# Helikopter-Streichquartett



## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Part 1 - 



Part 2 - 



Part 3 - 




What is everyone's opinion of this odd piece of repertoire? Though I don't usually like much modern art music, I'm a sucker for string quartets.


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

Judging by this forum, you'd think Stockhausen never composed anything musicians could play in a concert hall.

-Vaz


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I actually really like this piece...not joking. The sound of the helicopters taking off as the string quartet is playing gives the music a certain sense of breadth or majesty or power or something.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

I am curious, has this quartet ever been played with the instruments next to each other on the stage? I suppose it probably has not if the "instrumentation" is strict when it calls for helicopters.

Personally, I see this more as performance art than real music. Stockhausen was the Lady Gaga of his day.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Tapkaara said:


> Personally, I see this more as performance art than real music. Stockhausen was the Lady Gaga of his day.


I'm not sure what you mean by that. Of course, I haven't paid much attention to Lady Gaga, except those of my friends who know about her say, "She's a genius."

Do you mean he was self-indulgent or that he was unnecessarily extravagant in order to get attention? I'm just discovering Stockhausen, so I'm trying to get some insight.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Tapkaara said:


> I am curious, has this quartet ever been played with the instruments next to each other on the stage? I suppose it probably has not if the "instrumentation" is strict when it calls for helicopters.
> 
> Personally, I see this more as performance art than real music. Stockhausen was the Lady Gaga of his day.


I don't think it's supposed to actually be played on stage.

From Wikipedia:



> Performing the piece
> 
> A performance requires: four helicopters, each equipped with a pilot and sound technician, television transmitter and 3-channel sound transmitter, and an auditorium with four columns of televisions and loudspeakers, a sound technician with mixing desk, and a moderator (optional), as well as the members of the string quartet. The piece focuses on the simple idea of a string quartet, with the rotor blades acting as a second instrument, with microphones placed so the helicopters may blend with the instruments themselves, whilst the instruments remain louder than the blades. The piece is played as follows. A moderator, who may be the sound technician, introduces the quartet, and then explains the technical aspects of the piece. The players must then walk, or be driven if necessary, to the helicopters, always being visible to the auditorium audience by camera. The embarkation is also shown, the musicians and instruments remaining constantly in the view of the cameras, with no camera changes. Behind each player the ground can be seen, as well as the glass. Then the piece begins. The original version lasted approximately 18½ minutes, but the 1995 revision was extended to 21½ minutes. The helicopters circle at a radius of 6 km from the auditorium, changing altitude constantly to create the 'bounce' of the piece. All 12 incoming signals are controlled by the sound technician. The descent lasts five minutes, with the decreasing sound of the rotor blades acting as a background as the quartet re-enter the hall. The moderator then takes questions and leads applause.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Manxfeeder said:


> I'm not sure what you mean by that. Of course, I haven't paid much attention to Lady Gaga, except those of my friends who know about her say, "She's a genius."
> 
> Do you mean he was self-indulgent or that he was unnecessarily extravagant in order to get attention? I'm just discovering Stockhausen, so I'm trying to get some insight.


It looks like you did understand my comment after all. Bravo!


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

wikie again:


> History
> 
> The Helicopter Quartet was originally commissioned by Professor Hans Landesmann of the Salzburger Festspiele in early 1991 (Stockhausen 1996, 214). Stockhausen's initial reaction was that he was not interested in writing a string quartet, but then one night he dreamed he was flying above four helicopters, each carrying a member of a string quartet; he could see into and through the transparent helicopters (Dirmeikis 1999, 21-22).


see what dreaming can do.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Quick! We are under attack! Inform the army and shoot those helicopters down!


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

I can listen to this for approximately the same amount of time that I can hold my breath. Thirty seconds is unpleasant, one minute is painful, and five minutes is fatal.


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Quick! We are under attack! Inform the army and shoot those helicopters down!


Seeing as the cheap shots are now being made with anti-aircraft weapons, I predict the contemporary-music arms race will only get unfunnier.

-Vaz


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Ofcourse this work is complete ********.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

I like to think that the use of helicopters is symbolic of the relentless attack upon good taste that so much modern music represents.


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

Curiosity said:


> I like to think that the use of helicopters is symbolic of the relentless attack upon good taste that so much modern music represents.


I agree. Music was perfect once, back in the early 1700s. Then, the Mannheim school scrapped the basso continuo, and it all went downhill from there.


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

Rasa said:


> Ofcourse this work is complete ********.


And this is as objective and informed a critique as we should expect here.

-Vaz


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

It's hard to be objective under the strain of torture.


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

It's also hard to have a discussion under the strain of hyperbole.

-Vaz


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Curiosity said:


> I like to think that the use of helicopters is symbolic of the relentless attack upon good taste that so much modern music represents.


what is "good taste" when it comes to music?


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I have one comment and one question.

Even though I know that Stockhausen intended the rotors to act as another instrument, I still have the sense of trying to filter out the "noise" (rotor sound) to hear the music (strings). I always feel as though I'm struggling to hear.

I know that Cage was reluctant to write his 4'33" partly because he didn't want it to be seen as a joke. Does anyone know if Stockhausen worried that his quartet would be seen primarily as a stunt?


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

mmsbls said:


> I know that Cage was reluctant to write his 4'33" partly because he didn't want it to be seen as a joke. Does anyone know if Stockhausen worried that his quartet would be seen primarily as a stunt?


Well, it _is_ a stunt! Based on the description of Stockhausen's requirements for a performance of the piece, it was _meant_ to be seen by an audience live, not recorded. It was meant to be theatrical, something for audiences to "Oooo" and "Aaaah" at.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

Kopachris said:


> Well, it _is_ a stunt! Based on the description of Stockhausen's requirements for a performance of the piece, it was _meant_ to be seen by an audience live, not recorded. It was meant to be theatrical, something for audiences to "Oooo" and "Aaaah" at.


Or "Zzzzzz" at.


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

violadude said:


> what is "good taste" when it comes to music?


Put it this way: Anybody can record their own bowel movements and call it music. Personally I don't think said bowel movements are comparable to Beethoven's ninth simply because both consist of sounds. One is clearly a higher form of art and more's ther pity for people who can't see this.

Just my opinion, y'know...


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

Curiosity said:


> Put it this way: Anybody can record their own bowel movements and call it music. Personally I don't think said bowel movements are comparable to Beethoven's ninth simply because both consist of sounds. One is clearly a higher form of art and more's ther pity for people who can't see this.
> 
> Just my opinion, y'know...


And exactly how much harder is it to dismiss a piece of music you don't like by comparing it to the sound of a bowel movement? Are we supposed to believe that cheap shots at Stockhausen and Cage represent anything more than the mother-in-law jokes of the classical music world?

-Vaz


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

I don't make a habit of bashing these composers. If something sounds unpleasant to me I'll say it regardless of who the composer happens to be. My feeling is that this composition comprises of sounds that most sane people would find intensely irritating and if not downright obnoxious. I don't hear much of interest going on there but I'd be happy to be shown that there's more to this piece than meets the ear. But honestly, it just sounds so terrible that I think I'd have trouble appreciating it even if it were full of compositional genius.


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## Vazgen (May 24, 2011)

Curiosity said:


> I don't make a habit of bashing these composers.


Could have fooled me. After all, you've been posting all along in this very thread, making jokes about "torture" and how most modern music is an assault on good taste. What better way to show what a fair-minded, adventurous listener you are?

-Vaz


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## Curiosity (Jul 10, 2011)

The key word being "Jokes". I've actually listened to and enjoyed work from modern composers on many occassions. This one eludes me however. You're telling me this work doesn't seem pretentious or gimmicky to you in any way?

Honestly, I don't think disliking the sound of rotating helicoper blades makes me a closed-minded listener.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2011)

Curiosity said:


> If something sounds unpleasant to me I'll say it regardless of who the composer happens to be.


Why? To what end? That is, what does saying that something sounds unpleasant to you accomplish?



Curiosity said:


> My feeling is that this composition comprises of sounds that most sane people would find intensely irritating and if not downright obnoxious.


Is it the actual sounds you're reacting to or is it to the idea? That is, if you live in a city, you probably hear helicopters all the time. Do you find them intensely irritating, really? Every time a helicopter flies over, do you really complaint about the obnoxious noise?



Curiosity said:


> But honestly, it just sounds so terrible that I think I'd have trouble appreciating it even if it were full of compositional genius.


In other words, even though your experience of it, such as it is, is entirely negative, you feel confident proclaiming (well, OK, _implying_) that it is not full of compositional genius. I don't think that's quite playing the game, hein?

By the way, please everyone stop listening to unfamiliar pieces on Youtube. Youtube compresses the excrement out of everything. It's not a good way to listen to anything but what you already know (and can thus fill in the blanks imaginatively). That's still far from ideal, but it's not downright pernicious.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

There's a recent controversy over whether deaf parents are allowed to screen embryos in order to have deaf children on purpose so they can share the same 'culture'. I've always been shocked and amazed that parents could be so selfish. Let's hope their lawyers never find out about Stockhausen.


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