Xenakis in 5.1

[strawberrybrick]

The man cave is currently being remodelled (in a big way). Perhaps this could be the inaugural first play?

[neuroticdog]

The man cave is currently being remodelled (in a big way). Perhaps this could be the inaugural first play?

Perhaps you should take some valium first

best
Michael

[Jeremy Bender]

I picked up this box set. It's sure to drive the ol' lady nuts!

Great box set, it also drives neighbors crazy too!

I love Xenakis' big orchestral pieces but since I'm not a chamber music fan at all, a lot of his stuff passes me by. I also wish I liked his one opera, Orestia, better but oh well.

As for online opera/orchestral forums, there be dragons. I know a lot about 20th/21st century music, which is a minority interest at best and a lot of times, there's pissing contests about who knows the most obscure composer. Sorry, I haven't heard of that composer from Lithuania who only produced 5 works before being killed in WWII, so sue me.

[neuroticdog]

What do you think of xenakis' "kraanerg" JB?

Best
Michael

[Jeremy Bender]

I like it a lot, but it's one of those pieces that I have to be in the right mood for. I like the spacier parts most of all, there's some unreal sounds in that piece.

It's hilarious to me that Xenakis wrote it as a ballet, it's about as far away from Swan Lake (which is one of my favorite pieces of music) as you can get!

[neuroticdog]

I like it a lot, but it's one of those pieces that I have to be in the right mood for. I like the spacier parts most of all, there's some unreal sounds in that piece.

It's hilarious to me that Xenakis wrote it as a ballet, it's about as far away from Swan Lake (which is one of my favorite pieces of music) as you can get!

Thanks...I'm going to pick it up in 5.1.

The reviews on amazon say not to even bother watching the visuals which show the "backs of the orchestra" and some of the ballet I think. Basically I got the sense that this is for listening only...which is fine...even preferrable by me.

thanks for your input!!

best
Michael

[battema]

So...I got the Xenakis DVD yesterday, gave it a watch last night. That is definitely some next-level shiat going on.

Thanks again for the tip-off!

There was a booklet in the DVD that listed other "Music in 5.1" releases, including a few I'll definitely have to check out. Elliot Carter, George Crumb, some Cage...

[walt]

Cage's Works for Percussion would be boss in 5.1.(academic for me since i don't have a 5.1 set-up).I'll check if the Mode cd of Cage's percussion pieces (which i have) is also available in 5.1 dvd-a.

[neuroticdog]

Thanks for reviving the thread! "Kraanerg" in 5.1 just showed up along with Subotnick's "Electronic Music Vol. 2". Will report back with my random thoughts when I get the courage to listen.

best
Michael

P.S. Glad you enjoyed "Legende d'Deer"! I listened to it a second time a few days ago and was ever more floored!

[Udi Koomran]

Michael we needed you when I did the Pioneers of Electronic music feature I did over at Avant Progressive FB group

[neuroticdog]

Udi...I was in that thread...posted about Natasha Barrett

best
Michael

[chalkpie]

So...I got the Xenakis DVD yesterday, gave it a watch last night. That is definitely some next-level shiat going on.

Thanks again for the tip-off!

There was a booklet in the DVD that listed other "Music in 5.1" releases, including a few I'll definitely have to check out. Elliot Carter, George Crumb, some Cage...

And so it begins! How are your "classical" chops man? Calling this music classical is utterly stupid and pretty ridiculous but it still falls under that umbrella. Ives? Ligeti? Schoenberg? Stravinsky? Shostakovich? Webern? Lutoslawski? Berio? Varese? Messian? List goes on. That is some choice shiznet right there. Life-altering music.

[Reid]

A very interesting conversation with the composer.

[chalkpie]

One thing that people who don't dig this music or think a lot of modern guys such as Xenakis, Nono, Stockhausen, etc etc .....

Sorry, too right now.

Catch ya later Iannasator.

EDIT: Some call me ZZ Bop

[Reid]

Zig Zag?

[neuroticdog]

I dont know what those last 2 posts mean...guess I'll have to watch those youtube clips...but right now I taking a deep dive into Kraanerg...

godspeed.........bitches

best
Michael

[Reid]

How about Akrata for 16 wind instruments? I really like that piece!

[chalkpie]

I dont know what those last 2 posts mean...guess I'll have to watch those youtube clips...but right now I taking a deep dive into Kraanerg...

godspeed.........bitches

best
Michael

its Haydn on Bathsalts. Rock on.

[neuroticdog]

Xenakis listening experience Part 3:

Random and disjointed thoughts on the 77 minute piece "Kraanerg"

1-I wasn't sure I should listen to this tonight since I started kinda late and I was already tired from doing house chores all day.

2-Not listening to my body, but to my mind...I listened to it in a state of semi-conscienceness...at least at the start.

3-The above state of semi-consciencess rather swiftly changed to one of charged, synaptically powered up dog-like alertness

4-In other words, my head was removed from my ass quite expeditiously.

5-Why? Well...quite simply I was pretty much thrust into the first circle of hell the minute this bitch stated spinning.

6-What that sounds like is something like this:
a) A large 23 piece chamber orchestra consisting of woodwinds, brass and strings pukeing out wholly f'ed up, atonal rhythmic figues that flowed and ebb'ed and rose and fell like spikey waves of galactic stardust. In fact, here is a little known fact...Ronie Stolt, upon hearing this piece of music was heard to utter..."mein gott...stardust we are" and then proceeded to collapse on the cool green grass of a Scandinavian hillock and wept hystically. I shit you not!!!
b) Interspersed with a), there were thick, beefy slabs of 4 channel tape recordings of, what I believe to be the same chamber orchestra...but manipulated into...what?...hmmmmmmmm...faint drones emmanating from the void of space, chunky slices of sound being sucked down a massive singularity, the saint vitus dance like glitsch of the sick mind of a sociopath, the gargantuan machines of hell being pumped into overdrive by a scaled hand with 7 leaperous fingers? Yes, Yes,...all of these...and more.

7-At first, it was fairly easy to delineate the real from the synthetic...but as the piece progressed the two (orchestra and tape) were inexplicably melded together in such an organic fashion that this turned into a kind of uber freak that I'm sure could easily swallow up North America.

8-Judging from #7, you would surmise that this was a massive sounding thang....and you would be correct sir!

9-When it was all over, I decided to immediately type my thoughts of which you have just read...fore the night is harsh and cruel...and I now have to face the darkness of my room...my only solace being the snorting, snufflling, farting sound of my two Boston Terrors...Lord Byron and Prudence...and my wife, who thankfully doesnt snort, snuffle or fart. Wait...what is that I see in the mirror...why is my hair turning completely white...what is that strange hairline crack on the side of my face.................................

...good night

best
Michael

[Scrotum Scissor]

One thing that people who don't dig this music or think a lot of modern guys such as Xenakis, Nono, Stockhausen

Just wait until you hear that next bonus CD where Transavant-dick do covers of juicy Xenakis (it's almost Genekis!) material, Frankie.

[neuroticdog]

Somethings I wanted to say in my disjointed thoughts post above but forgot...and now that I had a decent nights sleep, my head is a little clearer.

The 5.1 mix is, again, phenomenally great! While not done by Gerard Pape like the previous two "Electronic Works" dvd's, the dude who did it (sorry, dont have the box handy for a name, my bad) did a real fine job. Sometimes the rears are very subtle, other times the sound movement around the room is astounding! The "live" orchestra is usually front and in your face but when the "taped" orchestra comes in...so do the psycho acoustics, often times reaching levels that can be described as a tsunami of sound. The last 20 minutes or so of the pieces is devastatingly massive and dense with the room being filled with sound...like it was it's own tangible dimension.

Also, the complexity of this piece is off the charts. I suspect, after my one and only listen last night I might have absorbed maybe 5%. This is not something that is "gotten" right away. Maybe on a superficial level, after one listen you can say "wow, that's pretty cool...luv the sound effects and the speaker panning man" but, while that is indeed "very cool", I don't think that is the real meat and potatoes of what IX is trying to achieve. What is that?...you may ask. Well at this point, I have no clue. I am in no way a musical academic or musicologist who can speak about music in some rareified way on some lofty pedestal in some hallowed halls or ivory tower. But, I dont think you need to be to get something out of this. After the first listen if you think it's cool, great...it's cool and hopefully you had a good experience. That being said, I would like to, in fact anxious to take a deep dive down this particular rabbit hole and see what else I can find. How many listens will that take...ton's I'm sure...but I'm ok with that. This stuff is like a huge jigsaw puzzle, at first you might think some pieces are missing...but continued (active) listening I'm sure will reap big rewards.

This is what 5.1 music is made for IMHO. If the old cliche "PLAY IT LOUD" ever applied...this is it.

best
Michael

[battema]

And so it begins! How are your "classical" chops man? Calling this music classical is utterly stupid and pretty ridiculous but it still falls under that umbrella. Ives? Ligeti? Schoenberg? Stravinsky? Shostakovich? Webern? Lutoslawski? Berio? Varese? Messian? List goes on. That is some choice shiznet right there. Life-altering music.

Ha....well, I did classical training for many years, but it was the more conventional stuff and to be honest, by the time I hit college I was quite burned out on it all. I have gradually explored more modern stuff since; Ligeti and Stravinsky are both excellent. And I like most anything that gets plugged in, so the various synth stuff like Subotnick is always welcome in Chez Battema. I also dig stuff like Varese, and really need to give Stockhausen a listen.

I'm a fickle f*cker

[neuroticdog]

I've just got that Subotnick "Electronic Works Vol. 2" in 5.1 but haven't had a chance to debut it yet...that will be rectified this weekend I'm sure. I'll post here my totally academic random thoughts.

Also, in the same package I got Giacinto Scelsi "Orchestral Works" in 5.1. on Mode. I've heard alot "about" him but have not actually heard one note of his music. Many of my pals really dig him so...what the hell...experience him in 5.1...why not? Feel free to post thoughts about him, the term I heard describing his music is "mystical".

Frankie (and anyone else actually), I know you were not talking to me about "classical chops" but, to be honest...my classical chops are extremely lacking. Other than a small smattering of Ligeti, a healthy dose of Luto, the above mention Xenakis, a minscule amount of Stravinsky and a few other one off's...well, that's it. Of course there are all those acousmatic artists that I go bat shit over, but that's a totally different head. Feel free to drop some names and specific recs...all time periods welcome. (I tend to shy away from opera though).

best
Michael

[makeyourowntaste]

Did I hear someone in this thread say "Dockstader"?

http://makeyourowntaste.com/2013/11/...od-dockstader/

[chalkpie]

Ha....well, I did classical training for many years, but it was the more conventional stuff and to be honest, by the time I hit college I was quite burned out on it all. I have gradually explored more modern stuff since; Ligeti and Stravinsky are both excellent. And I like most anything that gets plugged in, so the various synth stuff like Subotnick is always welcome in Chez Battema. I also dig stuff like Varese, and really need to give Stockhausen a listen.

I'm a fickle f*cker

Nice man. So you played Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, etc ? Any Debussy or Ravel? I love solo piano music and own a ton of it. Always loved Chopin's Nocturnes. Ives Concord Sonata is my favorite solo piano piece, although Ligeti's Etudes come pretty flippin' close.

Ligeti is a Demi-God and needs to be worshiped through almost daily listening. He makes an acoustic orchestra sound electronic (and beyond) due to his ingenious knowledge of harmonics, harmony, texture, timbre, rhythm, form, etc etc blah blah. On some days for me there is no greater mind in music, but then I come to my senses again