Cosmic Pulses

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Cosmic Pulses is Karlheinz Stockhausen’s last electronic work, cataloged as number 93. It lasts about 32 minutes and has been described as a “sonic roller coaster,” a “Copernican asylum,” and a “tornado watch.” It is the thirteenth hour of Stockhausen’s Klang (Sound) cycle and marks a turning point: the second half of Klang becomes mainly electroacoustic, using portions of Cosmic Pulses as tape accompaniment.

Commissioned by Massimo Simonini (the artistic director of Angelica) in partnership with the Dissonanze festival, Stockhausen began work on the piece in December 2006. The world premiere took place on 7 May 2007 in Rome at Auditorium Parco della Musica.

Cosmic Pulses is built from 24 layers of sound. There are 24 melodic loops spread across 24 registers (seven octaves) and 24 different tempos. Tempos are defined in units of eight tones and pulses, ranging from a fast 240 bpm to a very slow pace. In performance, all sounds come from synthesizers. Antonio Pérez Abellán constructed and synchronized the layers. The loops are stacked from low to high and are staggered so that as the low loops drop out, the high loops take over, creating a gradual climb in brightness and energy.

A simple graphic notation tells how each loop should be altered in pitch and speed, using smooth glissandi. Kathinka Pasveer carried out the ornamentations. Pitch can shift by as little as a tritone or as much as a major tenth, and tempo can shift by as much as twelvefold.

Cosmic Pulses was designed for an eight-channel surround setup, with four sides and a subwoofer on each side. Stockhausen prepared 241 sound trajectories for the system so each loop could follow a precise path. He described the idea as threading 24 sounds like orbits of 24 moons or planets, depth and scale to be heard depending on the venue.

To realize this spatial idea, technicians used special equipment called OKTEG (Octophonic Effect Generator) built by SWR’s Experimental Studio, together with a Max/MSP setup that controls eight panning modules and sequencers. Real-time tempo changes were encoded as a frequency-modulated audio signal and later used to shape the finished recording.

The piece received a mixed reception at the premieres. The German premiere drew a partial standing ovation and some boos. Critics noted the striking, granular texture and the overwhelming sonic scale. The UK premiere at the Proms was powerful, with some reviewers calling it mesmerizing and others arguing that Stockhausen’s time had passed. Still others praised Cosmic Pulses as a bold, intense, and unforgettable experience, a vast sonic storm that pushes the limits of electronic music.