Legendary Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen Dies at 79

Reknowned Germany composer Karlheinz Stockhausen passed away December 5th at his home in Kuerten, Germany.

Over his lifetime the experimental composer produced a phenominal 362 works and is best known for his pioneering work with electronic music. His Electronic Study, 1953, was the first musical piece composed from pure sine wave sounds. Electronic Study II, produced a year later, was the first work of electronic music to be notated and published. Also among his many achievements is Licht (2003), the worlds longest operatic cycle.

Stockhausen has been cited as an influence for a range of artists including Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Bjork and appeared on the cover of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album.

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Numerous texts by Stockhausen and about his works have been published by the Stockhausen Foundation for Music (http://www.stockhausen.org). All Stockhausen's official recordings are available from the The Stockhausen Society (www.stockhausensociety.org). Also one of Stockhausen's last works, Licht will be performed in its entirety for the first time at October 2008's Donaueschingen Festival in Germany.