No coincident, I think, but guidance in a certain direction, as I get ready for new experiences. We're here to gather experience and knowledge, and this is just a phase in a greater process. I'm amazed at the way existence pours experiences into our lives, if we're open-minded and show some respect for the unthought of, the unheard of, the unexpected. The version recorded is just one possible aspect on this composition, out of innumerable possible versions, deducted from the compositional method of Stockhausen 's and the structure of the work. This is true of many of Stockhausen 's works, which makes it just the more strange to hear some critics say that Stockhausen is such a rigid and stern composer, who demands uncritical obedience from the interpreters.
Freedom demands so much more of an artist than rigid obedience.
It requires artistic talent, an innovative mind and a heightened awareness, a total focus on the moment. The electrochord sports a contact microphone connected to a synthesizer. The signal from the tam-tam microphone and the parallel outs from the synthesizer flow through two electrical filters and potentiometers. The 2 x 2 outs from the potentiometers are directed to four loudspeakers in the corners of the sounding space. The compositional structure is very interesting, and connects back to what I said earlier about the hard freedom that Stockhausen offers his ensemble.