Iannis Xenakis - Horos (Audio + Full Score)

Iannis Xenakis - Horos, for large orchestra of 89 musicians (1986)
Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor - Arturo Tamayo
A monumental orchestra piece reknown in Xenakis theory circles as being the first extensive usage of cellular automata. According to Makis Solomos, the opening harmonies derive from self-developing algorithms taken directly from an issue of Scientific American and used on Xenakis' hand computer - the strange numbering at m. 10 (4200410) is an example of this. The work is massive as befits its title - horos = landmark - and its focus is with rare exception on harmony. I'm not sure again if it can be called harmony becuase for the most part the entire chromatic gamut is in play often in varying registrations - this is almsot an organ piece in its orchestration. So the strings play shifting colors of the chromatic complement over which the winds play the chromatic complement at a different speed with interjections from the brass - the entire pitch spectrum is so saturated that we don't hear it as such. Only when the winds come in with a high Lutoslawski-esque usage of a pelog-like scale do we get a reprieve before it happens again. By the end of the piece - a massive solid sonority with quicker interjections by various groups at quarter = 15 - we feel like we are hearing the whole spectrum when I don't believe we are. This is perhaps the most Messiaen-ic of the Xenakis works I've heard until now and seems to be pointing in a different direction - though its my belief that Xenakis didn't use the automata very much more owing to the difficulty of calculating out the pitches.
- Todd Tarantino
"Another approach to the mystery of sounds is the use of cellular automata which I have employed in several instrumental compositions these past few years. This can be explained by an observation which I made: scales of pitch (sieves) automatically establish a kind of global musical style, a sort of macroscopic "synthesis" of musical works, much like a spectrum of frequencies, or iterations, of the physics of particles. Internal symmetries or their dissymmetries are the reason behind this. Therefore, through a discerning logico-aesthetic choice of "non-octave" scales, we can obtain very rich simultaneities (chords) or linear successions which revive and generalize tonal, modal or serial aspects. It is on this basis of sieves that cellular automata can be useful in harmonic progressions which create new and rich timbric fusions with orchestral instruments. Examples of this can be found in works of mine such as Ata, Horos."
- Iannis Xenakis, 1992
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[@sonder152]

So Cosmic, so gigantic, so powerful. Brings back a lot of memories. (because I don't listen to Xenakis these days nearly as much as I used to)

[@Berliozboy]

Been searching for this score for a few years now. Thank you so much

[@machida5114]

so good...

[@danterosati]

major masterpiece

[@michaeleaton222]

Hell yes, thank you!

[@maximilianosotomayorga4977]

finale goes waaaaaiiiiiiiiiiobllllliiiiiibibibiiiipapapapaisiaiaiiapapapaisiananabahhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiibububuuubooooooooooooooooooooooooochhahhhhhaaaalllaaaaaalalallalalalalalalallppapapaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiioaiaiaiauaiaieieeeeeeeeeeeeeeelaaaleeelaaaliiilaaalliiiiiiipaaaaaaalleeeeelaaiiilliiiiaaaeeeiiiiaaaaiieeiiiiiaaaiiiiiiiiiitaaataatiiitatuuuuulaaabababbeeeebiiibaaabeebebaabiiioobaaaaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaprrrrrrrrrrvbrrrrrrrrrrrmmmamammaannannenennamnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaahahaaahaaaaacacaaaababaaaaaanannanananaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapapapaapapapapapeepaariiiaappaieieppaaaaaallalalalalalalyayayaanananananaaaneeeniiinaaaaneeeniiinuuuuunaaaaneeeniiiiiiauauuauiuiuiuoiiiuaaaaauiuiuiuiuiaaaaaaaaaaaaaauiuiuiuiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauauauauauua

[@AnatoArchives]

I agree. I love when it goes prrrrrrrrrrvbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmamammaanna

[@Cleekschrey]

omg

[@menschikle]

so good...