Musicological Analysis Of Stockhausen’s Gesang Der Jünglinge

Karlheinz Stockhausen(1928-2007)was one of the most important composers in mid-20th century Europe and a notable figure in the history of electronic music.After his first encounter with electronic music in 1952,he joined the electronic music studio at the German radio station in Cologne in 1953 and began his continuous exploration of electronic music.He constantly summarized technical theories in practice and applied new theories to his works.Gesang der Jünglinge is electronic music created by Stockhausen from 1954 to 1956 and is regarded as an important milestone in the history of electronic music composition.This is not only due to its technical innovation,but also to its content and depth,which go beyond the technical exploration stage of electronic music composition and exhibit musical connotations.As one of the most controversial and influential composers of the 20th century,Stockhausen’s works are deeply influenced by his personal artistic concepts,technical development,and historical background.Therefore,in Gesang der Jünglinge,the composer’s subjective expression and the content of the work are closely related.This thesis uses a musicological analysis research method to analyze the music of Gesang der Junglinge and,in combination with the author’s manuscript,writings,and personal biography,explores the causes of the work’s style and its spiritual connotations from a socio-historical perspective.This thesis is composed of three chapters.Chapter One provides a general introduction,briefly reviewing Stockhausen’s life,introducing his electronic music theory,and providing background information on the creation of Gesang der Jünglinge.Chapter Two analyzes the work from three aspects:material,organizational technique,and expression,and summarizes the artistic characteristics and influences of the work.Chapter Three investigates the genesis and spiritual content of the work from a socio-historical perspective,exploring the influences of religion,modernism,and science and technology on Stockhausen,in order to better understand the work’s spiritual content.