MOG Editorial Review

Few composers ever felt as controversial and progressive of Karlheinz Stockhausen, but some of his finest works never got the proper interpretations they deserved until Ensemble Recherche crafted this release in 2009. Like many of Stockhausen's works, these compositions are soaked in theory and big ideas, and the Ensemble captures just the right tone, emitting as much emotion during moments of silence as they do moments of chaos. Even those with untrained ears recognize how unconventional Kontra-Punkte is, especially when the offbeat beauty of its timbre pitches. While his lauded work with Stockhausen's lauded work with electronics are absent on these songs, this collection shows the core that made him so special rather than the instruments he used.