It is a fact that Xenakis' music is very mathematically and architecturally built; however, without a dark primordial force supporting its very dense structure, it remains an empty shell, without making any sense.
The first time I knew about Xenakis is when I was 18 years old and living in New York. I heard many people playing Xenakis' percussion music, especially one of his very popular classics, rebonds. I was not particularly moved or touched by the performances; I felt it was generally interpreted in a rather dry and boring way, as if Xenakis' essence and musical potential was not brought out.
It has been believed that Xenakis' music is very mathematical and architectural, and therefore it should be interpreted without human emotions, like the previously widely-believed dogma that Bach's music should be emotionless. I agree to some small extent- but I think the words are not precise enough. I believe Xenakis' music has to be performed BEYOND emotion, not WITHOUT emotion. It has to be connected with the reptile brain and instinct.
I remember that when I looked at the score of rebonds for the very first time, I had a vision of how I would like to interpret it. For me, it was obvious that the natural force of the "rebound" had to be integrated into the piece, musically and technically. Moreover, the persistent f and fff denote savageness.
So I played the way which felt musically right for me the very first time I performed Xenakis' rebonds a. I could see from my own internal sensations and from the audiences' reactions, that when I interpret from instinct rather than mind, it reaches something very deep in the audience, something ancient and primordial.
Mathematic is one small aspect of nature, and nature is a mystery. Fibonacci numbers and patterns exist in flowers, trees, shells, and countless other things, and we can all go on analyzing these numbers and patterns without tasting that beauty of nature, which is the most important.
I will write in depth about how I interpret Xenakis' Rebonds and Psappha- technically and musically. Please stay in tune.
Enjoy the beauty of the pictures below: Fibonacci numbers in nature.
April 11, 2015, in Nijmegen.
The first time I knew about Xenakis is when I was 18 years old and living in New York. I heard many people playing Xenakis' percussion music, especially one of his very popular classics, rebonds. I was not particularly moved or touched by the performances; I felt it was generally interpreted in a rather dry and boring way, as if Xenakis' essence and musical potential was not brought out.
It has been believed that Xenakis' music is very mathematical and architectural, and therefore it should be interpreted without human emotions, like the previously widely-believed dogma that Bach's music should be emotionless. I agree to some small extent- but I think the words are not precise enough. I believe Xenakis' music has to be performed BEYOND emotion, not WITHOUT emotion. It has to be connected with the reptile brain and instinct.
I remember that when I looked at the score of rebonds for the very first time, I had a vision of how I would like to interpret it. For me, it was obvious that the natural force of the "rebound" had to be integrated into the piece, musically and technically. Moreover, the persistent f and fff denote savageness.
So I played the way which felt musically right for me the very first time I performed Xenakis' rebonds a. I could see from my own internal sensations and from the audiences' reactions, that when I interpret from instinct rather than mind, it reaches something very deep in the audience, something ancient and primordial.
Mathematic is one small aspect of nature, and nature is a mystery. Fibonacci numbers and patterns exist in flowers, trees, shells, and countless other things, and we can all go on analyzing these numbers and patterns without tasting that beauty of nature, which is the most important.
I will write in depth about how I interpret Xenakis' Rebonds and Psappha- technically and musically. Please stay in tune.
Enjoy the beauty of the pictures below: Fibonacci numbers in nature.
April 11, 2015, in Nijmegen.
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