Xenakis: Kraanerg
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Music CD Cover Composer: Iannis Xenakis Conductor: Charles Zachary Bornstein Performer: ST-X Ensemble Xenakis USA Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 1997-07-01 Music Label: Asphodel Records Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for Xenakis: Kraanerg Album
Free Music Review: Brilliant, But Not for the Neophyte
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow...this is a sonic tour de force. Xenakis was one of the most uncompromising avant-gard composers and this is one of his most uncompromising works. And at 75 minutes, this one's not for the casual listener. Those with open ears, though will be rewarded with a work of fire and power. Kraanerg is a 70 plus minute "ballet for orchestra and tape". The orchestra in this case is more of a chamber orchestra with winds and brass predominating. The tape is mostly interspersed with orchestral sections, not subsumed into the texture as in the works of Nono, but it is effective, not obtrusive as in Varese's Deserts.
The work itself is a powerhouse. Xenakis is associated with his theories of "stochastic music" which use mathematical formula based on probability to generate seemingly random sound. As a result, Xenakis earned the reputation of being "cerebral". The reality is just the opposite. The stochastic procedures that Xenakis developed are just one part of his tonal palette, not the totality. Xenakis' music is fierce and passionately committed. And, along with Nono, Xenakis remained one of the few avant-garde composers who never compromised either artistic or political ideals. (Kraanerg is actually supposed to have been inspired by the 1968 Paris student protests, though I'm taking that fact from another reviewer, since the notes to this CD add precious little to your understanding of the piece.) The music is never sensuous, as Liegti can be; nor mystical, like Stockhausen, nor silly like Posseur, or "post-modern" like Berio. Xenakis is totally committed to his own stark sound world.
The performance, to the best of my ability to tell, is superb. The work is conducted with drive and power, the playing is spectacular and the recording quality is crisp and clear. But, if you are curious about Xenakis, don't start with this CD. There is a CD in the Bernstein Century Series called Music of Our Time which has a decent rendition of Pithopratka on it. This is a better place to start (the piece is only 10 minutes long and the CD is at bargain price, so if you don't like it, you aren't stuck with it!) Bernstein was not a great conductor of this music, but he did it well enough for a neophyte to get a sense of it.
If, however, you are already open to strong music, then get this CD. It's pwerful stuff and not for the wimpy!