Markus Stockhausen, the virtuosic trumpet soloist for many of his father
Karlheinz Stockhausen's works such as "Hymnen," "Sirius," and "Michael's Reise," released this solo recording in 1995. Of it he stated: "The idea was to create a unique kind of music that is neither totally improvised nor composed. 'Comprovisation' was the word that came to my mind. The basic piano, cello, and trumpet tracks were improvised in one take. Synthesizer, percussion, and additional trumpet tracks were later added in a more compositional way."
Markus Stockhausen also states that his father and
Miles Davis were the principal models when devising his comprovisational approach. Engineer Walter Quintas and
Stockhausen used the recording studio to assemble "Possible Worlds" -- a single track nearly one hour long -- much as
Teo Macero and
Miles Davis did with tape edits to produce tracks from the groundbreaking
Bitches Brew sessions of 1970. Like
Bitches Brew, the creation of
Possible Worlds is also noteworthy for its reversal of roles: The improvisations were performed first and the compositional elements incorporated later. Shadows of
Davis'
Aura, a collaboration with Danish composer/trumpeter
Palle Mikkelborg, also flicker throughout
Possible Worlds.
Possible Worlds is a finely sculpted work that elaborates on the many likenesses of composition and improvisation. Like much contemporary improvised music from Europe, the syntax of
Possible Worlds is not filtered entirely through a jazz lens. A subtle balance of quiet ambience, contemporary European classical music, and electronics forges a shifting palette of timbres and textures from which
Stockhausen's arching statements emerge.
Stockhausen's trumpet playing is a transparent blend of traditional virtuosity, extended (non-traditional) techniques, muted colors, and lyricism, with particular sensitivity to the dichotomy of solo/ensemble playing. He makes especially expert use of the piccolo and slide trumpets and the somewhat intractable quarter-tone flügelhorn. Throughout
Possible Worlds,
Stockhausen resourcefully draws from his well-chosen collaborators, who include his brother
Simon Stockhausen on synthesizers and electronics, then-Arditti Quartet cellist
Rohan de Saram,
Fabrizio Ottaviucci on piano and voice, Ramesh Shotham on gatham and kanjira, and Quintas.
Possible Worlds is beautifully recorded and mixed, and comes cloaked in attractive graphics by
Stockhausen's stepmother, Mary Bauermeister.
Possible Worlds verifies that
Markus Stockhausen has developed a personal vision by learning from his mentors, and in keeping with the
Stockhausen tradition,
Possible Worlds is, in part, a family affair. After repeated hearings, this aptly titled work continues to offer not only possible worlds, but also a world of possibilities. ~ Mark Kirschenmann