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.
