Apartment House
Iannis Xenakis Keren
Mathias Spahlinger Vier Stücke**, adieu m’amour**
James Clarke Independence, Red Skies, Isolation, Deformierte Texte**, Verstörung, AfterglowIannis Xenakis's Keren (1986) for solo trombone exemplifies his architectural and physical approach to composition. The title, meaning “horn” in Hebrew, is apt: the piece is sculpted from sharp, angular gestures and explosive outbursts. It is rhythmically primal and technically demanding, built on Xenakis’s signature stochastic processes and thick glissandi, giving the illusion of raw improvisation controlled through rigorous design.
Mathias Spahlinger’s Vier Stücke (Four Pieces) and adieu m’amour reflect his critical and deconstructive approach to musical language. Spahlinger’s works often examine the limitations and assumptions of musical expression, frequently incorporating extended techniques, silence, and a refusal of narrative closure. Vier Stücke is notable for fragmentary forms and a kind of sonic self-awareness, while adieu m’amour may hint, ironically or elegiacally, at the deconstruction of romantic or expressive tropes.
James Clarke is strongly represented here, with six works showcasing the breadth of his output. Independence, Red Skies, and Isolation may share themes of separation and introspection, common to Clarke’s often sparse, tension-filled idiom. Deformierte Texte (Deformed Texts) signals his interest in musical syntax as something unstable or eroded, potentially engaging with post-structuralist ideas. Verstörung, also featured in a previous concert (and meaning “disturbance” in German), is typically stark and emotionally intense. Afterglow might suggest a rare moment of repose, though Clarke’s aesthetic resists sentimentality, favouring elusive gestures and ambiguous time.
Hans-Joachim Hespos’s Point is in keeping with his reputation for radical experimentation. Hespos’s music is theatrical, explosive, and deeply physical, often breaking the boundaries of traditional instrumental technique. Point may involve graphic notation, performative gestures, or noise-based timbres. His music stands apart for its confrontation with the body, the instrument, and the very idea of a “musical work”.
This programme is a compelling study in European avant-garde extremes, contrasting rigorous structure with radical expressionism.
Xenakis and Hespos represent different versions of elemental force: Xenakis via mathematics and architectural mass, Hespos through physicality and raw gesture. Yet both composers bypass traditional syntax, favouring sonic experience over formal development.
Spahlinger, by contrast, interrogates form and musical discourse itself. His works are not only sounds but critical essays in musical material, drawing attention to the construction of meaning and the failure of expression. He sits intellectually closer to Clarke, who similarly explores disruption, fragmentation, and alienation, but with a cooler, more abstract surface.
Clarke’s dominance in this programme offers insight into his evolution as a composer: from the sparse angularity of Verstörung to the perhaps more personal or philosophical undertones in Afterglow. His works form a kind of micro-cycle within the concert, showing how a modernist idiom can contain a surprising range of nuance and emotion.
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