Canon
Where to start with Varèse
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
ChamberIonisation, for 13 percussion instruments
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OrchestralAmériques
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VocalEcuatorial, for bass, chorus, brass, piano, organ, 2 ondes martenots, and percussion
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OrchestralArcana
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OrchestralDeserts
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OrchestralPoeme électronique
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OrchestralDensity 21.5, for flute and orchestra
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ChamberDensity 21.5, for solo flute
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ChamberDéserts for brass, percussion, piano, and tape
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ChamberHyperprisme, for winds and percussion
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OrchestralHyperprisms
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ChamberIntégrales, for 11 winds and 4 percussionists
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VocalNocturnal, for soprano, chorus of basses, and chamber orchestra
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ChamberOctandre, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and double bass
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OrchestralOffrandes - Chanson De La-Haut
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Varèse's catalogueMost Popular
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Ionisation (percussion ensemble)
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Amériques (orchestra)
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Density 21.5 (solo flute)written for a platinum flute
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Hyperprism
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Octandre
Most Acclaimed
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Déserts (orchestra + tape)
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Poème Electronique
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Intégrales
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Ecuatorial
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Arcana
Most Weird
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Poème Electronique1958 Brussels World’s Fair — 400 speakers surrounding 15,000 visitors; the building was designed by Le Corbusier with Xenakis; the building has been demolished
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Ionisation1931 — the first Western concert work for pure percussion ensemble (no pitch instruments); shockingly ahead of its time
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Ecuatorialbass voices + brass + organ + ondes Martenot; Mayan text; thunderous and alien
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Arcanaorchestra — Paracelsus epigram; massive and violent; the brass writing is extreme
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Désertsorchestra + pre-recorded tape; the tape sections are played between the orchestral sections — pure electronic sound alternating with acoustic instruments (1950)
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 20
- Chamber
- ● Ionisation, for 13 percussion instruments
- Density 21.5, for solo flute
- Déserts for brass, percussion, piano, and tape
- Hyperprisme, for winds and percussion
- Intégrales, for 11 winds and 4 percussionists
- Octandre, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, and double bass
- Poème électronique, for tape
- Orchestral
- Amériques
- Arcana
- Deserts
- Poeme électronique
- Density 21.5, for flute and orchestra
- Hyperprisms
- Offrandes - Chanson De La-Haut
- Offrandes - La Croix Du Sud
- Tuning Up
- Vocal
- Ecuatorial, for bass, chorus, brass, piano, organ, 2 ondes martenots, and percussion
- Nocturnal, for soprano, chorus of basses, and chamber orchestra
- Offrandes, for soprano and chamber orchestra
- Un grand sommeil noir, song for voice and orchestra