Woah!
Woah! That gets my blood a boiling. Mind boggling music!
“This is true new music,” as I think Sviatoslav Richter remarked after hearing Woodward play Synaphai. But I have to agree with retrouvailles that this Keqrops is much stronger than Synaphai. It was one of my many first impressions of Xenakis (is that possible?), and for years I failed to understand him, though fascinated with him, the door was always cracked and never ever closed. I urge those who hate him to keep the door cracked open!
This year I began to *really* enjoy Xenakis, the gateway being a piece for violin and piano called Dikhtas which remains my favorite. There are really no words for Dikhtas, music as distinctive as the dent in its composer's face. It's another must hear, especially in the recording with Jane Peters and Aki Takahashi on the label Mode (I wonder if Accardo and Bruno Canino ever did play Dikhtas?)
And then - goodness - I've flirted with learning Evryali, or starting a process to learn the impossible, physically brutal Evryali, but am noncommittal. But what expression this sometimes violent, and always jaw dropping music holds!
Roger Woodward is a true artist, and I've never been able to find his Xenakis recordings, nor had I before your posting heard Keqrops. I thank you deeply for this pleasure, dnephi. After listening a first time, I immediately listened again, jaw dropped. I keep thinking of the furious, chaotic imagery of Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite - it is not contrary to the line of music history.
(After a third listen, I’m done for the night. There are no words!)
Topic: Xenakis Keqrops Piano Concerto YOU MUST HEAR