Xenakis Piano Concerto "Synaphai"

[thalbergmad]

Conductor?

People will be saying he was a composer next.

Did not know he was black either.

Thal

[ahinton]

I honestly can't say I know anything pertaining to Xenakis being a conductor.  Was he?

No more to my knowledge than was Shostakovich.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Conductor?

People will be saying he was a composer next.

Keep on in this vein and some other people (or maybe even some of the same) might even think to claim that Thal is a socialist Guardian-reading feminist...

No, as I have observed, I am unaware of Xenakis having involved himself in any activites as a conductor.

Best,

Alistair

[i heart xenakis]

Conductor?

People will be saying he was a composer next.

lol XP


Oh wait!  I mean... grrrr

[thalbergmad]

Now, this is what i call a composition.

Its just great.

Thal

[pies]

a

[pianowolfi]

We need a Xenakis subforum in Repertoire

Yes, definitely.

[i heart xenakis]

Yes, definitely.

That would be too awesome XD  That would also probably result in the longest, most pointless threads ever but I'd go for it!

[pies]

a

[retrouvailles]

I never really gave Synaphai a serious listen until a few days ago.  I LOVE the piano parts, especially the solo about 10 minutes into it.  I don't see where the controversy comes from... JK LOL (about the controversy part; the liking part was sincere)

Don't bring this discussion back.

[pies]

a

[retrouvailles]

Yes, Keqrops is the best, I think. But all the naysayers here will find a way to dig dirt upon it, don't worry.

[pies]

a

[retrouvailles]

I think Synaphai is a great piece, but the weakest of his 3 "piano concertos". It was his first one, so he is partially excused I guess. Keqrops owns the whole lot.

[pies]

a

[pies]

a

[thierry13]

Does anyone have a pdf of the score?  I can't find it anywhere.

GFF, why did you crash 

[retrouvailles]

GFF didn't crash. And they never had the pdf of it anyways. Jesus, if you guys wnt it so badly, request it on interlibrary loan. That's how I get scores I really want when I don't want to buy them.

[indutrial]

GFF didn't crash. And they never had the pdf of it anyways. Jesus, if you guys wnt it so badly, request it on interlibrary loan. That's how I get scores I really want when I don't want to buy them.

Yeah, or god forbid, buy a copy from the publisher (not sure if it's still available).

One of the local music libraries I frequent actually has Synaphai, but only the full score. The piano part is still printed in there with all of the multiple clefs. It's just microscopic looking with all of the other instruments so I've not even bothered taking it out of attempting to xerox it.

[lmpianist]

Yeah, or god forbid, buy a copy from the publisher (not sure if it's still available).

One of the local music libraries I frequent actually has Synaphai, but only the full score. The piano part is still printed in there with all of the multiple clefs. It's just microscopic looking with all of the other instruments so I've not even bothered taking it out of attempting to xerox it.

I think it would look something like this:

https://www.findmyed.com/files/deathwaltza.jpg

[retrouvailles]

No, that piece is literally a joke and should not be taken seriously or compared to any serious music. Synaphai is actually very neat looking from what I have seen, for it is mostly a bunch of tremoli which are distributed on various staves. Here are some samples:

[pies]

a

[chopininov]

Bump.

Opinion: I don't like this. That does not mean it was a good or bad performance.

It sounds like a piece one would have to have prior knowledge about to understand. That being said, I have no idea how to critique your performance.

[retrouvailles]

Bump.

Opinion: I don't like this. That does not mean it was a good or bad performance.

It sounds like a piece one would have to have prior knowledge about to understand. That being said, I have no idea how to critique your performance.

Why the hell did you bump this thread? Whenever someone bumps it, more drama and stupidity arises and I don't have the energy to debate with people about the musical worth  of Xenakis's music. And fyi, this isn't the original poster's performance, but rather a commercial recording. It was a test to see how people here would react to this piece. And this piece doesn't really require prior knowledge to understand. It just requires an open mind and open ears, which many people here don't have.

[chopininov]

You don't HAVE to debate with people about Xenakis.

And if this is a commercial recording, isn't it breeching some sort of copyright law(s)?

Regarding the open minded part, this piece (and composer) seems like something i could grow to like through further exploration. Sort of like Ravel for me; i used to dislike his music but began to learn more about, and eventually, came to like it.

[retrouvailles]

It might be breaching some sort of copyright law, or it might not. This thread has been here for quite a long time and the recording has not been removed. And I know that I don't have to debate, but part of me likes to rattle chains. And I'm sure that you could grow to like it, which was the case for me. I never really disliked it, but it was more a case that at one time I was bored with it. But then I began to hear the emotional depth behind his music. Granted, I don't like all of it, but a good amount. Some of his works still bore me.

[marsippius]

Hey I like this one, it has umph, reminds me of science fiction movie theme music, it is a rabble rouser !! hehehe like it.

*

[communist]

i agree that it might not give you ahead ache but i dont see how someone can enjoy this

[arensky]

Why the hell did you bump this thread?

I'm going to bump it after I play this vid for my college music appreciation class. I will post quotes from their written reactions.

 

Whenever someone bumps it, more drama and stupidity arises and I don't have the energy to debate with people about the musical worth  of Xenakis's music.

Well then don't debate, like chopininov says. If you get yourself in a snit because you like to rattle chains, there's no one to blame but yourself. 

 

And this piece doesn't really require prior knowledge to understand. It just requires an open mind and open ears, which many people here don't have.

And that's exactly the audience it's going to receive in my class. It should be interesting.

[pies]

a

[jakub_eisenbruk]

If anyone finds this interesting, let him find it interesting: Since I received my mp3 player, I have been quite frequently listening to Synaphai in school, as well as in the public transport. Anyway, the point is, that I often let it play on the loudspeaker - and of course, it's got its own nasty effects on certain persons - the word certain meaning here 99.99% of persons who have heard it in person so far. Even my fellow musicians can't cope with it; they always go mad after a few minutes.

Jakub Eisenbruk,

Prague.

[scottical]

That was a great performance of some very interesting music.  I have to say that the music of Xenakis is an acquired taste.  As a personal lover of the Mozart sonatas, my first experience with a modernist composer was VERY different.  Becoming accustomed to conventional harmonies and consonance often makes it difficult to be open to this kind of music, particularly Xenakis, where at times harmonies are derived strictly from mathematical and stochastic procedures.  Xenakis' music is highly inventive, and while to some aesthetically unpleasant, makes for a curious listening experience each time.

[indutrial]

Even my fellow musicians can't cope with it; they always go mad after a few minutes.

It would actually be rather interesting if people became spontaneously insane when they heard this piece. I find that most musicians just start acting churlish and emo about it for some reason or another. It's not simply cases of people not understanding as much as people being unwilling to attempt understanding.

This seems to be the phoenix-bird of threads around here.

[communist]

synaphai is a joke and should not be heard or played by ANYONE

[thalbergmad]

synaphai is a joke and should not be heard or played by ANYONE

Or they will be sent to the saltmines Comrade??

[ahinton]

Or they will be sent to the saltmines Comrade??

An understandable response - even from you who must surely be less than obviously sympathetic to Synaphai in particular or Xenakis in general - to the observations of one who fails at all to distinguish him/herself with the rather tiresomely obvious forum ID "communist"...

Best,

Alistair

[communist]

An understandable response - even from you who must surely be less than obviously syumpathetic to Synaphai in particular or Xenakis in general - to the observations of one who fails at all to distinguish him/herself with the rather tiresomely obvious forum ID "communist"...

Best,

Alistair

obviously people on the forum do not understand basic humor or as there forum ID "Ahinton"

[ahinton]

obviously people on the forum do not understand basic humor

I daresay that this is indeed true of some members...

or as there forum ID "Ahinton"

Is that supposed to represent something grammatically comprehensible? - for, if so, it, too, is rather less than obvious...

Best,

Alistair

[pokeythepenguin]

obviously people on the forum do not understand basic humor or as there forum ID "Ahinton"

I only see two humorous things here.


One is that someone has resurrected this thread yet again.

The other is that you think you have a sense of humor.

[communist]

like i would take anything seriously from someone who has the forum name of "Pokey the penguin"

[ahinton]

like i would take anything seriously from someone who has the forum name of "Pokey the penguin"

What you might or might not take seriously from anyone anywhere is your prerogative and yours alone; if, however, you would seek to determine the extent or otherwise to which you might do so purely on the basis of an internet forum member's chosen ID, that is likewise up to you but you should at the same time perhaps bear in mind that some people might by the same token choose not take seriously any remark made by another one who nicknames him/herself "communist".

Best,

Alistair

[communist]

What you might or might not take seriously from anyone anywhere is your prerogative and yours alone; if, however, you would seek to determine the extent or otherwise to which you might do so purely on the basis of an internet forum member's chosen ID, that is likewise up to you but you should at the same time perhaps bear in mind that some people might by the same token choose not take seriously any remark made by another one who nicknames him/herself "communist".

Best,

Alistair

yes i had considered that.

[ahinton]

yes i had considered that.

Good; I doubt that most if any of us need to know the conclusion at which you arrived, since that is a matter for you and you alone.

Now do you suppose that the discussion can return to Synaphai? (assuming that others have more to say about the piece)...

Best,

Alistair

[pokeythepenguin]

yes i had considered that.

It's adorable, because you don't know who I am.


PS- Sup Alistair?  Long time no chat.

[ctrastevere]

It's adorable, because you don't know who I am.

But I do, Skepto.

[jabbz]

Who is Skepto?

[thalbergmad]

He is your worst nightmare

[ahinton]

PS- Sup Alistair?  Long time no chat.

Sup???

Oh and by the way, Boulez seems still not to have written that Fourth Sonata...

Best,

Alistair

[ctrastevere]

Who is Skepto?

I'm sure with a small search you can find out the answer to that question, though it may not be pretty.

[pokeythepenguin]

But I do, Skepto.

Due to legal constraints by the great state of Alaska, I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations at this time, without the presence of an attorney.  En lieu of this, I can tell you that any further inquiries may be submitted to my brother Bilo, who is the Vice President of Public Relations of the "Is it Really Skep" Field Research Commission.  Please, no hand-writing.


PS- Who are you?  I don't remember you.  At all.