| Xenakis: His Life in Music Contributor(s): Harley, James (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415971454 ISBN-13: 9780415971454 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $171.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: June 2004 Annotation: For over forty years Iannis Xenakis has been one of the major figures in contemporary music. In all that time, there has not been a study of his music published in English. This volume leads the reader along the trajectory of Xenakis's compositional development, presenting the works together with the technical and conceptual innovations he has introduced along the way. Particular works are examined in greater detail as signposts marking new stages in the composer's creative journey, from the early, unpublished works to the breakthrough pieces Metastasis and Pithoprakta, through the oft-discussed decade of formalization to the evolving styles of the succeeding three decades. Harley approaches the music from the point of view of a musician; his thesis rests upon the conviction that Xenakis's theoretical formulations can be explained and understood without recourse to complicated mathematics. This "scientific" feature of the composer's own explications of his work has baffled and often alienatedmany who have responded strongly to the music. The book also includes an up-to-date bibliography, discography, and a list of works. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Education | Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities - Biography & Autobiography | Entertainment & Performing Arts - Music |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 2004002283 |
| Physical Information: 0.82" H x 6.52" W x 9.08" (1.15 lbs) 292 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Xenakis: His Life in Music is a full-length study of the influential contemporary composer Iannis Xenakis. Following the trajectory of Xenakis's compositional development, James Harley, who studied with Xenakis, presents the works together with clear explanations of the technical and conceptual innovations that shaped them. Harley examines the relationship between the composer and two early influences: Messiaen and Le Corbusier. Particular attention is paid to analyzing works which were vital to the composer's creative development, from early, unpublished works to the breakthrough pieces Metastasis and Pithoprakta, through the oft-discussed decade of formalization and the evolving styles of the succeeding three decades. |