SchulterblattRückführung

SchulterblattR is a musical composition for orchestra by the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, completed in 1961. The title translates to "Shoulder Blade" in English. It is part of Stockhausen's larger cycle of works known as *Klang*. However, this specific work predates the formal *Klang* cycle, and its inclusion is often retrospective.

The piece is characterized by its extreme textural and dynamic contrasts. Stockhausen employs a wide range of instrumental techniques, including extended techniques for many of the instruments, to create a sound world that is both visceral and abstract. The duration of the work is relatively short, typically around ten minutes.

SchulterblattR is notable for its exploration of spatialization, a concept that became increasingly important in Stockhausen's music. The placement of instruments within the performance space and the movement of sound are integral to the piece's overall effect. The work is scored for a large orchestra, with specific instructions for instrumentalists to produce sounds that go beyond conventional playing methods.

The composition is representative of Stockhausen's serialist period, but it also shows his burgeoning interest in aleatoric elements and the incorporation of chance into his musical structures. While not as widely performed as some of his other works, SchulterblattR remains an important study in Stockhausen's innovative approach to orchestral sound and musical form. Its challenging nature continues to make it a subject of analysis and interpretation among contemporary music scholars and performers.