Stockhausen, Karlheinz
Zyklus
Solo Percussion
marimba, vibraphone (motor off), 4 toms, snare drum, guiro (use several guiros if necessary), 2 African log drums (each producing 2 pitches), 2 suspended cymbals (of differing sizes), hi-hat, 4 almglocken (suspended, clappers removed), a suspended “bunch of bells” (preferably Indian bells or tambourine mounted on a stand), at least 2 high pitched triangles, gong (with raised boss in center), and tam-tam.
Approx. 10 minutes
Written in 1959 for a Percussion Competition in Darmstadt, Zyklus is one of the earliest wave of percussion solo compositions. Zyklus, written for over 20 instruments, is designed to be played with the possibility of the score facing multiple directions. This spontaneity adds contrast to the density of the composition itself, leaving the performer and listener many possibilities for interpretation and experience.
Annotated by Nate Tucker