Synergy Percussion - Xenakis 'Pleiades'

Synergy Presents Pleiades by Iannis Xenakis (written 1978) at Angel Place Recital Hall June 2011. All images Mike K. Chin.


in 2008, Synergy Percussion performed an excerpt from the magnum opus by the world's greatest composer for percussion, Iannis Xenakis. Peter McCallum of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "Synergy's brilliant tussling with this complex score made one hope that a generous soul might endow the resources for the complete Pleiades in the future."

OnWednesday 8 June, 2011 Synergy performed the complete 'Pleiades' at City Recital Hall Angle Place, Sydney to rave review.

Composer, architect, soldier, mathematician and a pioneer of electronic music, Xenakis created brilliant works for percussion which expressed poetic beauty, his terrible experiences as a Greek resistance fighter during World War II, and his obsession with the intricate layers of mathematics and architecture.

Composed in 1978, this is a true symphony for percussion written in four movements for six musicians. Named after the hot blue star cluster of Pleiades, located in the constellation of Taurus, this dynamic music of organised chaos delivers a galaxy of sound - elemental, tribal, and kaleidoscopic as celestial showers of percussive colours ricochet between the players.

Ten years after his death, the rarely performed Pleiades remains uneclipsed in its epic scale, complexity and ability to take audiences on an unforgettable journey.
With a stage overflowing with drums, marimbas and vibraphones, the work also features Sixxens, crazy micro-tonal metal instruments especially built for this piece.

Synergy Percussion is Australia's premier percussion group, having performed at festivals and concert venues around the world during its 35 year history. This once-in-a-lifetime concert experience continues Synergy's exploration of the classic giants of contemporary percussion music.

For more information about Synergy go to http://synergypercussion.com/synergy/default.aspx
Synergy's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/synergypercussion
Synergy's Twitter http://www.twitter.com/synergyaust

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