Once described as "melodic naïveté" in the form of "cheerful, empty-headed little tune " (Kenyon 1980a, 78, who nevertheless soon changed his mind, in Kenyon 1980b, 186), Tierkreis has proved to be Stockhausen's most popular composition (Anon. 2007; Deruchie 2007; Nordin 2004). Tierkreis was originally written for music boxes as a component part of a theater piece for percussion sextet titled Musik im Bauch (Music in the Belly), which has been interpreted variously as "a fairy tale for children" (Maconie 1976, 322) or else as "a ritual played out in Mexican Indian scenery" (Kurtz 1992, 205). These twelve melodies (with or without their accompaniments) form an autonomous work which can be played by any suitable instrument, and exist also in versions to be sung. The striking simplicity of the melodies has led some writers to see them (together with other of Stockhausen's works from after 1966) as precursors of the German New Simplicity movement that began in the late 1970s (Andraschke 1981; Gruhn 1981).

Date of composition 2007 (1974-2007)
Catalogue Nr. 41 (12/13) ex. 2
Instruments Tuba
Trombone
Trumpet
Bassoon
Horn
Autotranslations beta Karlheinz Stockhausen: Taurus-Quintett, Nr. 41 (12/13) ex. 2
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Taurus-Quintett, Nr. 41 (12/13) ex. 2
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Taurus-Quintett, Nr. 41 (12/13) ex. 2