Iannis Xenakis - Jonchaies (1977) pour grand orchestre

Jonchaies (1977) for large orchestra
Composer: Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001)
Performers: Orchestre philharmonique du Luxembourg, dir. Arturo Tamayo
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"Written in 1977, over twenty years after his breakthrough score Metastasis, Jonchaies represents the apex of Iannis Xenakis’ orchestral output. As a trained engineer, the Greek composer spent much of his career experimenting with the application of complex mathematical techniques to the compositional process, implementing ideas from statistics, set theory and geometry to arrive at what he called stochastic music. Whilst Jonchaies is a culmination of many of these compositional practices, it is remarkable amongst Xenakis’ works for betraying a palpable sense of the composer’s personality, augmenting its more cerebral concerns with a prominent communicative dimension.
Scored for 109 musicians, Jonchaies is a piece on an immeasurable scale - even by this composer’s colossal standards - and, despite being cast in a single continuous movement, the score proceeds as a series of self-contained miniatures which explore wildly oscillating orchestral timbres. Devoid of any common thematic thread, the only thing binding the various sections together is their shared level of uncompromising intensity. This is extremely physical music; from the rasping, drunken brass glissandos to the ever-present incisive thrust of the strings, Xenakis magnifies and extrapolates each textural idea until the aural surface of Jonchaies is a teeming collage of exaggerated sounds and timbres. The variety and eccentricity of its orchestration is Jonchaies’ most enduring quality, transmitting the brutality of Xenakis’ musical vision in a vibrant stream of clashing colours and evocative imagery.
The viscerality of Jonchaies is directly at odds with the all too common characterisation of Xenakis’ music as overly clinical and scientific. Xenakis has said himself that his precise mathematical approaches to composition will only satisfy the listener if the composer displays a “certain flair”; indeed, his motivation behind developing these techniques was not to take the composer’s hand out of the creative process by enforcing a strict set of predefined rules. Instead, Xenakis aimed to free composition from the shackles of hackneyed conventions, unlocking a wealth of new possibilities for musical expression.
This ambition is brilliantly realised on Jonchaies. This music is saturated with a thrilling sense of drama and spectacle indicative of Xenakis’ desire to propel his music beyond its rigorous mathematical inception. Jonchaies could broadly be described as a duel between opposing sections of the orchestra, as thunderous clusters of brass and percussion collide with the insistent stoicism of the string section, crashing together in a glorious, elemental cacophony which is far removed from any sort of dry intellectual exercise: Jonchaies is tempestuous, naturalistic and utterly enthralling music.
Jonchaies can be divided into five main sections. [...] having opened with one of Xenakis’ characteristic glissandos, the piece settles into a highly lyrical passage comprising a web of strings punctuated by interjections from the percussion instruments. [...] a hesitant figure in the strings introduces the most rhythmically vitalised section of Jonchaies. The momentum of this passage is constantly derailed by various musical lines moving in opposition to the dominant pulse [...]. The fleeting third section [...] sees insistent statements from the strings and percussion supported by a backdrop of wailing wind instruments. The music then abruptly opens out into a spacious passage of glissandos in the brass before the strings re-enter [...] to begin the fifth and final passage of the piece. In this closing section the thrashing mass of musical elements gradually thins to reveal the high tones of the piccolos - as if Jonchaies has completely imploded, its energy compressed into a single piercing screech."
~Thomas May
Source: articulatesile...
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For education, promotion and entertainment purposes only. If you have any copyrights issue, please write to unpetitabreuvoir(at)gmail.com and I will delete this video.

[@conradthe2]

This makes me happier than it probably should lol

[@bbblyestudio2559]

First time I listened to this I was pretty astonished at how violent and barbaric it was. I already loved pieces like the Rite of Spring so when I found out this was going to be playing at the BBC Proms, I was pretty skeptical at how it would be since I thought it was a bit overwhelming. Never in my experience of live performances had I encountered a piece with such power delivering an atmosphere which is indescribable. With each of the drums resonating with my whole body, this truly was an unforgettable experience, listening to this live. I really appreciate this composer and the complexity and depth of this piece, which is unlike anything I've ever heard.

[@alejov923]

Seeing this piece played live is one of my biggest dreams. It's a pity the BBC did not streamed or taped that concert. What a missed opportunity.

[@jonn.5568]

@@alejov923 Having just been to a concert of Xenakis' music I think it really has to be heard live. It's that intense.

[@nafisaobrien880]

Reminds me of varese deserts and the rite of spring by Stravinsky channeled into one new hybrid.

[@agramsci7976]

The audacity and sheer energy is incomparable. I'm in awe.

[@Dampzombieslayer]

This is one of my favorite pieces of music, so raw and unhinged yet beautifully tragic in a way. Very nice :]

[@saraondo2698]

Xenakis, the embodiment of oragnized chaos. I remember as a kid listening to him and wondering how he can make an orchestra sound like a jet engine. "She dances in the wind ",Threnody for Frank Zappa "

[@uwuch1]

this is insane. the sound is almost paralyzing, especially if you listen to without moving and with blank mind for the first 5 minutes

[@davidjdjohnson7205]

Stochastic music is almost the opposite of serial composition which (like almost all earlier music) started from a musical microcosm, a single line, and grew it outwards (but sometimes in a rather rigid way). Instead Xenakis started from the overall principles governing the movements of massed sounds and worked down to the individual lines that make it up, only at the end. It was a response to music that had become too complex for the organisation to be audible.

[@-.a]

Ratio

[@WinterandNoodle]

@@-.a Grow up

[@RoboSlaughter]

this is what he aimed for but its a rather grandiose notion and he arguably did not suceed - "the movements of massed sounds" is a musical microcosm, just as statistical mechanics is only one part of physics. He was also too dismissive of fourier analysis which undermines a lot of his ideas about the outside/inside time.

[@bernab]

One thing I am sure: Xenakis doesn't sound at all serialistic. It sounds brutal, dramatic, dynamic, and like he uses sound for dramatic changes of dynamics and rhythm

[@joethelionjoethelion]

Tonal Textural Unforced drama Element of repetition Sudden contrast Love it!

[@reallyidrathernot.134]

this is the first time i've enjoyed listening to music in years.

[@georgemorley1029]

Excited to catch this along with the rite of spring this proms season! Clear derivations.

[@diabl2master]

It was wonderful

[@jacobbass6437]

8:47 Love how he builds up to the sound of the tires screeching and the whistle. It sounds so good.

[@yagiz885]

3:53 EPIC MOMENT!

[@deciph_7563]

Stravinsky: 😤

[@agolooritte3057]

@@deciph_7563 rite of copyright

[@vine2197]

INDEED

[@migs_xyz]

@‮sinihcam ed mueD sus

[@MicoAquinoComposer]

@@agolooritte3057 copyrite of spring

[@PieroEm1977]

Excelente!! Bárbaro increíble música , me encanta que hermosa es , excelente pleno 2023 !! ♥️♥️♥️🙌🙌🙌🙌🙏🙏🙏

[@giuseppecirciello356]

This speaks to my soul in ways that I did not imagine like possible. This is a delirious piece of art.

[@mruberduck]

What a fabulously exciting piece!

[@h.k.9081]

Xenakis, who was born in Greece and studied music in Paris, was in the mainstream of European traditional music, but his music does not feel human. 　His music was about to go beyond humanity.

[@mgaaupetit1509]

Ixenakis IS indeed " BEYOND ".....JUST A GENIUS..as an avant - garde componist . As à mathemetiker , as an architect....

[@siavashsafari3795]

This is what we'd like to hear

[@samuelcamak]

I’m amazed, wow !

[@h7rh]

Incredible ~ beautiful.

[@mikeg2924]

Magnificent!

[@brianzayman2228]

Even though Xenakis felt he was not influenced by Eastern music, the beginning melody is very gamelan-like.

[@georgemorley1029]

Yes I was just thinking that. The similarity of this piece to the soundtrack for Secret of Mana (no, seriously!) especially a big boss fight at the end is quite striking.

[@fenrirwolf7238]

Because he’s using the Pelog scale 😅

[@johnsmith-mv8hq]

This is what I listen to when reading Garth Marenghi novels. Perfect accompaniment.

[@angelkyriakides9043]

xenakis is very beautiful

[@SteveCournane]

What a score. Bravo

[@christopher60s]

Such a great piece.

[@mgaaupetit1509]

Such à GREAT man !

[@Antipaavi]

Merci pour la partition!

[@PepperWilliams_songcovers]

I'm revisiting this masterful piece again on February 15, 2023. Stravinsky and Bernard Herrmann "shines through" this brilliant composition.

[@richt4285]

Like burnt toast.

[@menschikle]

so good...

[@audunstolpe7408]

Holy shit! I had no idea! Why did nobody tell me? Life will never be the same.

[@archangel4597]

great music to study to. highly recommend !

[@plekkchand]

Yes, don't pay attention to it, I'm sure that's what the composer would have wanted.

[@nisinduperera7130]

Thank you Ad Nauseam

[@PepperWilliams_songcovers]

Starts off with "Psycho" by the great Bernard Herrmann.

[@yrockerboy]

then becomes Jaws

[@noriemeha]

Bernard who was infuenced in his composition by Pohjola's Daughter (Sibelius).

[@0.melomanea.0]

Gracias!

[@SantiagoQuinto]

Le Sacre du fin de siecle

[@BrianJosephMorgan]

Tremendous.

[@dominiquelanglois5425]

Cela me rend folle !!!

[@ranblake3165]

Intense ,fascinating !

[@kuang-licheng402]

very good

[@instrumentalist28]

I wonder what would have happened if xen was chosen to play for close encounters of the 3rd kind.... probably been a different ending...

[@hayerwhophtow6700]

Je connais peu d’œuvres aussi évocatrices que celle-ci. Pour moi c'est un résumé sonore des horreurs de XXème siècle, proportionnées par les avancées technologiques. Quel siècle aurait pu accoucher une musique d'une telle violence ? C'est effrayant, c'est terrible, c'est intenable, mais pensez au génocide arménien ou celui des Tutsis, à Buchenwald, au bombardement de Dresde, aux meurtres en masse de Staline, aux bombes atomiques...cette soif d'auto-destruction que l’être humain, dans sa révolte d'être mortel, n'arrive pas à contrôler.

[@mgaaupetit1509]

L œuvre, parmi tant d autres , d un GENIE.

[@vicenteariassanz1109]

Excelente obra .

[@mold971]

3:53 yeehaw

[@Thehillsfamily2009]

About as intense if not more than the sample-based Silent Hill soundtracks, but achieved acoustically in a live setting. What a composition!!

[@Rene_Wohlhauser]

Congratulation Arturo! Good work.

[@brianmorgan4623]

Bravo.

[@barramundi1807]

que maravilloso...

[@pavlosagatzan8697]

une oeuvre titanesque...

[@agolooritte3057]

Everyone listening to shostakovick is gangsta until listening to this

[@schneiderFFF]

Broooo that's literally what happened to me

[@agolooritte3057]

@@schneiderFFF but do you like them both?

[@schneiderFFF]

@@agolooritte3057 yea

[@agolooritte3057]

@@schneiderFFF shosta 15 mvt 1 or 4? Or can t decide

[@schneiderFFF]

@@agolooritte3057 i would have said 3rd movement, but 1 is better than 4 in my opinion

[@georgedousis]

Woooooow!!!

[@vinderesual]

like javanese traditional music

[@__414.88b_]

So overwhelming

[@__414.88b_]

Final chapter: hannibal reveals who he really is

[@user-yy2ej8oi7j]

Самый лютейший музыкальный замес который я когда-либо слышал вакханалия

[@josephinebennington7247]

Would anyone notice if I played a bum note (notes)?

[@Iumine]

This sounds like what going through a car wash looks like

[@ulfingvar1]

I wonder what Zappa thought of Xenakis. There are shades of Varése here...

[@MrInterestingthings]

Yes!!! the first interesting commentary here.

[@RodroVT]

3:54 Me playing vs Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII

[@1bateleur]

OH OUAISSSSS

[@saveliykudriavsev2193]

8:59 ❤

[@notice_your_breathing]

Holy fuck! This is genius!!

[@umiyama7166]

出だし、♪ねんねんころりよ、おころりよ♪って日本の子守歌に聞こえて、えっ？ってなった。 クセナキスの曲って日本人ぽい

[@theeab1993]

This is great but makes me think of horror situations

[@user-ng5ie5og1w]

11:46

[@rumpraisin]

What a racket!

[@roccocicoria4888]

Le Sacre....

[@fernandoc5204]

ay wey

[@charmand79]

This fella's creations have always twisted my stomach. Its like consuming two large tuna steaks with chocolate syrup on top and a large portion of mac and cheese on the side. Like, why?

[@brarroyo22]

This reminds me of Penderecki’s “Threnody to the victims of Hiroshima”

[@RevanHorner]

Aliens.

[@user-mb3lp8md7o]

sounds like something from a horror movie

[@philipconnelly1505]

You must be watching some great horror films in that case!

[@ibealgoody2666]

I like how throwing paint on paper is now 'music'

[@jacobbass6437]

Well that depends on what you call music. The most common definition is “a series of intentional sounds”. By this definition this is very much music. This is a definition my university thought was great, so Id say it’s worth using it.

[@ibealgoody2666]

@@jacobbass6437 In my mind, music or art has to be a combination of skill and originality. This piece contains only one of the two.

[@jacobbass6437]

@@ibealgoody2666. Nice definition. I do like that it takes a more artistic aspect that my definition doesn’t, though should include. I’d say by you definition this is music. This not only requires very skilled musicians as well as conductor, but the craftsmanship of Xenakis’ orchestration is truly magnificent. To carefully design each and every instrument to come together like this is very difficult and I’d say he did it. As for originality, this very much has a “Xenakis” feel to it. The polyrhythms, the use of polyphony, and the dense but simple harmonic language, and the extreme precision of rhythm makes his music his own and very original.

[@yolo-sy6zl]

@@jacobbass6437 what does the uni define as good music?

[@yolo-sy6zl]

@@jacobbass6437 I think it varies from person to person. But I fail to see how this is objectively distinguishable from a 3 year old throwing paint at paper (excuse the hyperbole)

[@robertridley9279]

Sounds like a Charles Ives song.

[@migs_xyz]

Charles Ives SONG?!

[@Cryseris]

S O N G!?

[@kgroveringer03]

S O N G ? !

[@robertridley9279]

Yes. In English, pieces of music are called "songs," regardless of whether people are actually singing.

[@robertridley9279]

​@migs_xyz yes. Specifically "Putnam's Camp," since that's the one I'm most familiar with.

[@godemperormeow8591]

This music is not good. Not sorry. He just like took away the story element that goes into Orchestra and just smashes a bunch of keys calling it art.

[@solarean]

Xenakis was an architect and a mathematician, and in his pieces he uses all sorts of formulas to make his pieces- essentially transforming mathematics into art. That takes an immense amount of skill, just imagine what sort of things it must have taken to make such a titanic piece. It takes some time getting used to, and it definitely isn’t easy to listen to in first place, but Xenakis was just amazing.

[@benaraujomusic]

It's not the music that isn't good. YOU are not good. How dare you talk about Xenakis like this!

[@Quxfg]

Music in this regard is in essence a deconstruction of traditional musical laws which govern general music compositions - this case being 'traditional classical music. Mind you these compositions are not 'a complete degeneration into chaotic noise-music masquerading as pretentious avant-gardism'. It is, as @hyperthesi explains, composed within a mathematical framework, with a desire to transform mathematics into art. Mind you that music mustn't be stricken to the narrativity which you claim to be imperative to enjoying music.

[@shadowchasernql]

well if its not good why does it emotionally affect me?

[@espressonoob]

what a horrifying mistake.

[@espressonoob]

@Evil Santa no just a mistake it was written and recorded.

[@espressonoob]

@Evil Santa I don't know why you're defending screeching, ear offending, nyc traffic equivalent noise as music lol.

[@espressonoob]

@Evil Santa wow! noise!

[@nobody90190]

@@espressonoob I enjoy it for what it is, absolute wall of noise which gives off an intense feeling, but stochastic music is just an evolution of serialism... not much else, so I don’t really see the point of it from a conceptual point, however don’t just disregard it because some compositional thought went into this piece, though I prefer Renaissance or Baroque period music I’m all for modernist stuff

[@marinewelsh9927]

Your opinion is valid. I disagree though

[@machida5114]

so good...

[@machida5114]

Xenakis' works are very easy for anyone to appreciate

[@menschikle]

i also feel so

[@barramundi1807]

indeed

[@yat_ii]

​@@machida5114my brother doesn't appreciate xenakis :(