Iannis Xenakis (1 of 2) Filmed Interview in English with German subtitles

Iannis Xenakis English interview with German subtitles. Includes extracts of interviews with Volker Banfield Heinz Otto Peitgen.
Iannis Xenakis was born on May 29, 1922 in Braîla (Romania) as a son of Clearchos Xenakis and Fotini Pavlou. Around the age of five, he settled, with his father, in Greece. From 1947 he started studying at the Polytechnical Institute in Athens, where he was also part of the anti-fascist and later anti-English underground movement. Because of these activities he was sentenced to death in 1947. The same year he fled to France where he started working as an architect, being an assistant of Le Corbusier. He continued working with Le Corbusier until 1960. In these years he realized a.o. the Couvent de La Tourette (1955) and the Philips Pavilion at the Expo in Brussels (1958).
His first musical studies were around 1948 with Arthur Honegger, Nadia Boulanger and Darius Milhaud. In 1949-50 he studied with Olivier Messiaen, who encouraged him to develop his musical ideas.
In 1953 he married Françoise Gargouil. In 1965 Xenakis founded the Centre d'études de Mathématiques et Automatique Musicales (CEMAMu) in Paris. Between 1967 and 1972 he was Music Professor as well as founder of the Center for Mathematical automated Music (CMAM) at the Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. From 1972 to 1989 he was Professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris and in 1975 he was Professor of Music at the City University of London.
Xenakis received many awards and titles such as the Manos Hadjidakis Prize in Athens (1963), the Nippon Academy Award (1971), Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in Paris (1985) etc.etc.
Iannis Xenakis died on Sunday, February 4, 2001. He is survived by his wife Françoise and his daughter Makhi.

[@minasgekos]

A man born in Romania, who fought for Greece, lived in Paris, giving an interview in English to German interviewers and known for composing a music that had no borders. Mr Xenakis the perfect cosmopolitan in the Diogenian meaning of the term.

[@Henry-lb9fg]

Not only fought for Greece but he was a Greek actually

[@michaelsoza4183]

who cares about all that ? His music is pure boredom !!!!! music is the matter and not his life .

[@prema9878]

@@michaelsoza4183 clear illiterate and uninformed opinion here

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

@@michaelsoza4183 his music is thrilling : I remember being knocked sideways when I heard a broadcast of 'Keqrops' as a teenager. Each to their own.

[@carlosluis1970]

@@michaelsoza4183 is boredom for you, or you pretend to be the voice and thinking of all mankind...? you wish!! you're a little dictator isn't you ?

[@barettjohnson6979]

And, remember, he was--very probably--the most important person in making the Philips Pavillion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair--a reality. "Le Corb" sketched the general idea of the building but left ALL the engineering details to Xenakis (& subordinates) primarily. Additionally, Xenakis's humility aided in the successful incorporation of Varese's music installation, Poeme Electronique...Xenakis was the perfect person to realize ( and integrate) the ideas of both Le Corb & Varese...

[@davephillips1263]

Thank you for posting this wonderful interview with one of the true 20th century musical Titans. Every time I dip into his music and/or writings I feel that new paths have opened for my own explorations. This man defines the word "heroic".

[@AndrewToovey]

I'm putting more performances and interviews up later - but I love this man and his music!

[@JohnRSamples]

I once played ping-pong with Iannis. He lost 21-4. As his final ball trundled mercilessly into the net, he reflected: You know, John, I'm crap.

[@michaelsoza4183]

tanlentless guy in music at least.

[@briancornish2076]

In moving from engineering to music and having lived through the tumult of world war Xenakis crossed the twentieth century divide between fact and value, unifying both as they should be. In my opinion this is what gives his music its power.

[@akashrima7917]

@Bruno56 " Composing noises " perhaps u have very immature ears.

[@briancornish2076]

@Bruno56 I would probably like that guys backing

[@akashrima7917]

@Bruno56 I will still say that u sir still have pretty immature ears for no mature ear would deduce avant garde music as noise . Also sir u took the word immature too literally for by that word I meant a non musician ear. And judging from the above comments it is pretty safe to say that u are really a non musician. And a avant garde music is no doubt superior( in terms of complexity and other aspects) than the music that came before it. History literally shows that as time went by music become more and more complex . So it won't take someone to solve complex algebraic problems to declare a Mahler Symphony or any Lizst sonata as more complex than any Bach or Handel piece. Now to the main point . People like u have a false notion that we , the patrons of avant garde music , consider ourselves as superior and more educated than others who listen to non avant garde music. But in reality it's exactly the opposite. First of all liking a particular type of music is purely subjective and I really don't have any problem with people who likes non avant garde music . But what I can't stand is these type of remarks about avant garde music - " It is only noise " " It is total garbage " " My 5 year old can compose this (most ironical statement that I ever heard I mean I literally burst out laughing when see this ) " " It's a cat walking on a piano " and other bullshit blah blah blahs. I mean imagine if someone comes out of nowhere and says " Chopin's music is bullshit ( again don't take it seriously I am just giving an example Also I am a devotee of Chopin's music so don't accuse me of defaming Chopin )" then how would u feel sir . Wouldn't u want to punch him or her in his or her face . In fact it is pretty justifiable to do so . Now imagine how we feel when u people shout out some bullshit stupid statements like " this pure noise " etc etc. Let us now consider some other genres of music. There are some people whose ears are seriously allergic to Rock music . And the scenario is similar to that of avant garde music. They simply dismiss them as loud noise but ironically they aren't. Even sometimes Jazz music also faces this type of discrimination. I wouldn't even have bothered about ur liking or not liking of avant garde music bcoz that's purely subjective . But criticizing music which u people don't understand is no doubt equal to commiting a folly. Hope u understand sir.

[@akashrima7917]

@Bruno56 WTF . Did u even read my whole comment. I don't think so. Moreover I don't think u are some 60 years old guy . Judging from ur hostile comments I think ur just a 9 or 10 years old kid who knows nothing other than ' fuck off ' . Perhaps I shouldn't even have called u "sir" for u deserve not a single word of respect .

[@carlosluis1970]

@@akashrima7917 LOL

[@Steve_Max]

This is awesome! He seems like such a warm and humble person. Thanks very much for the upload.

[@stevehallock2]

Thank you so much for posting this. You have provided a valuable service to us.

[@johnappleseed8369]

I love you Iannis, you're literally my favourite anything! your music means so much to me and will always be my favourite!

[@sangd4lang]

@@feinbird9161 that's not joke.

[@sangd4lang]

@@feinbird9161 old school classical music lover wouldn't understand.

[@sangd4lang]

@Bruno56 It's called modern classical music. Even noise sometimes is part of the composition.

[@johnappleseed8369]

@Bruno56 Yes, Xenakis then Webern, Varese, Stravinsky, Messiaen, Stockhausen, Ligeti and Grisey.

[@Simh97444]

Could you tell me why you love his music ? I'm getting curious about his music, I'm discovering it and I'm trying to understand it and to appreciate it :)

[@rafalimpim]

what an incredibly bright man

[@CalamityInAction]

Bruno56 He means bright as a person, but necessarily as a musician. Also even though you may think Brahms sounds much better, they have two completely different styles and goals when it comes to music

[@CalamityInAction]

Bruno56 The noise of certain composers sounds different than that of others

[@CalamityInAction]

@Bruno56 All fat women don't look the same. And avant-garde music isn't even my favorite music. I like Liszt more, but I still enjoy the "noises" for their novelty

[@OperaCantata]

What a man! He changed my perception of music and live in general.

[@earlrobicheaux2632]

Rare. Thanks for posting.

[@str8soundsmusic]

IANNIS XENAKIS is one of my top 10 favorite composers. I have much of his music on CD and a book of interviews with him. He is so profound. He invented abrasive noise music long before Merzbow was even born.

[@cutchibodyhitthefloo]

dont compare Xenakis and Merzbow, totally different artists

[@robkeeleycomposer]

A genius. Light years from my own preoccupations, but his music, at its best, thrills me every time with its elemental power

[@SteveCournane]

Thank you so much for this

[@vintage0x]

He speaks really wonderful english!

[@theo9952]

I feel so privelaged to have been twice in performances that took place in his presence... He even ...participated in one !

[@clarinetjo]

A great musician, his music is always wonderful !

[@liamwhitney509]

I'm in awe.

[@kernelstudios8996]

one of the most prominent figure in XX century music. fullstop.

[@mroit]

When did this interview take place?? I'm fascinated!

[@EdwardWhelanPiano]

What an amazing man. Have you any more interviews?

[@jaw5787]

Translation of the german questions: 4:20: What was the scandal, where was that opposition coming from, could you elaborate on that? 4:30: So it was more of a music-political question that you didn't belong to the predominant theory that everything must fit? So it wasn't as much the sound as the theory [that caused the opposition]?

[@Raul-vlc-86]

Xenakis is so right about the early intransigence of serialists (specially Boulez, who despised Xenaki's music)

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

Boulez despised Xenakis and yet performed it, and made recordings of his music? Check out his recording of 'Thaellein' .

[@Raul-vlc-86]

@@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist Boulez also hated Stravinsky's Neoclassical work and later conducted his Capriccio...I mean, I guess we are speaking here about a very specific time in which Boulez was too prone to musical belligerence. (Which i think he later regretted, although only partially.)

[@blakedegraw7958]

Always nice to see trolls take an interest in orchestral composers, for better or worse. It's amazing how self-conscious Xenakis' music makes some people feel.

[@nandocordeiro5853]

Or they just think it’s bad, I mean music’s not a game about feeling self-conscious or not.

[@bacchantmedusae]

No one said anything about it being a game. And if it's just generally bad with no weight or substance, then why would someone feel compelled to go out of their way to boldly assert that in the comments section of a spoken interview with the guy? If his music, or the mere fact that his music is highly regarded, poses no threat then why would one find it necessary to expend the energy to discredit it? Most people simply ignore music they don't care for. Of all the "bad" music they could rail on, they've chosen to go on an obscure German interview with a dead Greek composer and inform everyone how talentless he is? Anyone who even slightly understands psychology can see it is the attempt of a wounded ego to console itself. But don't feel bad, Xenakis' music makes a lot of people feel dumb, myself included.

[@theo9952]

@JamesAlexanderGale Must have been in 1990 or 91 in the roman theatre in Athens. The first work to be performed was an electronic composition titled MYKINAE A. Xenakis manipulated the controls of the sound consol. This was followed by a performance of compositions for amplified harpsicord and percussion played by Elizabeth Chojnacka and Sylvio Gualda.

[@JamesAlexanderGale]

@theo9952 What was he playing/doing in the performance he participated in it?

[@sangd4lang]

This guy almost made me left the metal scene. Genius.

[@buttclef]

This a very deep man.

[@Ledgeview]

thanks!

[@alessandroseravalle1523]

Great!!!!!!

[@bathtubbarracuda2581]

"The serialists, they were like fascists" And even after Xenakis died, serialists like Boulez did all they could to try and cancel him

[@finosuilleabhain7781]

How? By conducting and recording his music? An odd way of going about it.

[@jnsurg947]

Iannis Xernakis participated in anti-NAZIS Resistance in Greece. H had gunshot wound onhis face and lost his left eye in the battle against English after the withdrawal of Germans.

[@unified_method]

actually I heard that was beacause of a tank!

[@RPS3000]

he is so brilliant

[@videtivivideti]

♥

[@pinkasarp2250]

" in Athens, where he was also part of the anti-fascist and later anti-English underground movement. " - In Athens in 1944, the English / Churchill were fascists

[@jonasbaes3914]

"...the serial people were like fascists..." 4:29

[@Fasistoktonos_]

A true guerilla. Long live EAM-ELAS