Iannis Xenakis (Ιωάννης Ιάννης Ξενάκης) (May 29, 1922 – February 4, 2001) w… Read Full Bio ↴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.
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.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Embellie For Solo Viola (1981
Iannis Xenakis Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
@arielorthmann4061
The ending of this piece is incredible. So evocative.
@nathanielsattler1382
This might actually be the hardest piece for the viola, also one of the best
@thomaspatteson
This is a nice piece that shows Xenakis' interest in synthetic scales and melody. Thanks for sharing.
@ZewenSama
based
@Your_Local_Dawg
Sounds during a tuning session before an orchestra starts:
@davisatdavis1
Cue Twoset's reaction
@i_am_a_music_maker5212
I don’t think the issue with modern classical music is the composers, it’s the performers. Nowhere in the sheet music does it say this piece is to be played out of tune or with so much ugly string noise, but this performer took the “artistic liberty” of adding it and it ruins the interpretation of an otherwise genius piece of music.
@arielorthmann4061
It does say fortissimo. Good thing is there are plenty of violists who play this piece so you're free to choose different interpretations
@i_am_a_music_maker5212
@@arielorthmann4061 fortissimo means very loud, not poor technique
@arielorthmann4061
@@i_am_a_music_maker5212 I really don't think you can say Garth Knox has poor technique lmao he knows perfectly what he's doing