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4.0 out of 5 stars
One masterpiece and three lesser works, Dec 3 2003
This is the third volume in Timpani's ongoing series of the orchestral works of Iannis Xenakis. As in previous volumes, this disc couples a bona-fide classic with lesser works (an almost inevitable result given Xenakis' prodigious but inconsistent output).The classic is the 1969 work Synaphaï, Xenakis' first venture into the world of the concerto format. This is a sixteen-minute torrent of raging power for piano and large orchestra, a work whose energy never lets up for one moment. At first the piano is part of the orchestra, but as the work progresses it becomes more and more the dominant instrument until the exhilarating close, where the piano sweeps down in a whirlwind of notes from the top to the bottom of the keyboard, only accompanied by the pounding of drums. This is a real white-knuckle ride, and a work that deserves to be much better known than it is (I think this may indeed be its first recording). Eridanos comes from three years later. At eleven minutes this is a shorter work, and also a more discursive one. There are some electrifying moments (for example an astonishing pizzicato section about three minutes in) without the whole gelling in the same way Synaphaï does. Nonetheless, it's still a work worth heading. The late works, Horos (1986) and Kyania (1990) are rather less impressive. As in much of late Xenakis, the whole orchestra is often treated as a single instrument, playing big block chords together, in fairly regular rhythms. The sound is much darker than in the earlier pieces, and much more monolithic, but there is a tendency to rhythmic stagnation; while I will listen to these works occasionally, there is no mistaking that they are not Xenakis at his best. Despite reservations, this is a valuable disc. As with all recordings in this series, the performances are excellent; the commitment of the conductor and orchestra overcoming any concerns that the Luxembourg Philharmonic wouldn't be up to performing Xenakis' technically difficult brand of modernism. For fans, this disc is a must-buy (anyone who likes Xenakis will need a recording of Synaphaï); newcomers might do better to start with the Arditti Quartet's double CD or the collection on Col Legno.
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