Xenakis Iannis 1922 - 2001 (79)
“Do you realize that we're meteorites; almost as soon as we're born, we have to disappear?”
QUOTES
Music
To make music means to express human intelligence by sonic means. This is intelligence in its broadest sense, which includes not only the peregrinations of pure logic but also the "logic" of emotions and intuition. My musical techniques, although often rigorous in their internal structure, leave many openings through which the most complex and mysterious factors of the intelligence may penetrate.
Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) was a Greek composer, architect, mathematician, and engineer who made significant contributions to contemporary music and architecture. He studied engineering in Athens. He actively participated at the National Resistance as a member of the EAM and he was imprisoned by the occupying forces. In December of 1946 he was injured by a mud; he lost his left eye and his face was deformed. In 1947 he escaped to Paris where he studied music composition with Olivier Messiaen and other notable composers.
Xenakis was known for his use of mathematical models and computer technology in his compositions, which often featured complex rhythms and soundscapes. He also developed his own system of music notation called "UPIC," which allowed him to create music by drawing on a computer screen.
In addition to his work in music, Xenakis was also an accomplished architect, working with renowned architect Le Corbusier on several projects. He believed that architecture and music shared a fundamental connection, and he applied his mathematical and scientific knowledge to both fields.
Some of his notable works include "Metastasis" (1953-54), "Pithoprakta" (1955-56), "Persepolis" (1971), and "La Légende d'Eer" (1977-78). Xenakis received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the prestigious Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy in 1997. He died in Paris, on 4 February 2001