What is Your Star Sign? “Tierkreis” by Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen, superimposed on a score of his compositions, Strasbourg, 1980. Image by Claude Truing-Ngoc. Wikimedia Commons
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007) once said, “I want to live in the future.” His composition Tierkreis (Zodiac) is a vivid example of avant-garde music pushing the boundaries of what we traditionally consider music, much like abstract art, which challenges our perception of visual reality. Tierkreis consists of twelve melodies, each representing one zodiac sign. It blends astrological ideas with musical innovation, highlighting the flexibility of contemporary music performance.
Fascinated by universal concepts and symbolism, Stockhausen initially conceived Tierkreis in 1974 for his musical performance Musik im Bauch (Music in the Belly), which he composed for six percussionists and music boxes. Stockhausen hired a Swiss manufacturer to craft specific music boxes, especially for this performance, as he considered that no one had previously composed music for this instrument.
In Musik im Bauch, Stockhausen musically represents the imaginary world of a little girl. He dedicated this work to his youngest daughter, Julika, whose star sign was Aquarius. The first of the melodies he later included in Tierkreis was that of Aquarius, inspired by his daughter’s witty and creative personality. The rest of the melodies depicted the different characters of the girl’s family and friends that appeared in Musik im Bauch.
In 1975, Stockhausen was eager to find out more about the relationship between sound and people’s personalities. Thus, Stockhausen built on the zodiac melodies of Musik im Bauch by combining his deep interest in astrophysical theories with his groundbreaking approach to music performance.
Therefore, each melody in Tierkreis has its character; it has a different pitch (a musical key that comes to the centre of the listener’s attention in each melody) and articulation (for example, words like “staccato” and “legato” that Stockhausen notes on the score suggest a possible interpretation). Also, Stockhausen explained that each melody should be played at least three or four times in succession, allowing musicians to include aspects of their personalities while performing these melodies by improvising on Tierkreis’ expression and instrumentation. Focusing on the instruments, Stockhausen strongly encouraged musicians to use any musical instrument(s) of their choice to perform the melodies of Tierkreis and their repetitions.
Flummoxed by the common personality traits of people born under the various star signs, Stockhausen studied the zodiac and its impact on people’s characters more extensively in Tierkreis. Stockhausen invented each of the twelve melodies keeping up with the respective human type by using intriguing sound elements that challenge the traditional meaning of musical space and time perception. To achieve that, Stockhausen resorts to the rationale of cosmology theories and mathematical equations.
Often considered the father of electronic music, Stockhausen stood out as an ahead-of-his-time composer throughout his career, introducing his audience to unparalleled sound experiences. Stockhausen’s use of serialism, where elements like pitch, rhythm, and dynamics are organised according to a predetermined sequence, gave his music an otherworldly, almost mathematical precision. His pioneering techniques inspired the work of many modern electronic artists, such as The Beatles, who considered him a significant influence.
Stockhausen in the Studio for Electronic Music of WDR Cologne, during production of the Electronic Music from FRIDAY from LIGHT. 1994. Photo by Kathinka Pasveer.
In Tierkreis, we find many elements that made Stockhausen’s music a vital reference for the generations yet to come: pitches based on Stockhausen’s innovative perception of musical time relate to specific tempos and dynamics that make them distinctive every time they appear. Likewise, rhythms are organised serially and strive for contrast among the melodies rather than relatedness: for example, the first melody is dedicated to “Aquarius” probably because his daughter’s personality initially inspired him. After that, we hear the melody of “Pisces.” People who share these zodiacs stand out for their intellect and calmness. Indeed, Stockhausen portrays these traits with a more mathematical approach to music: specific musical motifs, unconventional combinations of pitches, and highly modern harmonies.
On the contrary, the following zodiacs are “Aries” and “Taurus” whose tempestuous nature and unpredictable personalities become evident through various dynamic nuances and rapid changes in registers.
Tierkreis’ astrological inspiration and symbolic themes create a unique fusion of the metaphysical with modern compositional techniques. Apart from Stockhausen’s musical language, I found the flexibility in performance equally captivating, which Stockhausen considered vital in Tierkreis. Mainly, it seems to me that performer(s) can express their personalities and moods using different instrument(s), voice(s), and performing techniques while playing Tierkreis. Thus, they somehow contribute to the music-making process, trying to communicate the creative potential of Stockhausen’s score to the audience. This aspect of musical experience is common in 20th-century music-making and performance, and what I find exciting is the unique ways each composer comes up with to engage their audience with their creation.
Regarding Tierkreis, I encourage you to listen to as many performances as you wish among the myriads you can find online. I am pretty sure you will catch yourself listening firstly to the melody written for your sign and trying to identify your key personality traits in Stockhausen’s music as performed by different musicians each time. As an Aries, I found the rhythmic vitality of the homonymous piece very energetic and suitable for the pioneering spirit of that sign. For this reason, I found the performance of the Ensemble more appealing, as the sounds of different instruments draw our attention to the variety of rhythmic motives. At the same time, I prefer the solo piano when it comes to the distinctiveness of the wide range of pitches that portray musically how ambitious Aries can be. It is hard to tell which performance of the two excites me the most!
What is your star sign, and which interpretations do you find the most exhilarating, depending on your personality and mood?