A question for Xenakisophiles

[gerry]

In the winter of 1974 I attended a concert in LA of the Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta of a Xenakis work for piano and orchestra played by a very afro-haired (this was the 70's) young man - could have been Roger Woodward. He used a very thick, single stack of music on the stand and after completing each page, would grab it and throw it on the floor. About 3/4 through the piece, as he was reaching to throw down another page, threw a whole stack down on the floor. He then, while continuing to play, attempted to reach down and retrieve pages from the floor and return them to the piano. Because of the genre, it was impossible to tell if he was winging it from then on or if this "accident" was part of the performance?

It's my feeling that this was, indeed, an accident and that he continued as best he could from memory, but the attempt to return the music to the piano (considering the dramatic effect of rather violently throwing it on the floor in the first place) was unfortunately rather laughable. The audience response was tepid at best with much hissing and booing mixed with applause. Could someone please respond with what the name of this piece might have been and anything else you might know about it.

[pies]

a

[webern78]

Because of the genre, it was impossible to tell if he was winging it from then on or if this "accident" was part of the performance?

 

[retrouvailles]

That is definitely not part of the piece. Xenakis never did anything like that. He was not at all like John Cage or Frederic Rzewski, who would write something like that. As for the piece, it is either Synaphai or Erikhthon. Erikhthon was actually written in 1974, so chances are that that was a US premiere or something, if that indeed was the piece.

[gerry]

Thanks. I guess that was just his "creative/dramatic" way of dealing with having to use the music as a crutch and it sort of backfired. Unfortunately it had a rather detrimental effect on the general acceptance of the piece.

[i heart xenakis]

It's not Synaphai or Erikhton.  It would have been Keqrops if it was Roger Woodward, 100% guaranteed, although Keqrops was written in 1986 so I dunno what to tell you.

[pies]

a

[i heart xenakis]

So, of Xenakis' 3 concertos for piano and orchestra, it's none of them?

If the information he just supplied with us is accurate then yes, it would be impossible for it to be one of Xenakis' concerti, because Woodward never played Synaphai or Erikhton, and Keqrops was composed later.  I think the fact that I know these things would signify I am not a retard, and the fact that you don't certainly doesn't help your case.  I believe he probably has the dates wrong though and that it is indeed Keqrops, because it would be IMPOSSIBLE to turn one's own pages while playing either of the other two.  Keqrops is actually not even a particularly difficult piece; Prokofiev 2, Barber and Bartok 2 are harder.

[pies]

a

[retrouvailles]

Maybe it was one of the pieces for piano and ensemble, like Eonta? I don't know when that was written. And yeah, are you sure it was Roger Woodward? I just can't imagine him with a fro, even in the 70s.

[i heart xenakis]

Maybe it was one of the pieces for piano and ensemble, like Eonta? I don't know when that was written. And yeah, are you sure it was Roger Woodward? I just can't imagine him with a fro, even in the 70s.

Again I would have trouble seeing someone do Eonta while turning the pages themselves (and btw it was written in 1963 so it is technically a possibility).  Palimpsest, though... I could see that.  A lot of that is semi-memorisable.  Gerry; do you remember much about the piece?  Was it particularly heavy on say, percussion, horns, strings etc?  About how long was it?  Was it extremely arhythmic or did it have a fairly accessible rhythm?  And how... hmm how to put this... dissonant was it?  Obviously it's gonna be very dissonant, but Keqrops is fairly accessible aurally in that regard so if it wasn't particularly accosting then are you sure it was in the 70's?  Also, the performer wouldn't happen to have been Yuji Takahashi, would it?  He didn't really have an affro but he had a LOT of hair, and it was sorta messy.  DO you remember anything about the ethnicity of the performer?

I've performed the piano sections of Synaphai and Erikhthon while flipping the pages myself so it is possible.  Please acquire a better technique before you start spouting shit.

I eagerly await the youtube video

[gerry]

If I recall correctly, the performer was Australian and he had a big afro do. I've tried to research the programming for the LA Philharmonic in 1974 but can't find anything on the internet. The reason I remarked about the genre as I did was that the piece was very "arms and elbows" which made it hard to know really if the performer was truly relying on memory while trying to retrieve the music from the floor.  Late '73- early '74 was when I was in LA. Does anyone know how to access the LA Philharmonic programs during that time - it would solve the mystery. I'll be truly apologetic (and embarrassed) if it turns out not to have been Xenakis, but for some reason it sticks in my head that it was. BTW, as I said, he wasn't "turning" the pages but very rapidly reaching up and throwing them down on the floor as he played.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to help with this - it's been bugging me and it would be nice to clear it up. I hold out hope that this can remain a simple quest for information free of some of the vitriol that seems to find its way into other Xenakis threads.

[pies]

a

[i heart xenakis]

If it was Xenakis then it must have been Synaphai.  Erikhthon was premiered in May of '74.
There is a performance of Synaphai on youtube:

He turns the pages as he plays!

mp3 here: https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,18353.0.html
ignore the 8 page discussion because it will make you dumb

Yah I know he does, but that's because he's got them taped.  Something you can't do if you're tossing pages as described.