Announcements musical design report 3 due 6 april start thinking about sonic system projects 12. Sharon kanach, a parisbased new music specialist who worked closely with xenakis until the end of his life, has edited and translated several books of his writings. Iannis xenakis, preface, in music and architecture, comp. This book, lovingly and painstakingly compiled and translated by sharon kanach, provides us with the first detailed exposure of xenakiss activities as an architect. The drawing center iannis xenakis composer, architect, visionary january 15 april 8, 2010. Last winter the work of avantgarde greek composer iannis xenakis bled out of the concert hall and into the drawing center in new york. Several of xenakis innovations in music and architecture were realized on hundreds of striking graphic documents and in his study musique architecture. Some of xenakiss writings on architecture have been published before. A day in the life of an architect architecture vlog.
Photo installation diatope xenakis on the forecourt of centre georges pompidou, paris, 1978. This is a documentary film on the life and work of the composer iannis xenakis, the architect of sound,whose visionary work reconciles art with science. Portfolio riham zawil master of architecture in collective housing upm madrid eth zurich the goochland gazette 04152020. This thesis focuses on the two selected works of the architect engineer composer iannis xenakis 19222001. The film develops in such a way to show how xenakis s philosophy, architectural experience,mathematics and political background morph into music and how physical phenomena are transformedinto musical expression. Take me to the internet archive avant garde project home, morpheus. Apr 23, 20 a guide to iannis xenakis s music the greek composer trained as an architect, and created works of shattering visceral power that still astound today tom service. This was a lectureperformance in collaboration with cellist mary lou rylands, who issued the invitation to feature my work at this meeting of the hartford music club.
Composer, architect, visionary explores the fundamental role of drawing in the work of avantgarde composer iannis xenakis 19222001. Composer, architect, visionary explores the fundamental role of drawing in the work of greek avantgarde composer iannis xenakis 19222001. He was a musician, but above all he was a theorist and pure researcher who used mathematical thought as a basis for of his compositions. Agp99 features the work of iannis xenakis, a greek composer who needs no introduction for votaries of the 20th century avant garde. Pdf mathematics and design in the music of iannis xenakis.
The vast majority of the works by xenakis in my stacks are available on cd. The polytopes may be considered a summa of xenakis. Architect, composer, visionary, the drawing center, 2010. Composer, architect, visionary is made possible by the national endowment for the arts, graham foundation for advanced studies in the fine arts, the grand marnier foundation and an anonymous donor. Iannis xenakis was a revolutionary, both in politics and in art. Composer, architect visionary brings together loads of xenakis s drawings, and illustrates the clear debt his architecture owed to music and what his music took from his work as an architect. Iannis xenakis composer, architect, visionary game. I read a book recently, entitled iannis xenakis composer, architect, visionary. The music of architecturehow revolutionary was iannis. Xenakis drawing of the architecture of its diatope about 1976.
His innovative approach and the impact that his music had on the following generations mean that any history of electronic music should position xenakis as a central figure. May 29, 1922 february 4, 2001 was a greek composer, music theorist and architect. Fusing the ancient greek terms poly many and topos place, greekfrench composer iannis xenakis coined a neologism for his set of spatial creations that mixed together sound, light, color and architecture during live performances. Iannis xenakis bibliography and discography, compiled by james harley. A contemporary of karlheinz stockhausen, pierre boulez, and john cage, xenakis was a major figure in postwar music, as. Iannis xenakis was a greekfrench composer, music theorist, architect, performance director and engineer. Alessandra capanna summarizes the life and work of iannis xenakis, who passed away on 4 february 2001.
A leading figure in twentiethcentury music, xenakis was trained as a civil engineer, then became an architect and developed revolutionary designs while working with le corbusier. Iannis xenakis, romanianborn french composer, architect, and mathematician who originated musique stochastique, music composed with the aid of electronic computers and based upon mathematical probability systems. Victoria meyers lecture at bxmc for iannis xenakis. The music, written for the french pavilion at the expo 67 in montreal, consists of continous glissandi, that characteristic xenakis sound. Apr 25, 2012 while the pavilion has long been recognised as a seminal work, scholars have tended to overlook the aesthetic intentions of its chief designer, the composer iannis xenakis, often simplistically characterising the building as an architectural translation of music. 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. Formalized music thought and mathematics in composition revised edition iannis xenakis additional material compiled and edited by sharon kanach harmonologia series no. The museum of contemporary art moca, in association with the drawing center in new york, collected hundreds of these sketches for the exhibition iannis xenakis. Composer, architect, visionary, presents an inside view of xenakis s sensitive and enigmatic creative process. The greek composer and architect iannis xenakis 1922 xenakis 2001 postulated after gabor that all sound was integration. Iannis xenakis born 29 may 1922, braila, romania died 4 february 2001, paris, france was a romanianborn greekfrench composer, music theorist, architect and engineer. He is considered an important postworld war ii composer whose works helped revolutionize 20thcentury classical music.
A leading figure in twentiethcentury music, xenakis was trained as a civil engineer, then became an architect and developed. After 1947, he fled greece, becoming a naturalized citizen of france. Jan 08, 2014 fusing the ancient greek terms poly many and topos place, greekfrench composer iannis xenakis coined a neologism for his set of spatial creations that mixed together sound, light, color and architecture during live performances. Composer, architect, visionary exhibition s tour in north america in 201011 as the cornerstone of worldwide tributes remembering the tenth anniversary of his death this volume attests to the fact that yes, xenakis matters. He is regarded as one of the most radical and important composers of the twentieth century. A leading figure in twentieth century music, xenakis was trained as a civil engineer, then became an architect and developed revolutionary designs while working with le corbusier. Xenakis then worked as an independent engineer for a construction business, while focusing as much as possible on his musical and mathematical research. Xenakis pioneered the use of mathematical models such as applications of set the read more. How do the preoccupations of the composer, developed for example in metastasis 1955, meet the approach of the architect.
Take me to the internet archive avant garde project h o m e, morpheus. Composer, architect, visionary the exhibition, the first in north america dedicated to xenakis s original works on paper produced between 1953 and 1984, includes more than 60 rarely seen musical scores, architectural drawings, conceptual renderings, and samplings of his innovative graphic notation. Iannis xenakis is one of the leaders of modernism in music, a hugely influential composer, particularly in the later 1950s and 1960s, when he was experimenting with compositional techniques that soon entered the basic vocabulary of the twentiethcentury avant garde. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. He is considered an important postworld war ii composer whose works helped revolutionize 20th century classical music. It places these works at the intersection of architecture and music by showing how they combine spatial, musical and visual performances.
Although he became a contemporary of stockhausen, boulez and cage. It juxtaposes john cages chance operations with xenakis s mathematically determined compositional methods. One of the worlds most widely performed contemporary composers, xenakis brought together architecture. Sharon kanach, a parisbased new music specialist who worked closely with xenakis until the end. One of the most important figures in twentiethcentury music, xenakis originally trained as an engineer and was also known as an architect, developing iconic designs while. Considered to be one of the most revolutionary composers of the twentieth century, iannis xenakis pushed the boundaries of classical music. Iannis xenakis was awarded the kyoto prize in 1997, considered the nobel prize of music, and the polar prize in 1999. 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 on the development of electronic and. On the recorded conversations with the composer david rosenboom 1947 on mills college in oakland, california, iannis xenakis 19222001 explains that during the. Composer, architect, visionary, which spanned xenakis career from his initial collaborations with le corbusier to his final multimedia polytopes, confirming the musicians. Composer, architect, visionary is cocurated by sharon kanach and carey lovelace. Photo taken at the show xenakis legend of eer in its diatope in paris, 1978. Published on the occasion of the drawing centers exhibition, iannis xenakis.
Iannis xenakis 1 of 2 filmed interview in english with german subtitles duration. Composer, architect, visionary, curated by carey lovelace and sharon kanach, will explore the role of drawingor thinking through the handin the work of pioneering avantgarde composer iannis xenakis 19222001. Composer, architect, visionary explores the fundamental role of drawing in the work avantgarde composer iannis xenakis. Background an architect, mathematician, music theorist, and composer. Composer, architect, visionary is on view through april 8. Paper, xenakis composer architect visionary leisure.
The music of architecturehow revolutionary was iannis xenakis. The pavilion commissioned by the philips company to showcase their products at the 1958 expo in brussels is the most famous example of xenakis s other career as an architect, but this book, the first in a planned series of five critical. Iannis xenakis pithoprakta w graphical score duration. The pavilion commissioned by the philips company to showcase their products at the 1958 expo in brussels is the most famous example of xenakiss other career as an architect, but this book, the first in a planned series of five critical volumes on xenakiss work, makes clear the extent not only of his involvement in other projects by. One of the worlds most widely performed contemporary composers, xenakis brought together architecture, sound, and. Xenakis was an engineer and architect who created revolutionary designs with le corbusier. The architecture and music of iannis xenakis youtube. Both aspects of the music architecture relationship have found a contemporary assimilation in the work of iannis xenakis 19222001. Rebonds a, by iannis xenakis performed by ayano kataoka about. Iannis xenakis, born may 29, 1922, braila, romaniadied february 4, 2001, paris, france, romanianborn french composer, architect, and mathematician who originated musique stochastique, music composed with the aid of electronic computers and based upon mathematical probability systems.
Iannis xenakis was a leading avantgarde composer of the postwar era educated in greece and trained as a civil engineer in athens active in resistance, leading to imprisonment, violent injuries and ultimately flight to france in 1947 settled in paris, in the 1950s collaborating with le corbusier on architectural projects, including philips pavilion at brussels world fair attended. In 1980, xenakis the composer expressed a comparable outlook regarding. Xenakiss sketches, drawings, and musical scores, although never intended as art, occupy a unique place in the history of drawing. A contemporary of karlheinz stockhausen, pierre boulez, and john cage, xenakis was a major figure in. For the next internet archive avant garde project installment, here. Why has iannis xenakis emerged as one of the most important composers in instrumental music of our time. As a largely selftaught composer, xenakis drew from his technical training in engineering and architecture to produce music that had the ability to both unnerve and enrapture his audiences. Throughout his career, xenakis has been active as an architect and a composer, building a substantial record of research and production in both. Composer, architect, visionary, presents an inside view of xenakiss sensitive and enigmatic creative process.
Feb 04, 2001 listening to the music of iannis xenakis, who has died aged 78, is like being flung back into some fierce atavistic world before culture existed. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important postwar avantgarde composers. A guide to iannis xenakiss music music the guardian. Xenakis s sketches, drawings, and musical scores, although never intended as art, occupy a unique place in the history of drawing. It was an attempt on my part to introduce the work of xenakis to nonspecialists. Thought and mathematics in composition is a book by greek composer, architect, and engineer iannis xenakis in which he explains his motivation, philosophy, and technique for composing music with stochastic mathematical functions. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.
The drawing center is located at 35 wooster street, new york. Composer, architect, visionary, at the drawing center in new york, is the first north american exhibition of his visual work. Composer, architect, visionary, curated by carey lovelace and sharon kanach, will explore the role of drawingor thinking through the handin the work of pioneering avantgarde composer iannis xenakis 192 22001. The contacts he had made with hermann scherchen in the mid 1950s had been decisive. During the 1950s, architect and composer iannis xenakis 19222001, developed. A guide to iannis xenakis s music the greek composer trained as an architect, and created works of shattering visceral power that still astound today tom service. It originally accompanied xenakiss poeme lumineux, a complex light show using 1200 independent circuits. Graphic score experimental music sound art life drawing scores art projects vintage world maps graphic design drawings.
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