Iannis Xenakis
Iannis Xenakis (Ιωάννης Ιάννης Ξενάκης) (May 29, 1922 – February 4, 2001) was a Greek composer, music theorist and architect. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers. Xenakis pioneered the use of mathematical models such as applications of set theory, varied use of stochastic processes, game theory, etc., in music, and was also an important influence on the development of electronic music. Read Full BioIannis Xenakis (Ιωάννης Ιάννης Ξενάκης) (May 29, 1922 – February 4, 2001) was a Greek composer, music theorist and architect. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers. Xenakis pioneered the use of mathematical models such as applications of set theory, varied use of stochastic processes, game theory, etc., in music, and was also an important influence on the development of electronic music.
Xenakis was born in Braila, Romania. In 1932 his family returned to Greece, and he was educated on Spetsai and at the Athens Polytechnic, where he studied engineering. In 1947 he arrived in Paris, where he became a member of Le Corbusier's architectural team, producing his first musical work, Metastasis, only in 1954, based on the design for the surfaces of the Philips Pavilion to be built for the Brussels Exposition of 1958.
This, with its divided strings and mass effects, had an enormous influence; but in ensuing works he moved on to find mathematical and computer means of handling large numbers of events, drawing on (for example) Gaussian distribution (ST/10, Atrées), Markovian chains (Analogiques) and game theory (Duel, Stratégie). Other interests were in electronic music (Bohor, 1962), ancient Greek drama (used in several settings) and instrumental virtuosity (Herma for piano, 1964; Nomos alpha for cello, 1966). His later output, chiefly of orchestral and instrumental pieces, is large, many works from the mid-1970s onwards striking back from modernist complexity to ostinatos and modes suggestive of folk music.
Xenakis was born in Braila, Romania. In 1932 his family returned to Greece, and he was educated on Spetsai and at the Athens Polytechnic, where he studied engineering. In 1947 he arrived in Paris, where he became a member of Le Corbusier's architectural team, producing his first musical work, Metastasis, only in 1954, based on the design for the surfaces of the Philips Pavilion to be built for the Brussels Exposition of 1958.
This, with its divided strings and mass effects, had an enormous influence; but in ensuing works he moved on to find mathematical and computer means of handling large numbers of events, drawing on (for example) Gaussian distribution (ST/10, Atrées), Markovian chains (Analogiques) and game theory (Duel, Stratégie). Other interests were in electronic music (Bohor, 1962), ancient Greek drama (used in several settings) and instrumental virtuosity (Herma for piano, 1964; Nomos alpha for cello, 1966). His later output, chiefly of orchestral and instrumental pieces, is large, many works from the mid-1970s onwards striking back from modernist complexity to ostinatos and modes suggestive of folk music.
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Concret PH
Iannis Xenakis Lyrics
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The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below, by filtering for lyric videos or browsing the comments in the different videos below.
abscrete
For info on the composition and the process behind you can read Xenakis book Formalized Music but in short the composer recorded sounds of burning wood etc then used a process of granular synthesis to create this sounds I hope it helps a bit. cheers!!!!
Edoardo Maria Bellucci
The piece is dated 1958. The granular synthesis techniques (together with all other digital synthesis techniques) is still so far from being created (first digital implementation will be made from Berry Truax and Curtis Roads around 70s). Xenakis was one of the first composer to think about sounds as big assemblages of small sound-units, but his pieces (especially this one) were not made with the use of granular synthesis.
A Cursed Che Guevara Shirt
It sounds like a waterfall of plastic forks.
Wilhelm Matthies
wonderful,...an early example of ambient sounds from concrete sources, ...music concrete...
briabba123
no to me it sounds like electronic components set on fire or frying you know like Diodes and chips set on fire
Brian Cornish
burning embers - there's a lesson there
Udo Matthias drums
still love it!!
AntonioBSaDantas
I really like this piece, thank you for posting it! Could also anyone tell me, what painting this one is? thanks
Chaim Mendel
imagine what the score for this looks like!
Jack Cotolo
wow, never knew that about him that's wild. thanks for teaching me something today