Very glad this is back in print
Michael Schell | www.schellsburg.com | 06/06/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm delighted that EMI has released these classic recordings of some of Xenakis's best-regarded instrumental works from the 1950s and 1960s. Akrata and Achorripsis are two of my favorite Xenakis pieces, and bizarre as it may seem, I have fond memories of having sex to Akrata on one occasion with another college student many years ago. Even if your associations are less visceral, I think it's clear that it's one of the most important 20th Century works for wind ensemble, along with Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments, Varèse's Intégrales and Déserts, Messiaen's Et Exspecto... and several others. Speaking of Varèse, his influence can be heard in Akrata's repeated notes (not to mention the emphasis on dissonant intervals. Conversely, Akrata's influence can be heard in Ligeti's Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet.
The budget price is a plus. Drop a few bucks on this twofer and transport yourself back to a more exciting time in music history."