Canon
Where to start with Xenakis
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralMetastasis, for 60 musicians
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ChamberPléïades, for 6 percussionists
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VocalA Hélène, for solo female voices, or female chorus or male chorus
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KeyboardA.r.
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StageAntikhthon, ballet for 86 or 60 musicians
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ChamberPsappha, for percussion solo
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ChamberAchorripsis, for 21 musicians
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ChamberAkea, for piano and string quartet
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ChamberAkrata, for 8 winds and 8 brass
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ChamberAroura, for 12 strings
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OrchestralAta, for 89 musicians
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VocalAïs, for amplified baritone, solo percussion and orchestra
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ChamberCharisma, for clarinet and cello
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ChamberDhipli Zyia, for violin and cello
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ChamberDikhthas, for violin and piano
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Xenakis's catalogueMost Popular
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Metastaseis
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Pithoprakta
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Nomos Alpha (cello)
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Pleiades (percussion)
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Eonta (piano + brass)
Most Acclaimed
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Persephassa (6 percussionists surrounding audience)
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Eonta
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Nuits (choral)
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Antikhthon
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Tetras (string quartet)
Most Weird
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Pithoprakta46 string players — the motion of gas molecules according to the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution applied to note placement; the score looks like a physics graph
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Polytope de Clunylaser + sound installation in a medieval building; light and sound as simultaneous sculpture
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UPIC (composing tool)he built a composing tool where you draw waveforms on a tablet; the drawings become sounds
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Terretektorhorchestra spread among the audience — 88 musicians scattered through the hall; the audience sits inside the orchestra
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Jonchaiesorchestra — walls of dense sound; one of the most physically overwhelming concert experiences
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 62
- Orchestral
- ● Metastasis, for 60 musicians
- Ata, for 89 musicians
- Dox-Orkh, for violin and 89 musicians
- Empreintes, for 85 musicians
- Epicycle, for cello and 12 musicians
- Erikhthon, for piano and 88 musicians
- Hiketides: Les suppliantes d'Eschyle, suite for brass instrument and string orchestra
- Jalons
- Jonchaies, for 109 musicians
- Keqrops, for piano and 92 musicians
- Krinoïdi, for 71 musicians
- Lichens, for 96 musicians
- Noomena, for 103 musicians
- Pithoprakta, for 49 musicians
- Roáï, for 90 musicians
- ST/48, for 48 musicians
- Shaar, for large string orchestra
- Synaphaï, for piano and 86 musicians
- Tracées, for 94 musicians
- Troorkh, for trombone and 89 musicians
- Chamber
- Pléïades, for 6 percussionists
- Psappha, for percussion solo
- Achorripsis, for 21 musicians
- Akea, for piano and string quartet
- Akrata, for 8 winds and 8 brass
- Aroura, for 12 strings
- Charisma, for clarinet and cello
- Dhipli Zyia, for violin and cello
- Dikhthas, for violin and piano
- Dmaathen, for oboe and percussion
- Embellie, for solo viola
- Hunem-Iduhey, for violin and cello
- Ikhoor, for string trio
- Keren, for trombone
- Kottos, for cello
- La Légende d'Eer, electroacoustic work for 7-channel tape
- Mikka, for violin
- Nomos Alpha, for solo cello
- Nyuyo, for 4 musicians
- Okho, for 3 percussionists
- Paille in the wind, for cello and piano
- Rebonds, for percussion solo
- Roscobeck, for cello and string bass
- ST/4, for string quartet
- Syrmos, for string ensemble of 18 or 36 players
- Tetora, for string quartet
- Tetras, for string quartet
- Theraps, for solo double bass
- Xas, for saxophone quartet
- Vocal
- A Hélène, for solo female voices, or female chorus or male chorus
- Aïs, for amplified baritone, solo percussion and orchestra
- Nuits, for 12 voices
- Oresteïa, for children's chorus, chorus and 12 musicians
- Serment-Orkos, for chorus of 32 voices
- Zyia, for soprano, male chorus, flute and piano
- Keyboard
- A.r.
- Evryali, for piano
- Herma
- Khoaï, for harpsichord
- Mists
- Naama, for harpsichord
- Stage
- Antikhthon, ballet for 86 or 60 musicians