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June 27, 2009
187 :: 26 June 2009 :: Xenakis
About Iannis Xenakis, his teacher Olivier Messiaen said: “He is very difficult to define. Firstly he is Greek - there’s nothing to be done about it - that lucidity of spirit, that speed. If you look at the great classical theater of Aeschylus, of Sophocles, of Euripides, these were prodigiously intelligent people but the subjects were horrible… appalling! They are horrendous crimes! There is a certain savageness, and he has a little of it. He has a certain cruelty … yes. Finally what he has done, he has used mathematics, he has used architecture, in order to compose and that has given something which is totally inspired, but is complete outside.Which belongs only to him, Which no one else could have done! That has an impact, a force. That is power.” (quoted in Xenakis, by Nouritza Matossian, 1986 NY)
We conclude our mini-festival of the music of Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) with some of his most powerful works:
Polytope de Montreal - Sound and light show, music for four identical orchestras (1967)
- Ens. Ars Nova de l’O.R.T.F, directed by Marius Constant
ST/48 for 48 instruments (1962)
Symphony orchestra of Cologne, Michel Tabachnik WDR recording
Syrmos for 18 strings (1959)
Ens. Ars Nova de l’O.R.T.F, directed by Marius Constant
- Edition RZ 1015 (2003)
/> Palimpsest (1979) for piano, 6 drums, winds, & strings - The Society of New Music, Aki Takahashi, piano, Charles Peltz, cond
Mists (1980) for solo piano - Aki Takahashi, pno
- Mode 80 (2006)
For more information about Iannis Xenakis, see:
Originally posted by rchrd from Music From Other Minds, ReBlogged by newmusicrebloggers on Jun 27, 2009 at 08:12 AM