Exploring xenakis : performance, practice, philosophy / edited by Alfia Nakipbekova.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Nakipbekova, Alfia, editor.

Series:

Vernon series in music.

Vernon series in music

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Xenakis, Iannis, 1922-2001--Criticism and interpretation.

Xenakis, Iannis.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (146 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Wilmington, Delaware, United States : Vernon Press, [2019]

Summary:

Considered to be one of the most revolutionary composers of the twentieth century, Iannis Xenakis pushed the boundaries of classical music. As a largely self-taught composer, Xenakis drew from his technical training in engineering and architecture to produce music that had the ability to both unnerve and enrapture his audiences. Motivated by his intense study of many scientific disciplines, he employed the mathematical rules of the natural world to test the traditional rules of counterpoint and harmony, and to explore the spatial texture of sound, colour and architecture. The Romanian-born Greek-French composer transformed twentieth century classical music for decades to come, leaving behind an undeniable legacy that continues to inspire and even shock listeners to this day. By approaching Xenakis’s creative output from a variety of perspectives, the contributors to this edited volume seek not only to situate Xenakis’s music within a larger cultural, social and political context but also to shed light on contemporary issues surrounding his work. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Xenakis’s music (in the context of particular works) and musical philosophy: mathematical, structural, performative, as well as the genesis of his compositional style and distinctive sound. Xenakis’s artistic presence on the contemporary music scene, his political influence during the tumultuous protests in Paris ’68, and his first piano composition, Herma, are also explored in-depth providing new insights into the life and work of this avant-garde figure. This book will appeal to contemporary music researchers, students and scholars and may also be of interest to artists, performers and composers, alike.

Contents:

Introduction / Alfia Nakipbekova

Part I - Xenakis and the avant-garde

'Xenakis, not Gounod': Xanakis, the avant garde, and May '68 / Alannah Marie Halay and Michael D. Atkinson

Part II - Compositional practice

The Berlin sketches and Xanakis's middle-period style / Demitris Exarchos

Stratification of sound masses in Xenakis's Gmeeoorh (1974) / Marina Sudo

On Herma / Benoît Gibson

Part III - Performance

Performances in Iannis Xenakis's electroacoustic music / Reinhold Friedl

Performing Nomos alpha by Iannis Xenakis: reflections on interpretative space / Alfia Nakipbekova

Nomos alpha. Remarks on performance / Makis Solomos.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781622736577

1622736575