Choral Writing in Iannis Xenakis’ Late Compositions

Abstract

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of choral writing in the compositions of the outstanding representative of the postwar avant-garde Iannis Xenakis (1922–2001) created during his final creative decade. Examination is made of the questions of the correlation between the music and the words, the use of techniques of “phonemic composition” (Konstantin Floros) in the composer’s works Nekuia, Serment-Orkos, Knephas, Pour la paix, and Sea Nymphs. Special attention is given to a unique case of encoding of Arthur Rimbaud’s literary text in Xenakis’ composition Pu wijnuej we fyp. The vocal-orchestral work Nekuia, a central composition in the evolution of the composer’s choral writing, signified, along with the theme of Greek Antiquity, the existential problem range connected with the images of death, war and violence against personality. The present subject matter becomes determinative in Xenakis’ late choral compositions.

As part of textural analysis of the work the following parameters are disclosed as the main textural varieties: the newest techniques of “artificial reverberation” (Iannis Xenakis), elements of “diagonal texture” (Valentina Kholopova), types of exposition which are characteristic for the romanticist composers, the classical techniques of juxtaposition of soli — tutti. The main resources of the parameter of timbre include changes of the vocalization of the tone by means of a continuous transition from one vowel to another, sounded out successions of inhalations and exhalations, juxtapositions of ordinary and laryngeal singing, glissando, both in alternation with tremolo and carried out by means of overlapping. At the same time, starting with the composition Pour la paix, certain elements of Xenakis’ early writing return — “sound clouds” (Iannis Xenakis), the image of which is created by non-standardized cries, complementary contrapuntal texture characterized by thematic and rhythmic resemblance of independent voices. In total, all of this stipulates the bright individuality of Xenakis’ artistic method.

Keywords: contemporary choral music, postwar avant-garde, Iannis Xenakis, texture, phonemic composition, music and words