Karlheinz Stockhausen (August 22, 1928 - December 5, 2007) was a German com… Read Full Bio ↴Karlheinz Stockhausen (August 22, 1928 - December 5, 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his ground-breaking work in electronic music, aleatory (controlled chance) in serial composition, and musical spatialization. He was educated at the Hochschule für Musik Köln and the University of Cologne, and later studied with Olivier Messiaen in Paris, and with Werner Meyer-Eppler at the University of Bonn. One of the leading figures of the Darmstadt School, his compositions and theories were and remain widely influential, not only on composers of art music, but also on jazz and popular-music artists.

His works, composed over a period of nearly sixty years, eschew traditional forms. In addition to electronic music—both with and without live performers—they range from miniatures for musical boxes through works for solo instruments, songs, chamber music, choral and orchestral music, to a cycle of seven full-length operas. His theoretical and other writings comprise ten large volumes. He received numerous prizes and distinctions for his compositions, recordings, and for the scores produced by his publishing company.

Some of his notable compositions include the series of nineteen Klavierstücke (Piano Pieces), Kontra-Punkte for ten instruments, the electronic/musique-concrète Gesang der Jünglinge, Gruppen for three orchestras, the percussion solo Zyklus, Kontakte, the cantata Momente, the live-electronic Mikrophonie I, Hymnen, Stimmung for six vocalists, Aus den sieben Tagen, Mantra for two pianos and electronics, Tierkreis, Inori for soloists and orchestra, and the gigantic opera cycle Licht.

As an orphaned teenager, Stockhausen experienced true horror and carnage on active service near the end of WWII. He then went on to redefine contemporary music: from Kreuzspiel, the early electronic Kontakte, the intuitive works, the hour-long a-capella Stimmung, to the Licht cycle of seven operas. His influence is widely felt, even in unexpected places within the world of popular music.

After dealing first-hand with the victims of conflict and allied bombing out in the field and in the hospital, he began his post-war musical studies in Europe. He had thoughts of being a writer, and did a stint as a travelling magician's pianist. This life gave way in the early-1950s to the project of redesigning music, from the bottom-up, on his own terms. Melody, regular rhythm, and literal repetition were not to be found, while fearsome serial structures (and philosophical paradigms) underpinned the sparsest surface texture. Stockhausen's frequent cosmic flights of philosophical and moral fancy are important to his works.

The sharp practicality of his musical thinking is in its own league among post-war composers. By the mid-50s Stockhausen was enjoying huge success as leader of the avant garde. Dedicated festivals soon sprung up around the globe, and they continue. For some though, even now, this is one musical emperor who walks unclothed.

Recommended for starters may be: the electronic Telemusik, all the early chamber pieces, the erotic ode Stimmung (arguably the finest of all takes on mimimalism), Mantra for two pianos, the epic Hymnen, Trans, Gruppen (for 3 orchestras), Carré (for 4 orchestras and choirs), Unsichtbare Chöre, Mixtur. From 1975 on, his work was centred around the opera cycle, Licht. He may be at his best in quiet moods, but the unprecedented live Stockhausen sound-happening, with overwhelming sonic swirlings in all directions, is something everyone should try at least once before they leave the planet. The composer has issued nearly all of his music on his own label.

Stockhausen: Zyklus No. 9
Karlheinz Stockhausen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard shift
All of the people I′ve ghosted stand there in the room

I should not be left to my own devices
They come with prices and vices
I end up in crises

Tale as old as time
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day I'll watch as you′re leaving
'Cause you got tired of my scheming
For the last time

It's me
Hi!
I′m the problem, it′s me
At teatime
Everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby
And I′m a monster on the hill
Too big to hang out
Slowly lurching toward your favorite city
Pierced through the heart but never killed

Did you hear my covert narcissism
I disguise as altruism?
Like some kind of congressman
Tale as old as time
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I'll watch as you′re leaving
And life will lose all its meaning
For the last time

It's me
Hi!
I′m the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it′s me)
At teatime
Everybody agrees
I′ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money
She thinks I left them in the will
The family gathers 'round and reads it
And then someone screams out
"She′s laughing up at us from hell!"

It's me
Hi!
I′m the problem, it's me
It′s me
Hi!
I'm the problem, it's me

It′s me
Hi!
Everybody agrees
Everybody agrees

It′s me
Hi! (Hi!)
I'm the problem, it′s me (I'm the problem, it′s me)
At teatime
Everybody agrees (everybody agrees)

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

Overall Meaning

The song "Kontakte" by Karlheinz Stockhausen is a piece of experimental electronic music that was created in the 1960s. The lyrics of this song, however, have nothing to do with the original composition but instead reveal the struggles of the singer. The song talks about the singer's personal challenges, including growing old but not wiser, dealing with their depression, and the people they have wronged in the past. It also touches on topics such as narcissism and the fear of people leaving due to their scheming.

Line by Line Meaning

I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Despite the passing of time, I have failed to gain wisdom.

Midnights become my afternoons
I find myself awake at all hours, with no clear distinction between day and night.

When my depression works the graveyard shift
My depression manifests in challenging ways, often increasing during nighttime hours.

All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room
The consequences of my actions, including cutting people out of my life, come to haunt me in unexpected ways.

I should not be left to my own devices
Being alone with my thoughts and actions often leads to negative consequences.

They come with prices and vices
My actions have consequences and often lead to indulging in harmful habits.

I end up in crises
The result of my choices and behavior often lead to chaotic events and situations.

Tale as old as time
This is a common experience, one that many people have dealt with before.

I wake up screaming from dreaming
My inner demons and struggles come to torment me even in my sleep.

One day I'll watch as you're leaving
My behavior will inevitably cause people to leave my life, and I'll be powerless to stop it.

'Cause you got tired of my scheming
People leave because they're tired of the manipulative and harmful actions I take to try to control them.

For the last time
This will be the final time that someone leaves because of my behavior.

It's me Hi!
I take responsibility for my actions and acknowledge that I am the source of the problem.

I'm the problem, it's me
I recognize that I'm the source of the difficulties and issues I face.

At teatime Everybody agrees
Everyone recognizes and acknowledges that I am the problem, even during seemingly normal events like teatime.

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
I am unable to confront my own image and reflect on my actions and behaviors that have led to these issues.

It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
My behavior has been shaped by trying to emulate anti-heroes, but this path has led to damaging consequences and exhaustion.

Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby
I struggle to relate to and connect with others, feeling like everyone is naive and immature.

And I'm a monster on the hill
I see myself as a powerful and intimidating force, isolated from the rest of society.

Too big to hang out
I feel like I am above spending time with others or participating in 'regular' activities.

Slowly lurching toward your favorite city
I am moving slowly towards the things that others hold dear, but in a way that may not be welcomed or encouraged.

Pierced through the heart but never killed
Although I have faced struggles and pain, I have not been defeated or killed by them.

Did you hear my covert narcissism
I exhibit selfish behavior under the guise of caring for others and being selfless.

I disguise as altruism?
I pretend that my behavior is motivated by selflessness or a desire to help others, when in fact it's for selfish reasons.

Like some kind of congressman Tale as old as time
My behavior is reminiscent of politicians who act selfishly while pretending to serve the public, which is a common experience.

Life will lose all its meaning for the last time
The consequences of my actions will lead to me feeling even more isolated and unhappy in life.

It's me Hi!
Again, I accept responsibility for my actions and the negative consequences they have caused.

Everybody agrees
Others recognize that I am the one who is responsible for the problems in my life.

Writer(s): Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff

Contributed by Savannah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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