Article:

MANTRA auf der Bühne. Zwei Aufführungsfassungen der Komposition Karlheinz Stockhausens im analytischen Vergleich

To perform the piece MANTRA by Karlheinz Stockhausen special devices are needed as noted in the score by the composer. The so called „Kleinklangumformer“ was built specifically for the premiere in 1970 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage. These devices are unique in the world. Today, decades after the first performances, they have aged considerably. The composition can still be performed, though, if the devices’ principles are adapted and rebuilt using a more recent technical standard. One example for this is an interpretation of MANTRA by the British composer and sound artist Newton Armstrong. In this essay, the technical elements that constitute the original instrumentsfrom are examined. They are then compared to the instruments built by Armstrong in 2010. The comparison looks at the signal processing chain, the user interface and the sound of the two versions. The conclusion of the analysis is that both interpretations of the electronic body in the piece sound similar, even though they are developed with drastically different means on a technical level. Most noticable differences can be pinned on live mixing and the performance of the sound direction.