Xenakis' music has become increasingly well-known among people involved in hearing or creating contemporary classical music, and so his relatively unusual circumstances no longer present a barrier to his public reception. Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) had a colorful young life. He was seriously wounded as a Greek resistance fighter, and went on to training in mathematics and architecture prior to music. His early music has its origins there, especially as his works accompanied intricate architectural constructions. Later, he completed a formal music degree under Messiaen at the Sorbonne. Born in Romania, he worked primarily in France and the United States.
Although equations and formalistic ideas form an important component of Xenakis' musical style, they do not overwhelm it. As music became his sole profession, and especially in the 1970s & 80s, Xenakis' music takes on a more instinctive quality. Indeed, Varèse had long been one of his models, and his music possesses a similar kind of raw or even elemental energy. One thing Xenakis' music rarely lacks is forward momentum, moving as it does from one "place" to another in sometimes bewildering fashion.
To some degree, it is the use of mathematical processes which allows Xenakis to discover patterns and communicable musical ideas out of a totally unrestricted musical vocabulary. The latter is an important aspect of Xenakis' work, and perhaps the main reason for its broad reception: He is not limited by instrumental combinations, by tempered scales, by scales at all or by simultaneity. Into such a sound world, even a stochastic process can inject some audible stability. In essence, traditional notions of musical structure are thrown out, only to be constructed anew, perhaps accounting for the raw creative energy the music possesses. There is an abundance of rhythmic energy, quickly changing harmonies, and usually a strongly visceral quality.
The following list will not survey recordings of Xenakis' music in any comprehensive way, but will hopefully provide a worthwhile overview nonetheless. The individual citations will also include reference to related recordings.
Xenakis' output is generally very difficult to classify, especially as he does not use instrumental combinations consistently. Much of his music is for varying mixed chamber ensembles, and requires different instrumentation (or voices) for each piece. One possible point of stability can be found in the works for string quartet or smaller string forces, sometimes with piano:
The above set provides a valuable overview of Xenakis' oeuvre in its ability to concentrate on specific instrumental combinations (or solos). It also shows the varied style his works adopted over the years, even when confined to specific forces. It remains, perhaps, the one indispensable Xenakis issue, played with great professionalism and precision.
What the above set does not do, however, is provide much of a glimpse of the vast array of sonorities which Xenakis' mixed chamber and orchestral works contain. There is no clear divide between chamber and orchestral music in Xenakis' oeuvre, as he uses and combines forces freely. Many works are for numbers between those of the traditional forces.
A recent comprehensive series is setting new standards for the performance of Xenakis' large-scale music, illustrating some of his amazing variety. The first four volumes:
Part of another series:
This series focuses on the smaller scale, rather than the large-scale of the previous series. It also leans more toward conveying the raw energy of Xenakis' music rather than the almost mathematical precision of the former.
There are, of course, many other general compilations.
Most of Xenakis' works are in the 5-15 minute range, a duration which often seems quite sufficient, given the density of the writing and difficulty of the music. However, Xenakis does have large-scale works which occupy an entire CD or more. One which seems particularly appealing, appropriately motivated as it was by his Greek heritage:
The above recording does not feature the same density of ideas as the others, but provides a welcome opportunity to hear Xenakis' development unfold over a larger span of time. In some other cases, especially those which include electronic tape, Xenakis' hour-long compositions are just as dense as his shorter works.
I will continue to make updates to this list as needed.
See also the Xenakis Archive of the Institute for Research on Music and Acoustics - Athens
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Todd M. McComb Updated 13 January 2004