Understanding Xenakis

First off I need to clarify: I am not an expert on the music of Iannis Xenakis.  I have not studied his scores nor have I read his book Formalized Music.  Though I do wish to read this book one day.  I have listened to a large portion of Xenakis's music that is available in recorded form.  I really enjoy his music.  What I am offering here is my perspective on how to listen to the music of Xenakis.

Most people, when they listen to music, listen for the melody.  The melody is like the lead actor in a play.  It stands out front and commands your attention whenever it is present.  Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries (and probably even today) would judge the success of a piece based on whether or not the melody is memorable.  During the early to mid-19th century, the motif and motivic development became the norm.  The motif commands the audience's attention the same way the melody does.

Listeners are familiar with the melody and motif.  These are basic principles that are learned no matter what kind of music you enjoy.  Cursory listening of Xenakis reveals a lack of both melody and motif.  I am not suggesting that these principles do not exist in Xenakis's music as attention grabbing devices.  However, upon continued listening one does get a sense of the use of color and texture as recurring thematic devices.

I remember a couple of months back I had the desire to hear something gritty and bombastic.  I really wanted to hear one of the most dissonant things I owned.  Of course I immediately thought of Xenakis.  I listened to Aïs for orchestra.  About halfway through the piece my wife, Melissa, comes out to the living room and says, "I don't mean to be rude, but what are you listening to?"  My response was simply, "Music."  I explained to her that it was a piece by Iannis Xenakis and I had the desire to hear something dissonant.

When I talk to friends and colleagues about the music of Xenakis I hear a lot of negative reactions to his music.  I understand that point of view because when I first heard some of his music I thought it was unorganized noise.  Now that I have read a bit about him and listened to a large portion of his music I know that is not the case.  After all, his book about his compositional techniques is titled Formalized Music implying a structure and plan within the music.

What I am offering here is a way to listen to the music of Xenakis that has helped me make sense of is and more importantly enjoy his music.  First and foremost push aside the concepts of melody and harmony in your mind.  These are aspects of music that exist in Xenakis's compositions, but they are more difficult to find.  One of the keys to his music is timbre.  His use of various instrumental combinations and sounds shape and color the music.

It took me a while, but after I listened to six to eight pieces by Xenakis I was able to listen to the coloristic aspects of his music and focus on how he used timbre to create forward motion.  The case could be made that Xenakis's music uses a timbral progression rather than harmonic progression to drive the piece.

Another key aspect is formal structure.  It seems to me that Xenakis is very deliberate in his form and the way in which the sections develop.  Listening to form and structure requires yet another level of listening skill.  While the mind and ear want to latch on to what is happening at that moment, it is important to take note of section beginnings so that the larger picture can develop in the listener's mind.

After having a better understanding of the timbral/coloristic aspects of Xenakis's music the formal structure and development become easier to hear.  Being more in tune with with the timbre I was able to hear repeated occurrences of these devices and the larger picture became clearer to me.

Unlike Mozart, Beethoven or really most other composers, the music of Xenakis is very difficult the listen to at first.  The music is very dense and there is little for the ear to grab on to such as melody and harmony.  I feel that repeated listening to a singular piece is valuable, but with Xenakis it is better to listen to multiple pieces before attempting repeated listening of one piece.  By listening to multiple pieces I was able to hear different ways in which Xenakis would use and develop timbre.  All of this listening has helped in my understanding and enjoyment of Xenakis's music.

I really do encourage people to listen to Xenakis's music.  He was a gifted composer who deserves more performance time.  I highly recommend keeping an open mind and listening to this music in terms of color and timbre above all else.  In doing so I believe that sound world will draw you in and allow you to have a better understanding and enjoyment.  Happy listening!