Iannis Xenakis
In applying mathematical and physical laws to the composition of music, Iannis Xenakis exposed the implicit connections between science and art -- rooted in theories of statistical probability, his stochastic method revolutionized not only the composition of music but also its performance, exploring the boundaries of sound and space. Born of Greek parentage in Braïla, Romania on May 29, 1922, Xenakis returned to Greece at age ten, later studying engineering at Athens Polytechnic University. He relocated to Paris in 1947, honing his skills as a composer under the tutelage of Honegger, Milhaud and Messiaen, and in 1954 completed his first major work, Metastasis for Orchestra. For over a decade Xenakis also worked with the renowned French architect Le Corbusier, most notably contributing to the design of the Philips Pavilion for the 1958 Brussels International Fair.
Xenakis' engineering studies and architectural work directly impacted his musical ideas (and vice versa) -- on the belief that composition develops outside of music, he built upon mathematical and philosophical principles to develop his stochastic theory (adapting the name from "stochos," the Greek word for "goal"). Xenakis explored the inner structural organization of composing, applying theories of statistical probability to discover the interrelationships between organized sound and music; with the advent of computer technology, he translated his findings into programs which created new compositional families. Xenakis broke further ground in his studies of spatial dynamics -- positioning musicians throughout an auditorium according to kinetic principles, he pursued a perfect sonic balance based upon the distribution of sound from a multitude of directions.
Works including 1956's Pithoprakta and 1957's Diamorphoses launched Xenakis to the forefront of the avant-garde, and he continued pushing the envelope with subsequent pieces including 1958's Duel (a composition based on the principles of game theory) and 1962's Bohor (his first major electronic project). As the complex rhythms of ensemble compositions like 1963's Eonta gave way to full-blown orchestral scores including 1969's Oresteia, in the interim Xenakis directed much of his energies towards guiding the Centre d' Études de Mathématique et Automatique Musicales (CEMAMu), which he founded at the Sorbonne in 1966. Although his oeuvre includes works for ballet and theater, tape constructions and even vocal music, from the mid-'70s onward the majority of Xenakis' compositions grew from orchestral and instrumental origins. After suffering poor health for some years, Iannis Xenakis died at his home in Paris on February 4, 2001.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
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Discography
21 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Iannis Xenakis 2: La légende d'Eer
Classical - Released by naïve classique on 1 Jan 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Diamorphoses / Concret PH / Orient Occident / Bohor
Ambient - Released by Karlrecords on 28 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Iannis Xenakis: Aïs - Gendy 3 - Taurhiphanie - Thalleïn
Classical - Released by Soundset on 1 Jun 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Iannis Xenakis: Persephassa / Pléïades
Shiniti Ueno & Phonix Reflexion
Classical - Released by ALM Records on 7 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Xenakis: Electronic Works, Vol. 2
Electronic - Released by Mode Records on 14 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Taurhiphanie / Voyage Absolu Des Unari Vers Andromède / Gendy 3 / S.709
Ambient - Released by Karlrecords on 28 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music from the Age of Cosmonauts
Iannis Xenakis, Heinz Sandauer and Vienna Concert Orchestra
Classical - Released by Music Manager on 10 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hibiki Hana-Ma / Mycenae Alpha / Polytope de Cluny
Ambient - Released by Karlrecords on 28 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Electro Acoustic Music: Classics
Judith Bettina, Harvey Sollberger
Classical - Released by Soundset on 1 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Iannis Xenakis, Vol. 5: Electronic Works 1
Electronic - Released by Mode Records on 10 May 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Orient, Occident / Diamorphoses
Classical - Released by BRAIN DISCOS on 26 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Psappha (single)
Classical - Released by Islandia Music Records on 3 Nov 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Concret Ph / Bohor (Remastered)
Classical - Released by THE WIRE RECORDINGS on 12 Jan 1958
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Diamorphoses
Experimental - Released by THE WIRE RECORDINGS on 7 Apr 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aroura
Thomas Zehetmair, Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Iannis Xenakis
Classical - Released by XXI Music on 2 Dec 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Electronic Music
Ambient/New Age - Released by SINETONE AMR on 1 May 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Collection Musique Concrète, Vol. 1
Classical - Released by SINETONE AMR on 7 Mar 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Musique Concrete 1959 No. 2
Luc Ferrari, Pierre Schaeffer, Iannis Xenakis
Electronic - Released by SINETONE AMR on 5 Jul 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo