"Leute unseres Geistes"

Bernd Alois Zimmermann and Karlheinz Stockhausen were central figures of the New Music circle in the 1950's and 60's. They both lived in Cologne, studied and taught at the Musikhochschule there, were active in the International Society of New Music (IGNM), had their works performed, almost simultaneously, in Cologne, Darmstadt, and Donaueschingen, and were employed at West German Radio (WDR). Their affiliation with one another has commonly been described as that of two antipodes—incompatible personally and on a compositional level—whereby Zimmermann was considered the difficult maverick. Their letters from the second half of the 50's reveal, guite the contrary, a mutually friendly and open-minded relationship and present Zimmermann as communicative, receptive, and cooperative.