Originale, Theater am Dom, Cologne

Originale, Theater am Dom, Cologne

Originale, a commission from the Theater am Dom, Cologne, was a theatrical-music work organized by Karlheinz Stockhausen and Mary Bauermeister held in October 1961. Stockhausen’s Kontakte that consists of eighteen scenes were performed by contemporary avant-garde artists, in free and improvisational ways rather than following a prescribed scenario. The photograph shows David Tudor who took the “piano” part, wearing Asian female robe-like clothing with a headdress and brewing tea. Nam June Paik whose role in Originale was “action” presented Zen for Head for the first time, as well as Simple that was premiered in Stockholm in the same year.