Iannis Xenakis - Metastasis (Spectral View)

Metastasis or Metastaseis ("dialectic transformations"), is an orchestral work by Iannis Xenakis, a Greek composer-architect and a major figure in the postwar development of musical modernism worldwide. He is particularly remembered for the pioneering use of stochastic mathematical techniques in his compositions, including probability (Maxwell-Boltzmann kinetic theory of gases, aleatory distribution of points on a plane, minimal constraints, Gaussian distribution, Markov chains), game theory, group theory, Boolean algebra and Brownian motion.

Metastasis was inspired by Einstein's view of time (a function of matter & energy) and structured on mathematical ideas by Xenakis's colleague Le Corbusier. The 1st and 3rd movements don't have a melodic theme to hold them together, but rather depend on the strength of this conceptualization of time. The 2nd movement does have some sort of melodic element. A fragment of a 12-tone row is used, with durations based on the Fibonacci sequence (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34...)

The preliminary sketch for Metastasis was in graphic notation looking more like a blueprint than a musical score, showing graphs of mass motion and glissandi like structural beams of the piece, with sound frequencies on one axis and time on the other. In this video I tried to display this by presenting the frequency spectrum (0-20.000Hz) of the piece and how Xenakis actually "drew" music.

SWF Symphony Orchestra
Hans Rosbaud, conductor
October 1955

Category:

Music

Tags:

• xenakis
• metastaseis
• metastasis
• avant-garde
• contemporary
• Darmstädter
• architecture

[xylenz]

Now we know where the THX theme came from.

[ryanquist1]

this should be on guitar hero.

[karoloandria]

@BagelBites48

the first partt is in H flat, the second part is on J double flat locran

[franciscodls3]

1:42 Part scared me... Amazing... Simply amazing...

[Dionasa]

@justinbieberforking lol

[mehegama]

@painkiller901901

koita an to les sovara mallon berdeveis to protoporiako gia thn epoxhvpeirama, me thn mousikh.. afto to pragma den einai mousikh.. eleos

an pali oxi me sygxwreis

[rachelseagroatt]

I first came across this piece about two years ago. I have tried to listen to the whole thing about three times and have got further and further as I have. This time I got to1:44. See you next year. Sincerely, a terrified Rachel.

[doutorronaldo]

1:04 oh my god

[gustavoturm]

@BigRed4231 I guess this kind of music does not deal with the concept of key in the same way the music you know.

[BagelBites48]

@BigRed4231 Key of H-flat

[BanjoDelivrance]

....ouch,scared music,genius!

[BigRed4231]

Wich key is this in?