Iannis Xenakis

Iannis Xenakis

Composer, architect, civil engineer; Iannis Xenakis was born 29 May 1922, in Braïla (Romania). Son of Clearchos Xenakis and Fotini Pavlou; married Françoise Gargouil 1953; one daughter, Mâkhi. Fought in Greek Resistance, World War II, was condemned to death; became a political refugee in France from 1947, and a French national in 1965.Education: Athens Polytechnic Institute, music composition studies at Gravesano with Hermann Scherchen, and at the Paris Conservatoire under Olivier Messiaen. Collaborated as engineer and architect with Le Corbusier 1947-60. Innovator of mass concept of music, stochastic and symbolic music through introduction of probability calculus and set theory into instrumental, electro-acoustic and computerized musical composition; inventor of several compositional techniques constituting the “lingua franca” of the avant-garde. Architect of the Philips Pavilion, Brussels World Fair 1958 and of other architectural projects such as the Couvent de la Tourette (1955).

Sonic, sculptural and light compositions: Polytope for the French Pavilion, Expo 1967, Montreal; music and light spectacle Persepolis set among the ruins and the mountains at Persepolis, Iran (1971); Polytope de Cluny, Paris (1972); Polytope de Mycènes, set in the ruins of Mycenae, Greece (1978); Diatope for the Inauguration of the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1978).

Founder (1965) and Director (1965-) of the Center for Studies of Mathematical and Automated Music (CEMAMu), Paris; Associate Music Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington (1967-1972) and founder of the Center for Mathematical and Automated Music (CMAM), Indiana University, Bloomington (1967-1972); research at the Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique (CNRS), Paris (1970); Gresham Professor of Music, City University London (1975); Professor at the University of Paris I-Sorbonne (1972-1989).

Died 4 February 2001 in Paris.

 Iannis Xenakis Discography

Xenakis on Mode by Disc:
Edition 1: Ensemble Music 1 (mode 53)
Edition 2: Ensemble Music 2 (mode 56)
Edition 3: Xenakis & Varese (mode 58)
Edition 4: Complete Works for Piano Solo (mode 80)
Xenakis, UPIC, Continuum: Electroacoustic &
Instrumental works from CCMIX Paris (mode 98/99)
Edition 5: La Légende d’Eer (mode 148)
Edition 6: Music for Strings (mode 152)
Edition 7: Xenakis Percussion Works (mode 171-173)
Edition 8: Kraanerg (mode 196)
Edition 9: Electronic Works 2 (mode 203)
Edition 10: Complete String Quartets (mode 209)
Edition 11: Works with Piano (mode 217)
Edition 12: “Charisma X”: a film by Efi Xirou (mode 218)
Edition 13: Ensemble Music 3 (mode 261)
Edition 14: Linaia-Agon: Le dépassement de soi (mode 284)

Mode Xenakis Catalog by Piece:

A la Mémoire de Witold Lutoslawski
(1994) for 2 trumpets & 2 horns
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 56)

A.r.
(1987) for piano solo
Aki Takahashi, piano
(mode 80)

Akanthos
(1977) for soprano and ensemble
Susan May, soprano
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 53)

Tony Arnold, soprano
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)/Steven Schick
(mode 261)

Akea
(1986) for piano & string quartet
Aki Takahashi, piano
JACK Quartet
(mode 217)

Akrata
(1964-65) for 8 winds & 8 brass
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 56)

Analogique A+B
(1959) for 9 strings & tape
Ensemble Resonanz
Johannes Kalitzke, conductor
(mode 152)

Aroura
(1971) for 12 strings
Ensemble Resonanz
Johannes Kalitzke, conductor
(mode 152)

Charisma X
A film by Efi Xirou
(mode 218)

Dämmerschein
(1994) for large orchestra
Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic/Juan Pablo Izquierdo
(mode 58)

Dikthas
(1979) for violin and piano
Jane Peters, violin,  Aki Takahashi, piano
(mode 80)

Dmaathen
(1977) Percussion Duo
Jacqueline Leclair, oboe
Steven Schick, percussion
(mode 171-173)

Échange
(1989) for bass-clarinet & ensemble
Michael Lowenstern, bass-clarinet
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 56)

Joshua Rubin, bass-clarinet
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)/Steven Schick
(mode 261)

Eonta
(1962-64) for piano solo, 2 trumpets & 3 trombones
Justin Rubin, piano
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 53)

Aki Takahashi, piano
Callithumpian Consort/Stephen Drury
(mode 217)

Ergma
(1994)
The JACK Quartet
(mode 209)

Evryali
(1973) for piano solo
Aki Takahashi, piano
(mode 80)

Herma
(1960-61) for piano solo
Aki Takahashi, piano
(mode 80)

Hibiki Hana Ma
(1969-70) electroacoustic work for 8-channel tape
World premiere recording
(mode 203)

Ittidra
(1996) for string sextet
Ensemble Resonanz
(first recording)
(mode 152)

Kassandra
(1987) Percussion Duo
Philip Larson, voice
Steven Schick, percussion
(mode 171-173)

Komboï
(1981) Percussion Duo
Aiyun Huang, percussion
Shannon Wettstein, harpsichord
(mode 171-173)

Kraanerg
(1968) for 23 instruments and 4-channel tape
Callithumpian Consort
Stephen Drury, conductor
(mode 196)

La Déesse Athéna
(1992) for baritone, percussion solo & chamber ensemble
Philip Larson, baritone, Timothy Adams, percussion solo
Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic/Juan Pablo Izquierdo
(mode 58)

La Légende d’Eer
(1977-78) Electroacoustic Work for 7-channel tape
New stereo mix from the original master tape
master tapes by Gerard Pape
(mode 148)

Linaia-Agon (1972) game piece for trombone, French horn & tuba
Benny Sluchin, Jens McManama, Jérémie Dufort (studio)
Benny Sluchin, Jens McManama, Arnaud Boukhitine (live)
(mode 284) (DVD only)

Mists
(1980) for piano solo
Aki Takahashi, piano
(mode 80)

Morsima/Amorsima
(1962) for piano, violin, cello & contrabass
Callithumpian Consort
Stephen Drury, conductor
(mode 217)

Mycnae Alpha
(1978) for UPIC
on the compilation CCMIX: New Electroacoustic Music from Paris.
(Mode 98/99)

N’Shima
(1975) for 2 amplified peasant voices, 2 amplified horns, 2 trombones and amplified cello
Catherine Aks & April Lindevold, voices
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 53)

NEG-ALE
(1960)for piccolo, horn, cello, and percussion
with the film “Vasarely”
First commercial release
DVD only
(mode 203)

Okho
(1989) for 3 djembes
Pablo Rieppi, Robert McEwan, David Rosenblatt, percussion
(mode 56)

(1989) for three djembes
percussion sextet
red fish blue fish
(mode 171-173)

O-Mega
(1997) for percussion solo & orchestra
Roland Auzet, percussion
Ensemble FA
Dominique My, conductor
(mode 189-192)

Steven Schick, percussion and conductor
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
(mode 261)

Oophaa
(1989) Percussion Duo
John Mark Harris, harpsichord
Greg Stuart, percussion
(mode 171-173)

Paille in the Wind
(1992) for piano & cello
Aki Takahashi, piano
Rohan de Saram
(mode 217)

Palimpsest
(1979) for piano, six drums, winds and strings
Aki Takahashi, piano
The Society for New Music/Charles Peltz
(mode 80)

Corey Smythe, piano
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)/Steven Schick
(mode 216)

Persephassa
(1969) for percussion ensemble
Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic/Juan Pablo Izquierdo
(mode 58)

Music in Motion Ensemble, Aiyun Huang, director
(Mode 325 DVD, 5.1 surround & stereo)

red fish blue fish
(mode 171-173)

Pléïades
(1978) percussion sextet
red fish blue fish
(mode 171-173)

Plektó
(1993) for ensemble
ST-X Ensemble/Charles Zachary Bornstein
(mode 53)

Polytope De Cluny
(1972) for tape (24:45)
on the compilation CCMIX: New Electroacoustic Music from Paris.
(mode 98/99)

(1972-74) electroacoustic work for 8-channel tape
(mode 203)

Psappha
(1975) Percussion Solo
Steven Schick, percussion
(mode 171-173)

(1976) for percussion solo
Michael Pugliese, percussion
(mode 25)

(1976) for percussion solo
(mode 189-192 CD)

for percussion solo
Filmed by Jacques Goldstein
(mode 189-192 DVD)

Rebonds
(1987-89) for percussion solo
Robert McEwan, percussion
(mode 53)

(1989) Percussion Solo
Steven Schick, percussion
(mode 171-173)

Rebonds A & B
(1988) for percussion solo
(mode 189-192 CD)

for percussion solo
Filmed by Jacques Goldstein
(mode 189-192 DVD)

ST-4/1,080262
(1956-62)
The JACK Quartet
(mode 209)

  Syrmos
(1959) for 18 strings
Ensemble Resonanz
Johannes Kalitzke, conductor
(mode 152)

Tetora
(1990)
The JACK Quartet
(mode 209)

Tetras
(1983)
The JACK Quartet
(mode 209)

Thalleïn  (1984)
for chamber ensemble
International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)/Steven Schick
(mode 261)

Theraps
(1975-76) for solo contrabass
John Eckhardt, contrabass
(mode 152)

Voile
(1995) for 20 strings
Ensemble Resonanz
Johannes Kalitzke, conductor
(mode 152)

Xas
(1987) for saxophone quartet
Susan Cook, soprano, John Engebretson, alto,
Shawn Tracy, tenor, Mathew Cashman, baritone
(mode 56)

Zythos  (1997)
for trombone & 6 marimbas
Benny Sluchin, trombone
red fish blue fish
FIRST RECORDING
(mode 261)
Same performance with video and stereo and surround options
(mode 284) (DVD only)