Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)

[Sylph]

It's Xenakis's Freebird!!

I'd say it reminds me of Cape Canaveral. The reeds... the rockets...

Certainly, it has one of the most recognizable Xenakis openings: the Pelog scale in all its glory. And then... the Thunderstorm!! Yes, after this piece, it certainly feels like after a spring thunderstorm.

The Timpani recording really is nice. And, Lichens does make the perfect follow-up.

That's exactly how it is!

By the way, just in case someone needs to check, are there anywhere translations of his titles?

[petrarch]

By the way, just in case someone needs to check, are there anywhere translations of his titles?

Some are available at the official site:
http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/read/listen.html

[snyprrr]

Actually, there's two relatively newish versions of the piece, and I believe that's Roger Woodward playing the first recording of Evryali on BVhaast (from '77, I think). Also, we have Philip Howard (Divine Art; 2003) on an album entitled 'Decoding Skin', which also features Finnissy and Feldman amongst others.

The samples promised that Howard had the measure of the piece, and that he was at least as fleet as Aki Takahashi on Mode. Howard's opening is as nuanced as anything, though, he appears to finish very well ahead of all the competition. Perhaps as a result, Howard uses a totally different technique than Ms. Takahashi,... or, maybe it's the recording. Howard is given quite a perfect recording, I think, with just enough air to absorb those violent high notes. The WaterMusic aspect of this piece certainly comes to the fore here.

The recording, and performance, work together to reveal a lot of inner detail that strains the ears on other recordings (the Denon/Yuji Takahashi recording is pretty clinical too, though not as atmospheric). Bass, mids, and treble register equally well, to underscore the immense difficulty of the piece. In some things, Howard seems determined to rectify problems that I'VE had with other recordings, so good is Mr. Howard at satisfying the Judges, haha!

I'd say this is a Great Recording&Performance to bounce the Aki Takahashi off. Ms. Takahashi still comes out with the most pristine experience, but Mr. Howard offers a veritable tutorial, and does offer a playing style that does give a slightly different angle to the piece. Individual recordings of Evryali are rare (only one or two I can think of), so, technically, this is a BigEvent, and I'm treating it as such. Howard's Evryali is certainly one of the Best Overall versions (incl. YouTube), and only comes in right alongside Ms. Takahashi. The other Complete survey is by Marc Pontus, which I've only heard promising samples (though the recording may not be as fine as the others).

[bhodges]

In July des nouvelles flâneries musicales de Reims will be performing 50 pieces by Xenakis, including concerts by the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, the JACK String Quartet and the Orchestre National de Lille with Arturo Tamayo, among others.

The schedule is here (click on the dates in red).

--Bruce

[petrarch]

In July des nouvelles flâneries musicales de Reims will be performing 50 pieces by Xenakis, including concerts by the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, the JACK String Quartet and the Orchestre National de Lille with Arturo Tamayo, among others.

The schedule is here (click on the dates in red).

Amazing program!

[snyprrr]

In the wake of Karl's first, Unsupervised, Xenakis purchase,... it appears to be Pleiades and another mystery disc,... I feel compelled to begin a Standardized Xenakis Purchasing Guide. I'm going to assume we all know which are the Xenakis recordings to get, so I'm going to unilaterally speak for us all:





haha





1) 'Musique de Chambre (1955-1990)' Helffer/ Arditti SQ Montaigne2CD

You must buy this. No questions.

2) 'Xenakis: Ensemble InterContemporain' Erato/ Apex2CD

You must buy this. No questions.

3) 'Orchestral Works' Box Set: Tamayo Timpani5CD

You must buy this. No questions.

4) 'Original Recordings' various Editions RZ2CD

You must buy this. No questions.

5) 'Complete String Quartets' JACK Quartet ModeCD

Good alternative. Good first cd.

6) Complete Works of Varese

Suggested simultaneous purchase.

7) 'Works for Piano' Aki Takahashi ModeCD

Suggested compulsory buy, along with JACK Quartet, as an alternative to the Montaigne set.

'Kraanerg' ModeCD

For the truly adventurous, or crazy, this may be a first purchase. Not for haters.


I think we'll keep it there. So, what do the gnostics think? Isn't this the obvious road for the neophyte (plus, we kept it at, basically, seven choices, a good roundup)? Maybe you could add the 2CD Mode percussion set, though, most of those pieces are better served piecemeal. Perhaps the ColLegno 'Greatest Hits' cd, but I'd save that for later. No, I think this is THE List.

There, I had to get that off my chest.




No?

[karlhenning]

In the wake of Karl's first, Unsupervised, Xenakis purchase,... it appears to be Pleiades and another mystery disc,...

The Pleiades is that on Harmonia Mundi, so, truly, unauthorized ; )

The other is Synaphai &c.

[snyprrr]

The Pleiades is that on Harmonia Mundi, so, truly, unauthorized ; )

The other is Synaphai &c.

The second is that Howarth disc? Yes, that IS approved!!

Anyhow, on the HM, please don't then judge the sonics (not that they are particularly bad, just very claustrophobic. The Denon performance is very similar but has a 'proper' sound surrounding the instruments.).

John11inch has put most of Xenakis on YouTube as it is.

[snyprrr]

CHAMBER & INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
If you're new to Xenakis, perhaps the best place to start is with his chamber and instrumental works, which are less dense and demanding than his larger-scale pieces. Nomos Alpha (First Law) for solo cello replaces scales and traditional harmonies with a sound continuum that places great demands on the player. It extends the dynamic range of the instrument by the use of rapid glissandi and the overlaying of low notes with high-pitched harmonics. From the mid-1970s onwards, Xenakis abandoned strict mathematical processes in favour of a more expressionistic, though still abstract, musical language. Ikhoor (1978) for string trio is full of gratingly harsh sequences of sounds, and obsessively repeated rhythms whose raw but controlled energy recalls the pulsating dynamism and ethereal beauty of Bartók's late string quartets. Evryali (1973) for solo piano is more lyrical, despite is toccata-like propulsion, which forms a constant tension with the ringing and often delicate sonorities. More recent works, like the 1990 string quartet Tetora, have an austerity and terseness of utterance, occassionally tempered by fragments of melody.

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This nicely packaged set provides a revealing introductory compendium of Xenakis's work, including all the pieces discussed above. The Arditti Quartet play to their customarily high standards and, in pianist Claude Helffer, Xenakis has an advocate with the technique and insight to make his glittering piano works sparkle with an extra brilliance.

I remember picking this up at Tower, thinking, "Hm, 2 cds,... this looks like some pretty out-there stuff,... this should keep me busy." Well, it still is probably my Number One Disc, along with the other Xenakis 2cd set, the Boulez/Erato-Apex.

The 'personality' revealed on this set is so... unique, so willful, so "me, and no one else".

Haha, I still love the old 'Big Box' for this set, though. You feel like you're holding something.


Still kinda depressed that no new, official Xenakis recordings are on the horizon. I'm sure we'll be getting another Mode here soon, but I'm still holding out for something special (boy am I spoiled ). Would love to hear Alax, Koiroanoi(sic), Sea-Change, and the rest of the 'unheard ofs'.

ahhh...

[karlhenning]

The second is that Howarth disc? Yes, that IS approved!!

Ebbene

[petrarch]

Yea that set is thee perfect distillation of the essence what Xenakis was all about, and it's brought off so well. I prefer Xenakis for smaller more intimate forces like that - his pieces for larger bands aren't that convincing to my ears (for the most part); they're clumsy & unfocused.

That set is also a personal favorite. Unfortunately, the recordings of the works for larger forces aren't usually that good and muddle things up; for instance, the Chant du Monde one turned me off Metastasis and Pithoprakta (not to mention Eonta, which is for small ensemble and doesn't really work on that CD). Totally unbearable. The set on Timpani does a lot to address that, but I must say that the Edition RZ double CD is absolutely breathtaking--Syrmos, Terretektorh and Nomos Gamma work really well on that one.

[karlhenning]

. . . must say that the Edition RZ double CD is absolutely breathtaking--Syrmos, Terretektorh and Nomos Gamma work really well on that one.

What, no link?! ; )

[petrarch]

What, no link?! ; )

http://elbehnon.de/edition/190-104,2,0.html

[karlhenning]

Thanks!

[karlhenning]

Anyone have this one? What do you think?

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[snyprrr]

Anyone have this one? What do you think?

[asin]B00001W094[/asin]

Yes Karl, you have to get it. (that's my stern smiley face, haha)


Seriously, I'm constantly listening to that cd. Aki Takahashi's phenomenal talent is put to extraordinary use through Xenakis's 'inhuman' musings. Strickly for her contribution alone, along with one of the most awesomely re-mastered piano images I've every heard (be sure to buy it new,... the old 'cut out' doesn't have the new re-mastering). The sense of 'tickling' I get from hearing each notes have its own personal bubble is what I love about piano timbre.

First, you get three main Works for piano, from three different stylistic periods, and then you get a 'chamber concerto' and the 'violin sonata',... aaand, on the re-mastered version, 'pre-historic' pieces that sound like normal music (Bartokian). So, on top of everything else, this cd is ridiculously well filled! Don't forget the Ravelian encore.

Then, of course, there are the notes that constitute the pieces. Frankly, Evryali has become one of my AllTimeFavs, I just can't stop listening to this piece. Aki's (not to be confused with her brother and fellow Xenakis interpreter Yuji). Mists, too,... and most especially in this performance,... leaves impressions of bubbling vapors of smoke. Takahashi plays all with easy grace,... I'll say 'awesome' grace,... that leaves me simply listening to her. Sure she can play Feldman and Cage. Here, the effect is more Olympian.

Out of the 7 cds that I consider the core Xenakis Library (ok, include that Editions RZ too! ), this cd is 'the' alternative to the piano music on the Arditti set with Halffer. Or should I say, Halffer is 'the' alternative to Takahashi? If this were boxing or a cooking show, Takahshi just WINS man, she just wins everything. Compare her with her brother, hmm, that's something.

Evryali (1973)

For me, this is The Single Modern Piano Piece. First, it gain ALL respect for a Modern piece by starting of Totally Diatonically (in 1973!), sounding like a cross between Ravel and boogie-woogie, or something funny like that. It soon becomes clear that this simple, mechanical melody is going to fly apart, and from there, I suppose, the rest of the piece,... I don't know, the melody never returns,... I think the way I would describe is, Evryali is one of the Gorgon sister, I think, and she has many arms, and lives under the water, so, in a way, the music does sound like the many armed musings of this water goddess. I totally ascribe this piece Greatest Water Music Ever.

This is the piece that has an 'unplayable' section,... I don't know where it is, but I suspect one or two places. These would be the places where even it sounds like Takahashi would LIKE to hit a couple more notes,... but, I think it lends to the end-of-the-world atmosphere.

What other Avant piano piece communicates like this one? No other Modern Master used Diatonic materials like this, organizing all that bleep-bloop complexity into this scientific simplicity (easy to understand, impossibly hard to play). I know some may argue with me here (Stockhausen, Boulez, Castiglioni, Bussotti, Babbitt, Denisov, Ligeti, Berio,...ok, Donatoni ( ), et al,...), but, this is The One. Perhaps one is reminded of Finnissy in places, but I don't know...

This just came to me. Does this work for you?: Ligeti + Ravel? Something like that? Think of Ligeti's fast Etudes, but stuff changes instead of sticking with one idea. The type of movement is there, but the ideas are always changing and morphing.


I knows others may be more critical, but I think this single cd is The-Best-Piano-CD-Ever.

BUY IT.

BUY IT NOW.

(and then tell us about on the CDCDCD)

I DON'T HEAR YOU CLICKING!!


RAUSCH!!SCHNELL!!

[karlhenning]

Are you naturally evil, or just a quick study? ; )

[snyprrr]

Are you naturally evil, or just a quick study? ; )

My job is done here. Enjoy!,... tee hee

[Mirror Image]

This is a good two-part interview with Xenakis in his last years. Very interesting:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/v/j4nj2nklbts

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/v/zukz4KcouNg&feature=related

[Mirror Image]

Has anyone seen this documentary?

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