. But am I not to say something negative because I am NOT EQUAL to him?

WOW!

Ok, maybe I should have left out the line not to be equaled by any of us here. You see, I was a bit annoyed by some of the negative comments on Stockhausen here. I mean, a man of this stature and reputation dies and then some only focus on his negative qualities... But sorry if I sounded offending.

Just saw this thread. I, for one, have tremendous respect for Stockhausen. He was a true seeker, a brave creator who listened to his inner voice, and brought his dreams to life. He certainly saw himself as a prophet, even if not everyone else did. Gardener's post has it right. He burned with a creative flame few (statistical probability: "none") of us will ever have, that's for sure! That alone makes him worthy of life, to say the very least!

Shame on anyone who applauds his death, as if he were Osama Bin Laden! What a shockingly low sentiment!

Some people, like Wagner, find their spiritual apex through art, not through their personal relationships. I never met Stockhausen. He was married, with children. He must have known love, regardless of how his family relationships ultimately turned out (not always well, from what I hear).

He may have teetered on the edge in his later years, but I had the good fortune to study and perform his Klavierstuck No. IX, the one that begins with 144 repetitions of the same chord (through a long diminuendo... not easy!) What a masterpiece! People speak of "dissonance" as if it weren't music. "Dissonance" is... beautiful sounds! If you cannot understand a language, that does not make it any less a language to those who know it.... and all they hear are words, just like you hear in your language. Words that describe everything that can be expressed in the human experience.

Stockhausen's Klavierstuck blew me away with its poetic beauty. And I loved the aleatoric elements... the freedom of time. Make no mistake, this man sought after beauty, in his own way, and in more and more ways as he grew. I am convinced that he sought the same in whatever he did... yes, even the helicopters!

As for the 9/11 statement... I watched the WTC burn and collapse from the windows of my Brooklyn apartment. When I realized what had caused it, I thought, "Brilliant!" Brilliant EVIL, that is. I completely understand what Stockhausen meant. It is so easy to pounce on him for that, and in the end, so shallow and hypocritical.

A further thought: While I'm certain Stockhausen was not literally envisioning "Death as Art", he metaphorically equated being "chased into the Afterlife" with transformation as the result of an art experience. He was quite death/angel oriented in his late years. The most unfortunate thing is that it is a German who is speaking of 5000 people being chased into the afterlife, just as thousands were literally "chased into the Afterlife" in such concentration camps as Treblinka and Sobibor. They were chased into the gas chambers through a closed passageway, which the Nazis called "Himmelstrasse", "the road to Heaven".

Nevertheless...

We all should mourn the passing of an artist who all his life burned with a central flame... an inspiration and example for us all... if we can drop the pettiness, grow up, and see it!