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The Stillness of the Silent Sound: A Tantric Analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen

Popean, Mihai
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1421042444

Abstract Details

2015, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Bowling Green State University, Music Composition.
The music of German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen (August 22, 1928 – December 5, 2007) continues to be the focus of intense scholarly research. However, due to the special characteristics of what Stockhausen labeled as intuitive music, it represents a period of his compositional output that has yet to be thoroughly analyzed. This document proposes an analysis of Stockhausen’s cycle of intuitive music, Aus den sieben Tagen (From the Seven Days), from the perspective of the ancient Indo-Tibetan tantric theory and praxis of sound, as propagated through Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism. After discussing the proper context for the composer, the composition, and the proposed analytical model of the tantric mandala template found in Nada Yoga Tantra praxis, an in-depth, multi-layered analysis is presented that includes significant features of the cycle, including architectural and layout design, semantic and literary fields, esoteric aspects, and a mandala–based tantric analysis. The particularities of each layer of analysis are examined using principles of sacred geometry, mathematical concepts, and esoteric praxis that result in a set of meaningful conclusions about the cycle as an artifact based on tantric principles. These conclusions are a synthesis of analytical data obtained through score study, research concerning Stockhausen’s cultural background, personal experience with the tantric methods alluded to in this cycle, and pre-existing scholarly literature on the subjects of Aus den sieben Tagen, intuitive music, and Tantra. Supportive evidence is comprised of tabular data as well as graphical representations and logical inferences based on the mathematical, geometrical, and esoteric principles discussed therein. A comprehensive analysis shows the tantric mandala template as the underlying principle at the core of Aus den sieben Tagen, which illustrates Stockhausen’s preoccupation with the notions of enlightenment, transcendence, and the functional aspects of music composition at the time at which Aus den sieben Tagen was written. This work is not a metaphor for, nor a representation of tantric practice, but is in itself a tantric practice.
Marilyn Shrude, Distinguished Artist Professor Dr. (Advisor)
Mary Natvig, Dr. (Committee Member)
Mikel Kuehn, Dr. (Committee Member)
Patricia Sharp, Dr. (Committee Member)
305 p.
Composition; Music
Stockhausen; Aus den sieben Tagen; Analysis; Nada Yoga; Tantra; Popean;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Popean, M. (2015). The Stillness of the Silent Sound: A Tantric Analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1421042444

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Popean, Mihai. The Stillness of the Silent Sound: A Tantric Analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen. 2015. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1421042444.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Popean, Mihai. "The Stillness of the Silent Sound: A Tantric Analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Aus den sieben Tagen." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1421042444

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.