Ensemble Intercontemporain, Boulez, Tabachnik - Iannis Xenakis: Phlegra; Jalons; Keren; Nomos; Alpha; Thallein (1992)

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Ensemble Intercontemporain, Boulez, Tabachnik - Iannis Xenakis: Phlegra; Jalons; Keren; Nomos; Alpha; Thallein (1992)

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Iannis Xenakis was a composer of Greek heritage and Romanian birth, known for his revolutionary ideas regarding the systematic, mathematical organization of music and its structural parallels with architecture, and for his pioneering work in electronic music. Xenakis' initial exposure to music came in the first ten years of his life, when he was surrounded by the folk music of the Romanian countryside and the liturgy of the Byzantine Orthodox Church. In 1942, when his family moved to Greece, he was exposed to the music of Beethoven and Brahms for the first time.

His life grew turbulent when he entered Athens Polytechnic with the intent of becoming an engineer. When Greece was invaded during the World War II, Xenakis became passionately involved with resistance and liberation groups, first protesting against Nazi rule and, later, opposing the British, who, in 1944, drove out the Germans but sided with right-wing politicians against the Greek National Liberation Front. Xenakis was seriously wounded, his face disfigured, when he was hit by a British shell; he also lost vision in one eye. As a member of the resistance, he was eventually arrested and sentenced to death. He escaped in 1947, hoping to reach the United States. He ended up settling in Paris, however, and taking French nationality. In Paris, Xenakis made numerous important contacts, befriending Messiaen, Honegger, Mihaud, and the celebrated architect Le Corbusier, who were all impressed by his innovative and brilliantly intellectual approach to music. Working with Le Corbusier, Xenakis was highly involved with civil planning and architecture, designing some landmark sites throughout the world. For him, architecture was musical, and music was architectural. He frequently used one to inspire the other, basing pieces on computer programs and complex mathematical equations. This approach resulted in highly theoretical, systematic music characterized by intricately calculated rhythms, dense and often explosive textural fields, extended timbral effects, and "clouds" of sound that contain countless "particles." Some of his most important works include the orchestral Metastasis (1954), Pithoprakta (1956), Nomos Alpha for solo cello, and groundbreaking electronic works such as Bohor I, and Concret P-H. Xenakis was the founder of the EMAMu in Paris and its American counterpart, the Center for Musical Mathematics and Automation in Bloomington, Indiana.

Graham Olson, Allmusic.com

This Erato disc features the Ensemble Intercontemporain (EI) performing three 1980s Xenakis works along with two solo works. In general, I think Xenakis excelled with large forces, an orchestra or large ensemble. It was his organization of sounds, chaos careening nearly out of control, yet somehow also moving purposefully, that was his genius. Of course there are also some amazing electronic works, and one of his masterworks, Kraanerg, combines both orchestra and electronics. Here we have three compositions for medium-sized ensembles, and they reveal this typical marshalling of complexity to varying degrees. (This disc has since been reissued in an Apex-two disc set, combined with some generally unimpressive works for harp.)

Upon delving into Xenakis's music, I discovered that he moved toward a less complex, more bombastic style in his late 1980s/1990s period, partly as he became increasingly focused on ancient Greece. So this is not top-drawer Xenakis, but worth hearing for committed fans of the composer.

Only one of the three EI pieces is conducted by Pierre Boulez, "Jalons" (14'30" – 1986) for 15 instrumentalists, and it was commissioned by and dedicated to the Ensemble and to Boulez, who conducted its first performance. The other two are conducted by Michel Tabachnik – "Phlegra" (13'15") for 11, and "Thallein" (17'22" – 1984) for 14, and featuring prominent percussion as well as delicate passages for woodwinds, horns and piano, is the best of the three. Xenakis described "Phlegra" as a battleground between the Titans and the new gods of Mount Olympus. Not easy listening, to be sure. "Thallein" sounds fresher than the other two, with greater internal space and variety. "Keren" (6'33" – 1986) was commissioned by the International Trombone Association, and was written for Benny Sluchin, who performs it here. It is a fantastic piece, and it works as a great contrast to the rough-hewn ensemble works. "Nomos Alpha" (12'31" – 1965) is the only piece that is out of place in this set, as it comes from an earlier period, Xenakis's prime years. It was written for Siegfried Palm, and is here performed by Pierre Strauch. "Nomos Alpha" is a powerful work, one of the major 20th landmarks of the solo cello repertoire. This performance does not compete with Rohan de Saram's on the Arditti Quartet's set of Xenakis's works for strings on Montaigne, but it rounds out the disc nicely.

Review by Autonomeus, Amazon.com Top Contributor

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Ensemble Intercontemporain, Boulez, Tabachnik - Iannis Xenakis: Phlegra; Jalons; Keren; Nomos; Alpha; Thallein (1992)

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Ensemble Intercontemporain, Boulez, Tabachnik - Iannis Xenakis: Phlegra; Jalons; Keren; Nomos; Alpha; Thallein (1992)

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Ensemble Intercontemporain, Boulez, Tabachnik - Iannis Xenakis: Phlegra; Jalons; Keren; Nomos; Alpha; Thallein (1992)

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