iANNIS xENAKIS (1922-2001)
Xenakis is a Greek- French composer, music theorist and an architect- engineer. He is recognised as an important Post-War Avante- Garde Composer. One of his famous works is Metastaseis (1954) written for orchestra, which introduces the independent roles of every instrument.
Activity:
Research about what Xenakis' music was inspired from and how this was demonstrated through his work. Look into:
Some resources to start of research on Xenakis:
Present to your findings through short notes. Teacher will collect and return work with written feedback the week after. Discussion of Xenakis with class.
Listen to piece above ^
Discussion questions:
Research about what Xenakis' music was inspired from and how this was demonstrated through his work. Look into:
- the environmental influences that he experienced at the time
- the integration of architecture and mathematical theories
- the influences of other composers such as Messiaen, Debussy, Bartok
Some resources to start of research on Xenakis:
- Music as an art of Space: Interactions between Music and Architecture in the Work of Iannis Xenakis (Sterkin, 2007)
- A guide to Iannis Xenakis' Music (The Guardian, 2015)
- All Music: Iannis Xenakis (Olson, 2015)
Present to your findings through short notes. Teacher will collect and return work with written feedback the week after. Discussion of Xenakis with class.
Listen to piece above ^
Discussion questions:
- Overview of Xenakis' life experiences.
- What/ Who influenced his works?
- How were these demonstrated in his works? What style of music did he explore? Give examples of works.
- What features of his works stood out amongst other composers of the time?
Activity:
Listen to piece again above ^
Scribble or draw anything they hear in the piece. Create symbols to indicate particular sounds or draw creatures. Think about all concepts of music after 5 playings of the piece. Use coloured pencils/ pens and different types of lines to represent to features of the piece.
Present to class.
Listen to piece again above ^
Scribble or draw anything they hear in the piece. Create symbols to indicate particular sounds or draw creatures. Think about all concepts of music after 5 playings of the piece. Use coloured pencils/ pens and different types of lines to represent to features of the piece.
Present to class.
Analysis of Metastaseis
Structure:
Structure:
Discuss how Barbeler has incorporate the influence of Architecture and Patterns of Nature, similarly to Xenakis' influence of Architecture. Refer back to initial classes on "simple elements"
Activity: Composition Assessment task
Create a short composition which illustrates the concept of “Complexity through Simplicity”. Start with graphic sketches and small elements which are then varied dependent on the artistic vision. How to do complete this task well:
Small performance of Composition in Progress to class by printing out separate parts of composition. Fellow peers will workshop the composition. Peer and teacher immediate feedback.
Create a short composition which illustrates the concept of “Complexity through Simplicity”. Start with graphic sketches and small elements which are then varied dependent on the artistic vision. How to do complete this task well:
- Write down an artistic vision of what you want your piece to turn out to be.
- Think about the 'layer cake orchestration" where you wants instruments to be heard.
- Choose your instruments and key signature.
- Create short melodic of rhythmic motifs that will be developed through the piece.
- Layer these short motifs on top of each other. Think about the structure (when sections come in and out).
- Explore further with new timbres and rhythms.
Small performance of Composition in Progress to class by printing out separate parts of composition. Fellow peers will workshop the composition. Peer and teacher immediate feedback.