Xenakis, Iannis

(1922–2001)

Composer, architect, and civil engineer, born in Braila (Romania) of Greek parents in 1922; he died in Paris. During the Second World War he joined the Greek resistance movement. He completed his studies at Athens Polytechnic. As a member of the Communist party he was sentenced to death following a political trial; he emigrated to France in 1947 and became a French citizen in 1956.

He studied music with Hermann Scherchen in Gravesano and Olivier Messiaen in Paris. As an architect he served as assistant to Le Corbusier. In 1976 he obtained a doctorate in literature and the humanities from the Université de Paris I (Sorbonne). He was the creator of stochastic and symbolic music. In his instrumental, electronic, and computer-assisted compositions he introduced innovations based on probability calculus and set theory. He produced a series of “light and sound” compositions, which he called “polytopes.” His innovative techniques quickly became the lingua franca of the musical avant-garde.

In the field of architecture, he designed the Philips Pavilion at the World’s Fair in Brussels (1958), the Couvent de la Tourette (1955), and many other structures. For the French pavilion at the Montreal Expo in 1967 he created Polytope de Montréal, an audiovisual show of sculpture, light and sound with music scored for four orchestras. In 1971 he created another “polytope” for Persepolis in Iran (1971), and in 1978, Mycènes Alpha in the ancient ruins of Mycenae in Greece. That same year his Diatope added splendour to the inauguration of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Xenakis was the founder (1966) and director of the Centre d’Études de Mathématique et Automatique Musicales (CEMAMU) in Paris. He founded a similar research centre, Center of Mathematical and Automated Music, at the University of Indiana, where he was associate professor. In 1970–72 he was a member of Centre National de Recherche Scientifique. He was also a professor at the Sorbonne University (professor emeritus from 1990).

 

He was an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1975), French Institute (1983), and numerous other academies and universities. He received honorary citizenships and medals from French, Romanian, and Greek cities. He was awarded the Grand Prix National de la Musique in 1976, Beethoven Prize of the City of Bonn in 1977, and was made a Knight of the Légion d’Honneur for the first time in 1982. During the following years he received further state honours: Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (1985), Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1991), and Commandeur dans l’Ordre Nationale du Mérite (1995). He was also awarded the Kyoto Prize in 1997, International Music Council Award in 1998, and Polar Music Prize from the Swedish Academy of Music in 1999.

Published writings: Musiques formelles (Paris, 1963), Musique. Architecture (Tournai, 1971), Formalized Music (London, 1971), Arts/Sciences. Alliages (Paris, 1979), Xenakis: Les Polytopes (with Olivier Revault d’Allonnes, Paris, 1975).

 

Selected works (from 1975): Phlegra for 11 winds (1975), Retours-Windungen for 12 cellos (1976), Mikka “S” for violin (1976), Kottos for cello (1976), Khoaï for harpsichord (1976), Jonchaies for orchestra (1977), La Légende d’Eer for 1600 flashlights, four laser beams, 400 mirrors, optical devices and 7-track tape (1977), Pléiades for six percussionists (1978), Aïs for baritone, percussion and orchestra (1980), Nekuïa for mixed choir and orchestra (1981), Mists for piano (1981), Serment-Orkos for a cappella choir (1981), Komboï for harpsichord and percussion (1981), Pour les baleines for large string orchestra (1983), Pour la paix for mixed choir, tape and narrators (1982), Shaar for large string orchestra (1983), Tetras for string quartet (1983), Chants des soleils for mixed choir, children’s choir and brass instruments (1983), Khal Perr for brass quintet and percussion (1983), Naama for harpsichord (1984), Thalleïn for ensemble (1984), Lichens I for orchestra (1984), Idmen A for mixed choir and four percussionists (1985), Idmen B for six percussionists and choir (1985), À l’Île de Gorée for amplified harpsichord and ensemble (1986), Akea for piano and string quartet (1986), Keqrops for piano and orchestra (1986), Keren for trombone (1986), Horos for orchestra (1986), Jalons for 15 instruments (1986), xas for saxophone quartet (1987), Kassandra, Oresteia II for baritone, psaltery and percussion (1987), Tracées for large orchestra (1987), à r. (Hommage à Ravel) (1987), Ata for large orchestra (1987), Tauriphanie for tape (1987), Waarg for 13 instruments (1988), Rebonds for percussion (1988), Échange for bass clarinet and 13 instruments (1989), Voyage absolu des Unari vers Andromède for tape (1989), Épicycle for cello ensemble (1989), Tetora for string quartet (1990), Knephas for 32 mixed voices (1990), Kyania for orchestra (1990), Tuora-kemsu for orchestra (1990), Roáï for orchestra (1991), Troorkh for trombone and orchestra (1991), Dox-Orkh for violin and orchestra (1991), Krinoïdi for orchestra (1991), Les Bacchantes d’Euripide for women’s choir and ensemble (1993), Mosaïques for orchestra (1993), Dämmerschein for orchestra (1993–94), Mnimis Kharin [Mnamas Xapin] to Witold Lutosławski for two trumpets and two horns (1994), Sea Nymphs for mixed choir (1994), S. 709 for tape (1994), Ergma for string quartet (1994), Koïranoï for orchestra (1995), Ioolkos for orchestra (1995), Kuïlenn for nine wind instruments (1995), Ittidra for string sextet (1995), Roscobeck for cello and double bass (1996), Zythos for seven musicians (1996), O-Mega for percussion and 13 instruments (1997), Sea-Change for orchestra (1997).