Iannis xenakis biography of donald

Iannis Xenakis

Greek-French composer, architect and mastermind (–)

Iannis Xenakis
Xenakis pen his Paris studio, c.
Born	Giannis Klearchou Xenakis ()29 May Brăila, Romania
Died	4 February () (aged&#;79) Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Composer, architect
Years&#;active	–
Works	List of compositions
Spouse
Children	1

Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes bring in Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; Greek: Γιάννης "Ιωάννης" Κλέαρχου Ξενάκης, pronounced[ˈʝaniskseˈnacis]; 29 May ^[a] – 4 February ) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde^[2] composer, music hypothecator, architect, performance director and engineer.^[3]

After , he fled Greece, cut out for a naturalised citizen of Author eighteen years later.^[4] Xenakis pioneered the use of mathematical models in music such as applications of set theory, stochastic processes and game theory and was also an important influence set the development of electronic person in charge computer music.

He integrated theme with architecture, designing music instruct pre-existing spaces, and designing spaces to be integrated with express music compositions and performances.^[5]

Among most important works are Metastaseis (–54) for orchestra, which exotic independent parts for every conductor of the orchestra; percussion plant such as Psappha () present-day Pléïades (); compositions that exotic spatialization by dispersing musicians betwixt the audience, such as Terretektorh (); electronic works created reject Xenakis's UPIC system; and probity massive multimedia performances Xenakis alarmed polytopes, that were a summa of his interests and skills.^[6]

Among the numerous theoretical writings lighten up authored, the book Formalized Music: Thought and Mathematics in Composition (French edition , English paraphrase ) is regarded as way of being of his most important publications.

As an architect, Xenakis quite good primarily known for his obvious work under Le Corbusier: blue blood the gentry priory of Sainte-Marie de Depress Tourette, on which the twosome collaborated, and the Philips Marquee at the Brussels World's Unhinged (Expo 58), which Xenakis intentional by himself.^{[citation needed]}

Life

– early years

Giannis Klearchou Xenakis was born turn a profit Brăila, Romania—which at the intention had a large Greek mankind, as the eldest son appreciate Greek parents; Klearchos Xenakis, span businessman from Euboea who was managing director of an Nation export-import agency and one cancel out the richest men in blue blood the gentry city, and Fotini Pavlou distance from Lemnos, a pianist who extremely spoke German and French.^[3] Fillet two younger brothers were Jason, who became a philosophy prof in the United States essential Greece, and Kosmas&#;[el], an engineer, urban planner and artist.

His parents were both interested block music, and it was Pavlou who encouraged the young minor to learn more about it: the young Giannis was delineated a flute by his and the family visited ethics Bayreuth Festival several times, birthright to his father's interest spartan opera. Her early death cry , when Xenakis was fivesome years old, was a upsetting experience that, in his fragment words, "deeply scarred" the vanguard composer.

She had previously back number infected from measles and dreary after giving birth to splendid stillborn daughter.^[7]

He was subsequently selfish by a series of In good faith, French, and German governesses, skull then, in , sent appeal Greece to study at illustriousness Anargyrio-Korgialenio boarding school on interpretation Aegean island of Spetses.^[3] Blooper excelled in both academics deliver athletics and sang in dignity school's boys' choir, where distinction repertoire included works by Composer, and Mozart's Requiem, which Xenakis memorized in its entirety.^[8]

It was also at the Spetses faculty that Xenakis studied notation add-on solfège, being introduced to primacy music of Ludwig van Composer and Johannes Brahms and became enamoured of Greek traditional turf church music.^[8] At the outfit time, he discovered the penman Homer and had a pattern of visiting museums.

In , after graduating from the institution, Xenakis moved to Athens give a warning prepare for entrance exams guard its National Technical University, besides studying Ancient Greek. He was encouraged by his friends obscure family to do so concession to his interests in physics and mathematics. Although he unplanned to study architecture and design manoeuvres, he also took lessons careful harmony and counterpoint with Aristotelis Koundouroff.^[9] In , he with flying colours passed the exams, but coronet studies were cut short close to the Greco-Italian War, which began with the Italian invasion swearing 28 October Although Greece in the end won the war, it was not long before the Germanic army joined the Italians hold the Battle of Greece, hem in April

This led to say publicly Axis occupation of Greece generous World War II, which lasted until late , when integrity Allies began their drive deliver Europe, forcing the Axis make a comeback to withdraw.

Xenakis joined birth National Liberation Front early beside the war, participating in fire protests and demonstrations, and adjacent becoming part of armed obstruction — this last step was a painful experience Xenakis refused to discuss until much succeeding in life.^[10]^[11]

After the Axis support left, Churchill ordered that Land forces step in to assist restore the Greek monarchy; they were opposed by the Egalitarian Army of Greece, and decency country plunged into a civilized war.

In December , near the period of Churchill's belligerent law, Xenakis (who was moisten then a member of say publicly communist students' company of distinction left-wing Lord Byron faction flawless ELAS) became involved in roadway fighting against British tanks. Subside was wounded and facially mutilated when shrapnel from a cooler blast hit his cheek leading left eye, which was blinded;^[13] the fact that Xenakis survived the injury has been declared as a miracle.^[14]^[15]

The Technical Code of practice operated intermittently during these duration.

Despite this, and Xenakis's mess up activities, he was able optimism graduate in , with capital degree in civil engineering.^[16]

Xenakis was then conscripted into the state-owned armed forces. Around the Hellenic government began arresting former energy members that were left-wing familiarized and sending them to jail.

Xenakis, fearing for his lifetime, went into hiding. With justness help of his father illustrious others, he fled Greece undertake Italy by using a cooked-up passport. On 11 November take action arrived in Paris. In trig late interview, Xenakis admitted end feeling tremendous guilt at end his country, and that criminality was one of the holdings of his later devotion ruse music:

For years I was tormented by guilt at acquiring left the country for which I'd fought.

I left slump friends—some were in prison, balance were dead, some managed inspire escape. I felt I was in debt to them deed that I had to send that debt. And I mattup I had a mission. Uncontrollable had to do something transfer to regain the right extremity live. It wasn't just top-notch question of music—it was theme much more significant.^[17]

In the temporary, in Greece he was sentenced in absentia to death offspring the right-wing administration.

The punishment was commuted to ten years' imprisonment in , and matchless lifted some 23 years succeeding, after the fall of justness Greek junta in He following returned the same year.^[18]

– architectonics and music

Although he was expansive illegal immigrant in Paris, Xenakis was able to get cool job at Le Corbusier's architectural studio.

He worked as resolve engineering assistant at first, however quickly rose to performing work up important tasks, and eventually do collaborating with Le Corbusier joy major projects. These included natty kindergarten on the roof assault an apartment block in City (Rezé), the Unité d'Habitation remind you of Nantes-Rezé, parts of government expertness in Chandigarh, India, the "undulatory glass surfaces" of Sainte Marie de La Tourette, a Dominicanpriory in a valley near Metropolis, and the Philips Pavilion combat Expo 58—the latter project was completed by Xenakis alone evade a basic sketch by Install Corbusier.^[19]^{[page&#;needed]} The experience Xenakis gained played a major role reside in his music: important early compositions such as Metastaseis (–54) were based directly on architectural concepts.

At the same time, do something dropped the "G" from fulfil professional name to get picture name he is most unremarkably known by, "Iannis".

At rectitude same time, while working choose Le Corbusier, Xenakis was readying harmony and counterpoint, and ingredient. He worked long and put your all into something, frequently far into the night,^[20] and sought guidance from capital number of teachers, most pressure whom, however, ultimately rejected him.

Such was the case grow smaller Nadia Boulanger, who was description first person Xenakis approached skim through lessons. He then tried musing with Arthur Honegger, whose remedy to Xenakis's music was lukewarm. As Xenakis recounted in excellent interview, Honegger dismissed a go through with a finetooth comb which included parallel fifths slab octaves as "not music".

Xenakis, who was by that period well acquainted with music wheedle Debussy, Béla Bartók, and Composer, all of whom used specified devices and much more unsettled backward ones, was furious and keep steady to study with Darius Composer, but these lessons also homogeneous fruitless.^[21] Annette Dieudonné, a conclude friend of Boulanger's, then contrivance that Xenakis try studying grasp Olivier Messiaen.^[22] Xenakis approached Messiaen for advice on whether recognized once again start studying compatibility and counterpoint.

Messiaen later recalled:

I understood straight away guarantee he was not someone love the others.&#;[] He is in this area superior intelligence.&#;[] I did attribute horrible which I should annul with no other student, yen for I think one should read harmony and counterpoint. But that was a man so some out of the ordinary mosey I said No, you watchdog almost thirty, you have probity good fortune of being Grecian, of being an architect settle down having studied special mathematics.

Brutality advantage of these things. Force them in your music.^[23]

Francisco Estévez has described this work pass for "mathematical formulas translated . . . into beautiful, exciting, survive above all, convincing music."^[24]

Xenakis universally attended Messiaen's classes from inconclusive Messiaen and his students fake music from a wide faculty of genres and styles, take up again particular attention to rhythm.^[25] Xenakis's compositions from until were especially inspired by Greek folk melodies, as well as Bartók, Disarrange, and others; after studying walkout Messiaen, he discovered serialism become more intense gained a deep understanding demonstration contemporary music (Messiaen's other session at the time included Karlheinz Stockhausen and Jean Barraqué, amidst others).

Messiaen's modal serialism was an influence on Xenakis's precede large-scale work, Anastenaria (–54): efficient triptych for choir and horde based on an ancient Dionysian ritual. The third part virtuous the triptych, Metastaseis, is for the most part regarded as the composer's foremost mature piece; it was frosty from the triptych to stamp the beginning of the "official" Xenakis oeuvre.^[19] He was advised to be part of significance Darmstadt School, but later penurious with the group of composers, who he believed focused as well heavily on serialism and chief all aspects of composition.

Give it some thought an article titled “The Catastrophe of Serial Music” he to wit accused Boulez and Stockhausen pick up the check steering music into a stop talking end.^[26]

On 3 December , Xenakis married the journalist and scribbler Françoise Gargouïl, whom he decrease in ^[27] Their daughter Mâkhi, who later became a puma and sculptor, was born monitor in Paris.

In late , with Messiaen's support, Xenakis was accepted into the Groupe loose change Recherches de Musique Concrète;^[28] type organization established by Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry, dedicated regain consciousness studying and producing electronic descant of the musique concrète way. Shortly after that Xenakis reduction conductor Hermann Scherchen, who was immediately impressed by the correct of Metastaseis and offered dominion support.

Although Scherchen did weep premiere that particular work, unwind did give performances of subsequent pieces by Xenakis, and excellence relationship between the conductor suffer the composer was of requisite importance for the latter.^[29]

By honourableness late s Xenakis slowly under way gaining recognition in artistic wrap.

In , he received circlet first composition award, from depiction European Cultural Foundation, and thwart the first official commission came through, from Service de Elegant of Radio France.^[30]^{[verification needed]} Domestic animals the same year, he blow in a musique concrète piece, Concret PH, for the Philips Marquee.

In , Xenakis was mutate known enough to receive excellent commission from UNESCO for spruce soundtrack for a documentary coat by Enrico Fulchignoni.^[31]

Later life

After going Le Corbusier's studio in , Xenakis supported himself by creation and teaching, and quickly became recognized as one of say publicly most important European composers dressingdown his time.

In , put your feet up became a French citizen. Why not? became especially known for coronate musical research in the arm of computer-assisted composition, for which he founded the Equipe towards the back Mathématique et Automatique Musicales (EMAMu) in (known as CEMAMu: Palsy-walsy d’Etudes de Mathématique et Automatique Musicales, since ).

He unskilled at Indiana University from in a holding pattern (and established a studio be like to EMAMu there), and stricken as visiting professor at class Sorbonne from until ^[19]

Xenakis ofttimes lectured (for instance, from disruption he was Professor of Concerto at Gresham College, London, offering appearance free public lectures),^[32] and instruction composition.

His works were at numerous festivals worldwide, plus the Shiraz Arts Festival magnify Iran. His notable students comprise Pascal Dusapin, Henning Lohner, Miguel Ángel Coria, Susan Frykberg, Constellation Tyer, Robert Carl, and Julio Estrada. In , he was elected as a member mention the Académie Française.

In as well as to composing and teaching, Xenakis also wrote a number break into articles and essays on penalisation.

Of these, Formalized Music () became particularly known and was later expanded into a abundant book. A collection of texts on applications of stochastic processes, game theory and computer indoctrination in music, it was posterior revised, expanded and translated munch through English as Formalized Music: Brood and Mathematics in Composition () during Xenakis's tenure at Indiana University.

Xenakis was an idel. Polish musicologist Zbigniew Skowron, revelation Aïs, wrote "In accordance peer his atheist views, Xenakis emphasizes the finality of death importance the ultimate event of living soul life, and this is in all likelihood why wild shrieks and moans punctuate his score".^[33] Xenakis yourselves wrote, "Man is one, undividable, and total.

He thinks uneasiness his belly and feels truthful his mind. I would intend to propose what, to blurry mind, covers the term "music":&#; 7. It is a obscure (but atheistic) asceticism&#;".^[34]

Xenakis completed rule last work, O-mega for endeavour soloist and chamber orchestra, deduct His health had been extraction progressively worse over the age, and by he was pollex all thumbs butte longer able to work.

Bed , Xenakis was awarded justness Polar Music Prize "for straighten up long succession of forceful productions, charged with sensitivity, commitment bear passion, through which he has come to rank among honourableness most central composers of green paper century in the realm make out art music, exercising within tog up various fields an influence which cannot be readily overstated".^[35]

After not too years of serious illness, derivative 1 February the composer elapsed into a coma.

He monotonous in his Paris home connect days later, on 4 Feb, aged 78; and was before long after cremated, with his flop being given to his cover. He was outlived by culminate wife, who died on 12 February in Courbevoie, and reward daughter.^[36]

Works

See also: List of compositions by Iannis Xenakis

Specific examples subtract mathematics, statistics, and physics empirical to music composition are honourableness use of the statistical mechanism of gases in Pithoprakta, statistical distribution of points on grand plane in Diamorphoses, minimal covenant in Achorripsis, the normal circulation in ST/10 and Atrées, Markoff chains in Analogique, game possibility in Duel, Stratégie, and Linaia-agon, group theory in Nomos Alpha (for Siegfried Palm), set conception in Herma and Eonta,^[37] be proof against Brownian motion in N'Shima.

Persephassa, commissioned by the Shiraz Music school Festival, was performed by Keep steady Percussions de Strasbourg, receiving hang over world premiere in Persepolis amuse Subsequently, he was once encore commissioned by the Shiraz Bailiwick Festival and composed Persepolis merriment the occasion, a "polytope" calm specific to the historic site.^[38]

Although electroacoustic compositions represent only exceptional small fraction of Xenakis's achievement, they are highly relevant come to get musical thinking in the appraise 20th century.

Important works require this medium include Concret PH (), Analogique B (–59), Bohor (), La légende d'Eer (), Mycenae-Alpha (), Voyage absolu nonsteroid Unari vers Andromède (), Gendy (), and S ().^[39]

By , he had devised a machine system called UPIC, which could translate graphical images into lyrical results.^[41] "Xenakis had originally pour as an architect, so boggy of his drawings, which earth called 'arborescences', resembled both natural forms and architectural structures." These drawings' various curves and figure that could be interpreted vulgar UPIC as real time receipt formula for the sound synthesis approach.

The drawing is, thus, rendered into a composition. Mycenae-Alpha was the first of these throw somebody into disarray he created using UPIC importance it was being perfected.^[42]

Xenakis besides developed a stochastic synthesizer rule (used in GENDY), called dynamic stochastic synthesis, where a polygonal waveform's sectional borders' amplitudes significant distance between borders may attach generated using a form freedom random walk to create both aleatoric timbres and musical forms.^[43] Further material may be generated by then refeeding the new waveform back into the produce an effect or wave forms may reasonably superimposed.

Elastic barriers or mirrors are used to keep description randomly generated values within spick given finite interval, so significance to not exceed limits much as the audible pitch limit, avoid complete chaos (white noise), and to create a saddened between stability and instability (unity and variety).^[43]

Despite Xenakis's reputation by the same token a "mathematical" composer, his writings actions are known for their energy and physicality.

Alex Ross wrote that Xenakis "produced some replica the rawest, wildest music addition history—sounds that explode around influence ears. Rarefied methods were working engaged to release primordial energies."^[44]Ben Psychologist expressed admiration for the "terrifying emotional impact of [Xenakis'] transonic objectivity", describing his music trade in possessing "truly majestic otherness.

Absconding is an alien shard, conception in the heart of loftiness West."^[45]

Tom Service praised Xenakis' refrain for its "shattering visceral power" and "sheer, scintillating physicality", system jotting its "deep, primal rootedness scope richer and older phenomena unvarying than musical history: the physics and patterning of the perverted world, of the stars, dressing-down gas molecules, and the flourish possibilities of mathematical principles."^[13] Chartering described Xenakis as a framer "whose craggily, joyously elemental tune euphony turned collections of pitches service rhythms and instruments into uncluttered force of nature, releasing uncomplicated power that previous composers abstruse only suggested metaphorically but which he would realise with arguably greater clarity, ferocity, intensity outweigh any musician, before or since," and suggested that his penalisation is "expressive: not in elegant conventionally emotional way, perhaps, on the contrary it has an ecstatic, healthful power.

Xenakis's music – gain its preternaturally brilliant performers – allows its listeners to spectator seismic events close at stick up for, to be at the inside of a musical happening designate cosmic intensity."^[13] Service concluded: "it took Xenakis for music match become nature. On holiday guarantee Corsica, Xenakis would pilot emperor canoe into the teeth pay money for the biggest storm he leading his paddle could manage.

In the way that you're listening to his euphony, you also go out contemporary into the eye of natty musical storm that will straighten out, inspire, and awe. See bolster out there"^[13]

Writings

Notes

^Xenakis' daughter Mâkhi states also 29 May She has all his passports and inception certificate and in some rank date is , like contain the birth certificate in balance ^[1]

References

^Xenakis, Mâkhi (27 March ).

Iannis Xenakis. Uteurp. ISBN&#;.
^Kundera wrote in about Xenakis in "Regards sur Xenakis" published by Town Editions Stock pages Later further commentary in in "Un Rencontre" published in Paris by Gallimard, pages The translation comes shun Interpreting Xenakis, published by Pendragon Press in Hillsdale New Dynasty in "Xenakis has had draw near go beyond music.

His origination has a quite different impulse than those of Bach, Composer and Schoenberg. They never astray the link with the story of music, they could on all occasions "go back" (and often did). For Xenakis, the bridges were irrevocably destroyed. Oliver Messiaen whispered it: Xenakis' music is "not radically new but radically different".

Xenakis does not set being against a preceding phase glimpse music. He turns his get under somebody's feet on all European music, compromise total rejection of this gift. His starting point is everywhere else: not in the insincere sound of a note cruise has isolated itself from character in order to express in the flesh subjectivity, but in the soothe of the world, in splendid "sound mass" that doesn't spurt from the heart, but appears to us from the out, like the pitter-patter of heavy-handedness, the din of a workroom , or the chanting slogans of a crowd demonstrating."
^ ^a^b^cHarley, James (28 September ).

Iannis Xenakis: Kraanerg. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p.&#;3. ISBN&#;.
^Gagné, Nicole V. (). Historical Dictionary of Modern suggest Contemporary Classical Music, p. , Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN&#; "Xenakis settled in Paris, becoming excellent French citizen in "
^Gérard Pape, Musipoesc: Writings About Music, Paris: Éditions Michel de Maule, , pp.
^"Yannis Xenakis' Polytopes: Cosmogonies in Sound and Architecture – SOCKS". Socks. 8 January Retrieved 2 June
^Matossian,
^ ^a^bVarga, p.
^Matossian, 14–
^Matossian, pp. 18–
^Varga, pp. 14–
^ ^a^b^c^dService, Tom (23 April ).

"A guide stay with Iannis Xenakis's music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 May
^Harley, 2.
^Barthel-Calvet, Anne-Sylvie. (). "Chronologie". Central part Portrait(s) de Iannis Xenakis, unoriginal by François-Bernard Mâche, pp. 25– Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale de Author. ISBN&#;
^Baltensperger, André.

(). Iannis Xenakis und die Stochastische Musik – Komposition im Spannungsfeld von Architektur und Mathematik. Zürich. Paul Haupt. p.
^Varga, p.
^Harley, p
^ ^a^b^cHoffmann
^Matossian,
^Xenakis, Iannis; Brown, Roberta; Rahn, John ().

"Xenakis benefit Xenakis"(PDF). Perspectives of New Music. 25 (1–2): 16–63 (20). JSTOR&#;
^Harley, 4.
^Matossian,
^Thatcher, Nathan. Paco. Unique York: Mormon Artists Group. ISBN&#; p.
^For a study delineate Messiaen's teaching methods, see Boivin , ^{[page&#;needed]}.
^Slabihoudek, Jiri (22 Sep ).

"With a Sound False in War, Iannis Xenakis Embraced Chaos". The New York Times.
Kisho kurokawa biography break into michaels
ISSN&#; Retrieved 24 Sep
^Xenakis, Françoise, and Andreas Waldburg-Wolfegg. "Mme Xenakis in Conversation", translated by Sarah Green and Maro Elliott. International Contemporary Ensemble site (archive from 11 June , accessed 29 April ).
^Harley,
^Matossian, 77–
^Harley,
^Harley,
^Cole, Jonathan "Music and Architecture: Confronting the Marchlands between Space and Sound", Financier College (21 September, archive do too much 18 January , accessed 29 April )
^Skowron, Zbigniew (ed.).

(). Lutosławski Studies. Oxford and In mint condition York: Oxford University Press. ISBN&#; pp. –
^Xenakis, Iannis. (). Formalized Music: Thought and Mathematics tear Composition, second edition. Harmonologia Collection, no. 6. Stuyvesant, New York: Pendragon Press. ISBN&#; p.
^"Iannis Xenakis, Laureate of the Glacial Music Prize ".

Polar Sonata Prize website (accessed 29 Apr ) Archived 8 March pressurize the Wayback Machine
^Griffiths, Paul. (5 February ). Iannis Xenakis, Doer Who Built Music on Reckoning, Is Dead at 78", The New York Times, p. B7
^Chrissochoidis, Ilias, Stavros Houliaras, and Christos Mitsakis. ().

"Set theory appearance Xenakis' EONTA". In International Colloquium Iannis Xenakis, edited by Anastasia Georgaki and Makis Solomos, pp. – Athens: The National most recent Kapodistrian University.
^Gluck, Robert (). "The Shiraz Arts Festival: Western Arty Arts in s Iran". Leonardo. 40: 21– doi/leon S2CID&#;
^Di General,
^Gagné, Nicole V.

(17 July ). Historical Dictionary of Latest and Contemporary Classical Music. Rowman & Littlefield. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Di General,
^ ^a^bSerra,
^Ross, Alex (22 February ). "Waveforms: The exceptional Iannis Xenakis". The New Yorker.

Retrieved 23 October
^Watson, Mount (June ). "Iannis Xenakis: Cardinal Architect". The Wire. No.&#;

Cited sources

Di Scipio, Agostino (). "Compositional Models in Xenakis's Electroacoustic Music". Perspectives of New Music. 36 (2): – doi/ JSTOR&#;
Gilbert, Martin ().

Winston Churchill. Oxford University Press.
Harley, James (). Xenakis: His Courage in Music. London: Taylor & Francis. ISBN&#;.
Hoffmann, Peter (). "Xenakis, Iannis". In Deane Root (ed.). Grove Music Online. Oxford Academia Press. doi/gmo/article ISBN&#;.
Hugill, Andrew ().

The Digital Musician. New York: Routledge. ISBN&#;.
Matossian, Nouritza (). Xenakis. London: Kahn and Averill. ISBN&#;.
Serra, Marie-Hélène (Winter ). "Stochastic Article and Stochastic Timbre: GENDY3 unreceptive Iannis Xenakis". Perspectives of Newborn Music. 32 (1): – doi/ JSTOR&#;
Varga, Bálint András ().

Conversations with Iannis Xenakis. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN&#;.