Karlheinz Stockhausen: UVERSA für Bassetthorn und Elektronische Musik (2007)
UVERSA is based on a 24-note tone-row (example 2) that is derived from the KLANG tone-row (example 1). The UVERSA row takes
pitch 17 of the KLANG row as its starting point and cycles through all 24 pitches of the row, pausing on each new pitch and
surrounding it with embellishments (at the rate of approximately one pitch per minute). Each line of the piece focuses on one pitch of
the KLANG-UVERSA row (denoted in the chart below as K-Ur followed by the specific pitch number).
Line Central pitch and embellishment(s)
1
G5 (K-Ur1). Four iterations; Fast gracenote runs.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
B5 (K-Ur2). Four iterations; one grace
note lead in and three single grace notes,
increasing rate and depth of vibrato on
central pitch.
F6 (K-Ur3). Three iterations; two
semitone glissandi (upper and lower
neighbour), then a glissando from K-Ur2
(B5).
F5 (K-Ur3 transposed from F6).
Improvised Morse-code rhythms.
Db6 (K-Ur4). Improvised Morse-code
rhythms.
Gb5 (K-Ur5). Four iterations; single grace
notes.
Eb5 (K-Ur6). Two iterations; downwards
glissando and arpeggio.
D5 (K-Ur7). Two iterations; semitone trill
(upwards).
E4 (K-Ur8). Three iterations;
fluttertongue.
Other K-Ur material
Grace note lead-in from 11-24. Three
grace note runs embellishing main pitch
are segments 24-20, 17-20, and 21-24.
Grace note lead-in from 21-2. Three
single grace note pickups are K-Ur 1,
24, and 23 respectively.
Glissando from K-Ur2 before last
iteration of central pitch.
No other K-Ur pitch material.
Grace notes follow 3-4, 5, 6, 7, 8 pattern
in displaced octaves.
Both arpeggios are K-Ur 1-5, glissando
repeats 5.
Grace note lead-in from 18-7. Semitone
trill upwards can be interpreted as a trill
between K-Ur 7 and 6.
Grace note lead-in from 23-7.
Fluttertongue glissando to K-Ur 6.
Performance notes
9
B3 (K-Ur9). Six iterations; downwards
glissando into the central pitch.
10
G3 (K-Ur10). Five iterations;
fluttertongue and repeated grace note
figures.
C3 (K-Ur11). Six iterations; hard accents.
11
12
A3 (K-Ur12). Seven iterations; six
chromatic glissandi between K-Ur11 and
12, one tremolo between the two.
13
Ab4 (K-Ur13). Three iterations; two
‘laughing’ embellishments.
14
A#4 (K-Ur14). Five iterations; one
semitone trill, four high staccato quasigrace notes.
15
E4 (K-Ur15). Seven iterations; six low
staccato quasi-grace notes
D5 (K-Ur16). Five iterations (3+2); slow
irregular tremolo to high pitches.
16
17
18
19
D#5 (K-Ur17). Three iterations;
bisbigliando trills.
F#5 (K-Ur18). Four iterations; grace note
pickups.
C#5 (K-Ur19). Six iterations; pulsed
accents rit. at beginning and accel. at end,
five high grace note figures.
Grace note lead-in from 13-8.
Downward glissandi are from 8, 7, and
6, respectively.
Grace note lead-in from 7-10 (including
one complete statement of K-Ur).
Grace note lead-in from 23-10
(including one complete statement of KUr).
Grace note lead-in from 9-12 (including
one complete statement of K-Ur).
Chromatic glissandi and tremolo
between 11 and 12.
Grace note lead-in from 17-12.
Embellishments do not follow logic of
K-Ur.
Grace note lead-in from 21-14
(semitone trills do not follow logic of
K-Ur). Four high grace notes are 11, 10,
9, and 3/20.
Grace note lead-in from 6-15. Low
grace notes are 6, 8-12.
Grace note lead-in from 11-16. First
two tremolo do not follow K-Ur logic,
then 13-15.
Grace note lead-in 15-16.
Grace note pickups K-Ur 17.
Grace note figures 9-10, 11-12, 13-14,
15-16, 17-18.
20
F5 (K-Ur20). Seven iterations (3+2+2);
‘wailing’ glissando to high pitches.
21
A#4-6 (K-Ur21). Five iterations; repeated
staccato pitches (3, 3, 7, 8, 10).
G#4 (K-Ur22). Six iterations (1+3+2+1);
chromatically ascending tremolo line.
A4 (K-Ur23). Two iterations; grace note
pickup, ascending glissando from K-Ur24
on C3.
C3-6 (K-Ur24). Three iterations; octave
grace note leap, glissando from C4 to 6,
glissando from C 3 to 6.
22
Grace note lead-in from 9-20 (including
one complete statement of K-Ur).
Glissandi to 14-19.
Grace note lead-in from 1-9, ‘legato
phrase’ 10-20.
Grace note lead-in from 13-21. Tremoli
do not follow K-Ur.
Grace note lead-in 21-22, glissando
from 24 to 23.
No other K-Ur pitch material.