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Electronic Music

Iannis Xenakis (Artist, Composer, Conductor) Format: Audio CD
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Audio CD, May 2, 2000
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Vinyl, August 10, 2018
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • white van man
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely diverse
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed these recordings of some of Xenakis's music. Had a nice spread from his early experiments in the late fifties to the early/mid nineties. Been a fan of his music for sometime now and looking to complete my collection of his works.
    One person found this helpful
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  • gone daddy gone
    5.0 out of 5 stars Essential music of the 20th century.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2002
    The late great Iannis Xenakis, if you don't know his work, was an absolute genius, mathematically, musically, he was even a great architect (studied under le Corbusier) and sadly a political refugee. The Electronic Music Foundation have performed a noble service by releasing this music (also for their Pierre Schaeffer box), although the title is somewhat misleading, this is actually ELECTRO ACOUSTIC MUSIC as opposed to electronic music, and though at this point in history (the earliest pieces are from the fifties) Electronic and electroacoustic music sounded very similar, this is rarely the case today. Beautiful, often ferocious, Atonal tape music. The closest thing to melody here is something that sounds like a metal plate amplified whist covered in thumbtacks being beaten by chains with a thousand glasses shattering and being filtered for ten minutes. Not for the weak minded, but essential for anyone who would understand experimental music.
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Strobe Lights And Blown Speakers
    5.0 out of 5 stars so amazing
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2005
    I cannot recommend this highly enough. This is one of those albums that takes my mind to a higher level of existence. It will make you better able to listen to music. This reaches to the core of my musical ethos. If you have any interest in experimental or avant-garde music, or if you want to ---- your mind, please, for the love of christ, get this immediately.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Autonomeus
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great collection with four top-notch works
    Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2005
    On the basis of the service provided by compiling these electronic works by Xenakis, the Electronic Music Foundation certainly deserves 5 stars. However in the interest of conveying the quality of the music, I give it only 4 stars because two of the six pieces are not up the quality of the other four.

    The earliest four works were composed in the GRM studio (Groupe de Recherches Musicales), which was originally run by Pierre Schaeffer, electronic music pioneer and creator of the term "musique concrete." "Diomorphoses" (1957 -- 6'53") is a "a study of white noise and its graduations through the process of densification." "Concret PH" (1958 -- 2'42") was composed for the famous Philips Pavilion at the World Fair in Brussels, which Xenakis designed while working for Le Corbusier. "Concret PH" was played between two performances of Varese's "Poeme Electronique." It was created from a recording of crackling, burning embers, assembled in huge quantities and then varied in density. "Orient-Occident" (1960 -- 10'56") was composed as the soundtrack to a film commissioned by UNESCO about the development of humanity from prehistoric times to Alexander the Great. The piece contains more variety and dynamics than most of Xenakis's electronic works, to fascinating, compelling effect. Finally, "Bohor" (1962 -- 21'36") builds on the sound of chiming bells, and goes on far too long.

    "Hibiki-Hana-Ma" (1970 -- 17'39") is the music for one of Xenakis's polytopes, a multi-media installation that was created for the Osaka World Fair. The title is Japanese for "reverberation-flower-interval"! One of Xenakis's finest electronic works, the piece uses instrumental source material exclusively, and the sound of an orchestra can be detected at intervals, variously altered. The last work included does not impress me in the slightest -- "S.709" (1992 -- 7'03"). It was composed using a new computer program Xenakis had created (GENDYN), but to my ears it is more crude and primitive sounding then the early works from GRM.

    Look for the new remix of LA LEGENDE D'EER on Mode, Xenakis's 47' electronic work from 1978 (see my review). Mode is calling that release XENAKIS: ELECTRONIC WORKS 1, so we can look forward to more of this hard-to-find music...
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  • James M. Brody
    3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed sound quality
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2005
    Each of these works is an essential work by Xenakis. Many of the earlier pieces appeared on LP. The problem with this recording is that everything subject to a limiter in the recording process. Rather than their being a balance between loud and soft, everything is loud and louder, and hence the incredible qualities of these groundbreaking works is lost in the horrible recorded sound. When I studied with the Xenakis at Indiana University, he was insistent on high quality sound and it is hard to believe that he could have approved the recordings on this release. Because of the importance of these works, I would love to see a remastering of this release.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Chris 'raging bill' Burton
    1.0 out of 5 stars Maybe I'm just weak
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2006
    I consider myself to be a reasonably open-minded and daring music fan. I can appreciate most things, from IDM to catchy pop to free jazz to extreme metal. I enjoy a fair few avant-garde bands as well. But I cannot for the life of me understand why people even consider this sort of thing music. I had the same feelings when I first heard Merzbow. I was interested in getting into this sort of thing, but I can't. Now maybe that's my fault. Maybe I'm trying too hard and just need to wait before I try listening to this. But the other part of me thinks: Why should I? What possible reason could I have for listening to pieces of static and feedback? What exactly is this trying to express or achieve? And what is it about it that some people seem to like?

    I accept that sometimes there are musical areas that are beyond my comprehension. There are many things I love now that I wouldn't even have looked twice at four years ago. But I'm not about to start praising this music when quite frankly I find it more annoying than anything else.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Philip Goddard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting resonances
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Back in the early 1970s I obtained a box of Erato records of Xenakis' music, which included Diamorphoses, Orient-Occident, Bohor, Concret PH. I found them in their different ways absolutely bewitching, and became very frustrated not being able to obtain these works on CD after my change of listening media.
    Would I, in June 2005 and having undergone a tremendous change of outlook (as would be evident from information on my website - [...] still warm to these uncompromising works? The answer turns out to be "absolutely yes".
    The realization of Bohor on this CD is a different one from that on the old Erato record. The biggest difference here is apparent in the opening. In the earlier version the work opened with an immediate commencement of the tumultuous jangling sound, whereas here it starts with fitful, ominous isolated clangings. I find this more powerful, for it gives more sense of differentiation and contrast as the awesome tumult develops, and I can still recognise repetitions of those initial clangings in places within the immense space that this strange music creates.
    There is an error in the information on the CD insert, for it claims that Diamorphoses, Orient Occident and Concret PH are all mono works. In fact I remember them all as being in stereo on the old Erato recording, but on this CD in fact the first of these three is in mono and the other two are in stereo as they should be.
    For me personally Bohor is the star of the CD and really sends electricity up my spine even upon just thinking of it - but I must warn, this unremitting tumult of strange janglings and clangings would be unbearable to many, and indeed I seem to remember reading of audience members screaming in protest during its first public performance. I suggest that a sensible, non-punitive volume level be set, and that surround sound or the widest possible separation of stereo speakers (or of course headphones) be used.
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