Iannis Xenakis and the Ethics of Absolute Originality

Iannis Xenakis is one of the major composers of the 20th century. His influence is immense, because of his radicalism, his aesthetic, and the intransigence of his musical compositions. As an eternal immigrant, as he defined himself, he always refused to settle in any artistic, philosophical or human comfort. Throughout his life, leaving for new horizons, new landscapes, new discoveries has been a permanent ambition.

Gérard Pape, who worked for many years with Xenakis as Director of the Ateliers UPIC, is not only a composer, but also a psychoanalyst. This diversity of knowledge and expertise allows him, throughout this book, to enlighten the reader on issues related to musical composition. What does it mean to be a composer? Is it possible to get out of the duality between too strong an influence of the past and blind avant-gardism? Should we conceive logical and aesthetic systems that condition our choices?

Beyond the strict framework of music, this book is addressed to anyone who is looking for possible explanations of our vision of the world and our relationship to it. Who am I? What elements of my life really define me? Am I purely the product of a family and cultural heritage? What facets of my personality make me unique? How, finally, can I find a way to cultivate my idiosyncrasy through the different steps of liberation explained in these chapters?