Search - Iannis Xenakis, Conductor: James Wood, Critical Band :: Iannis Xenakis: Medea; Nuits; Knephas; Serment; A Colone

Xenakis' essential vocal music!

Thrassos Tsouroulas | Greece | 01/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Xenakis' music is always a combination of advanced intellectual - mathematical synthesis and pure, almost primitive passion. This CD offers the opportunity to enjoy the human' s voice undiscovered abilities at Xenakis' revolutionary choral music. Enjoy it!"

Fierce, stunning choral works

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 06/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Xenakis infused his music with a rare blend of mathematically complex rigor and ferocious passion. These choral works are no exception, and are performed with energy and skill by the New London Chamber Choir, James Wood conducting. Two of the pieces ("A Colone" and "Medea") include small instrumental ensemble accompaniment from members of the Critical Band.



The opening number, "A Colone" (1977 -- 9'47), is the least impressive. It's the only one of the five that sounds remotely like a church choir. The text is from Sophocles, and the tone is stately rather than combative. The earliest composition, which closes the disc, is "Medea" (1967 -- 22'49). The result of a commission, Xenakis the Greek was not keen on using a Roman text (by Seneca), but as he says "...in reading the Latin text written in the first century AD I was seduced by its violent sonority, its barbarity, and so I agreed." "Medea" uses a male chorus, and tells the story of the journey of the Argonauts. "Knephas" (1990 -- 10'03) is "a vast and angry lament, without words." The most recent work included, it was commissioned by James Wood and the New London Chamber Choir, who first performed it in June 1990.



That leaves the two finest works, "Nuits" (1967 -- 8'53) and "Serment" (1981 -- 5'54). "Nuits" was written in response to the coup by a military junta in Greece, and is dedicated to political prisoners. It is wordless, "synthesized...from Sumerian and ancient Persian in phonemes and syllables." The vocal elements are set in constant opposition, "as if different parts have to fight for survival," and the effect is exhilarating! "Serment" is altogether different in tone. Based on the Hippocratic Oath, it was commmissioned by the 15th World Congress of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. I would have liked to see the reaction of the world's surgeons when they heard this! "Serment" features glissandos, so characteristic of much of Xenakis's instrumental composition, and the swooping acrobatic voices are astounding. The overabundance of creativity in these works is astonishing, and "Serment" makes me laugh out loud, both at the sounds, and at the mind of someone who could take these ideas and turn them into music!



I had ventured into Xenakis's vocal music once before, with ORESTEIA on Montaigne, and found that work to be disappointing. This Hyperion release from 1998 more than compensates, with a fine pentagon of works from the brilliant mind of Iannis Xenakis. Many thanks to James Wood, the New London Chamber Choir, and Hyperion Records!



See my list XENAKIS: A LISTENER'S GUIDE for more recordings and reviews, as well as my THE THREE BEST, 12 BEST, and 30 OF THE BEST LATE 20TH CENTURY COMPOSERS lists."

A must for Xenakis fans.

morrisgn | Richmond, VA United States | 04/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great CD for any Xenakis fan or someone seeking an introduction to the composer. The sound quality and performances on the CD are top notch and the pieces show Xenakis' wide range of expression within in his unique style, from the classically restrained A Colonne to the brutal and barbaric Medea and the powerful and anguished Nuits. If you are a Xenakis fan or enjoy modern music, don't hesitate to buy this CD, especially if you haven't heard any of his vocal works yet."