Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001)

[Lethevich]

Danke! There was an ok priced one on Amazon UK so I picked it up :3

[snyprrr]

Danke! There was an ok priced one on Amazon UK so I picked it up :3

That's definitely the Number One Son of Xenakis recordings! Put yer rubbers on!!

(Lethe on the Xenakis Thread? yay!! )

[Lethevich]

That's definitely the Number One Son of Xenakis recordings! Put yer rubbers on!!

(Lethe on the Xenakis Thread? yay!! )

Ferneyhough is usually as far as I go - I mean, I'm not one of those crazy people

[ibanezmonster]

Ferneyhough is usually as far as I go - I mean, I'm not one of those crazy people

Oh, "just" Ferneyhough, huh? Even I don't listen to him lol...

[springrite]

Oh, "just" Ferneyhough, huh? Even I don't listen to him lol...

Yeah. I have a ceiling on how many notes per unit of time I am willing to listen to.

[ibanezmonster]

Yeah. I have a ceiling on how many notes per unit of time I am willing to listen to.

Oh, okay. My limit is no more than 2 rhythmic subdivisions inside a group of 12 sixteenth notes over the span of 5 eight notes. After that, it's all just gibberish.

[snyprrr]

Oh, you, guys, (everyone adjusts their geek glasses ) snort snort

[snyprrr]

Well, well, well, well, well...

http://www.amazon.de/Ensemble-Modern-Ernest-Bour/dp/B00692RU1U/ref=sr_1_145?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322941849&sr=1-145

See what happens when you are obsessed, and look over the same garbage you looked over a thousand time? YES!!, we have an Alax sighting! Ernest Bour conducting the Ensemble Modern, with the LvB Violin Concerto, no less! To be released Dec. 6,...uh, in Germany!

Well, this is good news! Let's cross that one off. I know it's not even here yet, but, such is the nature of CDCDCD!

[ibanezmonster]

Xenakis and Beethoven... it's like a CD featuring Garth Brooks and 50 Cent.

[snyprrr]

Xenakis and Beethoven... it's like a CD featuring Garth Brooks and 50 Cent.

You can't have your pudding if you don't eat your meat!

[snyprrr]

Alax (1985) for 3 ensembles of identical instruments (3fl, 3cl, 6tp, 3trm, 3hrp, 3prc, 3vln, 6vnc)


I'll bet I'm the only kid on the block with this newly released premiere (straight from the EnsembleModern site no less!)by Ernest Bour of this most sought after of Xenakis's transitional works. I sat as if in the audience at the premiere, not knowing what this new work by Xenakis might hold, and, I was immediately regaled by a fanfare out of Messiaen's Chronochromie which led into a most beautiful passage for 3 harps and cellos (I believe).

Alax is powerful, mighty and thunderous work with moments of great delicacy, and Xenakian beauty. It most certainly appears to be the transitional work from the sound worlds of what he was doing at the time, and what would come. For the first time, I believe, we hear the slow tempos and sheer insistence of slow moving blocks of brass versus strings, in its most straightforward display I've heard yet. The dark, threatening bass drums of Horos are here too. Towards the end we are reminded of the movement of Ata. There are the Japanese flavors of Nyuyo. There is also the rolling timpani of Pleiades.

We are treated here to what I think is an unqualified Masterpiece, a huge laying out by Xenakis of all his concerns, in a very overwhelming way. At 25 minutes, it is certainly one of his longest strictly ensemble works (and brings to mind Kyania). Indeed, the ending, with the rolling timpani along with the other instruments of the orchestra, is one of the Composer's most powerful.

There are places where the recording seems barely able to manage the braying brass, and full tutti chaos, and the one ensemble closest to the mic gets a bit loud, but, overall, the recording is more than serviceable (though, by no means think that this is acceptable!). One does wish Tamayo would have included this is his Cycle, but hopefully someone will hear this and rush to record something cleaner. This recording is close to the Howarth in terms of quality (or the Ioolkos on ColLegno). If it is 'live', there is, thankfully, no applause at the end, which definitely heightens the impact of such a powerful conclusion. I wonder how the audience took to it. Anyhow, I can see by the certain flaws in the recording why it might have taken so long to get it out. Either way, my enjoyment was not limited, so, don't be to critical of my criticism, haha!!

Truly this work was worth waiting for, and offers much food for thought. I look forward to comparing it to the later orchestral works where the concerns in it were to be expanded. For those who have held their breathe,... you may exhale!

EXCELLENT!!

[Gurn Blanston]

OK, although I feel that the s on the end is simply horrible...

[snyprrr]

OK, although I feel that the s on the end is simply horrible...

It's a beautiful 's'. Go ahead, put two more of 'em on there. Dare ya!

[snyprrr]

Alax (1985) for 3 ensembles of identical instruments (3fl, 3cl, 6tp, 3trm, 3hrp, 3prc, 3vln, 6vnc)


EXCELLENT!!

Again, listening for the fourth time, this piece reveals many layers that are probably not brought to best light by what I'm still assuming is a 'live' recording.

It's been brought up how that later on, Xenakis eschewed most of his earlier favorite tricks in favor of sheer multiples of same timbres intoning at steady rhythms.  Here, the old Xenakis and the foretaste of what was to come collide in spectacular blocks of now familiar patterns.

The feature of three harps does play a nice part, they are not underused, as neither are the three percussionists.Really, the beauty of the orchestration does nothing but to clarify the textures, which in their fuller guises tend to become harder to follow: here, the processes are simply brought to the fore. Much of Horos, Ata, and the works from 1990-91 can be traced to this work.

[ibanezmonster]

Okay, snyprrr, you have to tell me how or where I can listen to this...

[petrarch]

Okay, snyprrr, you have to tell me how or where I can listen to this...

€18 here: https://www.ensemble-modern.com/en/shop/95d

[snyprrr]

€18 here: https://www.ensemble-modern.com/en/shop/95d

And it actually showed up!!

[snyprrr]

€18 here: https://www.ensemble-modern.com/en/shop/95d

Okay, snyprrr, you have to tell me how or where I can listen to this...

btw- nice 60page booklet too! Nice write up on Ernest Bour. Finally, the packaging wasn't cd unfriendly!

[ibanezmonster]

Oh, I see, the CD I looked at and commented on just this month... 

[snyprrr]

Yet another new, slightly useless, release:

http://www.amazon.com/Iannis-Xenakis-chansons-grecques-Persephassa/dp/B006P9DV3S/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324834806&sr=1-1

It does have, however, what appears to be layered versions of Persephassa and Psappha, in the vein of the computer realized cd of keyboard works on... Neos? The sample of Persephassa particularly reveals the spacial quality of the work. Still, a new cd of more needed material would... be... nice!