Professor Karlheinz Stockhausen
51515 Kürten
GERMANY
Message from Professor Karlheinz Stockhausen
After returning from Hamburg I find false, defamatory reports in the
press.
I am as dismayed as everyone else about the attacks in America.
At the press conference in Hamburg, I was asked if MICHAEL, EVE and
LUCIFER were historical figures of the
past and I answered that they exist now, for example Lucifer in New York.
In my work, I have defined Lucifer as the cosmic spirit of rebellion, of
anarchy. He uses his high degree of
intelligence to destroy creation. He does not know love.
After further questions about the events in America, I said that such a
plan appeared to be Lucifer's greatest work
of art. Of course I used the designation "work of art" to mean the work of
destruction personified in Lucifer. In
the context of my other comments this was unequivocal.
I cannot find a fitting name for such a "satanic composition". In my case,
it was not and is not my intention to hurt
anyone. Since the beginning of the attack onward I have felt solidarity
with all of the human beings mourning this
atrocity.
Not for one moment have I thought or felt the way my words are now being
interpreted in the press.
The journalist in Hamburg completely ripped my statements out of a
context, which he had not recorded in its
entirety, to use it as a vile attack against my person and the Hamburg
Music Festival.
This whole situation is regrettable and I am deeply sorry if my remarks
were misconstrued to offend the grieving
families of the brutal terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington
D.C. I will continue to keep the victims
of this outrage in my prayers
Karlheinz Stockhausen
September 19, 2001
Statement by Webmaster
Stockhausen's comments during the Hamburg interview were delivered in the
context of a metaphoric line of
questioning. He provided an allegorical answer to an allegorical question.
Anyone who knows Stockhausen can tell you that he is a compassionate and
thoughtful person. The journalist
who spewed forth this unconscionable poison should immediately retract his
untruthful reporting and publish an
apology to Stockhausen.
I live in the USA and we are doing our best with God's help to get through
this cowardly and hateful attack on our
nation by terrorists.
I also serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a Fire Protection
District. I personally am acquainted with
heroic fire fighters from our area who are tirelessly laboring at Ground
Zero in NYC. As a loyal and patriotic
American, I can tell you that Karlheinz Stockhausen is not the kind of man
to condone terrorism in ANY form.
On September 13 Kathinka Pasveer sent me a thoughtful fax from Karlheinz,
Suzee Stephens (who is American)
and herself that said "We all follow the tragedy in the USA and pray for
you all. So terrible."
The reporter who wrote this rubbish for the sake of his own financial and
professional gain should be condemned
by the public for his sensational lies and promptly fired by his employer.
James Stonebraker, Webmaster
St. Louis, Missouri USA
September 19, 2001
