by Christopher Fulkerson
The Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis was a colossus, and this 75 minute ballet Kraanerg ("Head Energy") is probably his greatest work.
We are fortunate to have this document of the piece boldly and lovingly commissioned and presented originally, to their eternal credit, by the Canadians in the late 1960s. As of the time of this writing in 2009, this is probably the finest visual document yet made of a major masterpiece of contemporary music. The performance is superb, really mesmerizing from beginning to end. It only adds to the effect that the conductor looks like a wiry Gustav Mahler; for those with imagination, this may give you your best idea of that master in action (known, like this conductor, Stephen Drury, for the clarity of his beat, and what Webern called the rightness of his tempi; the quality of Drury's conducting here simply does not let up: nor, appropriately, does the energy). The occasional visuals added over it do not detract in any way, and add exactly the kind of touches that Xenakis might have wanted. This music comes at least as close as any ever written to putting the human mind in touch with the vastest forces of nature, indeed on the order of whole planets, yet with butterflies and pure water not left out (these examples are suggested by the visuals).
The DVD includes an intelligent dialogue between two historians, both Xenakis experts, and a good interview with the sound editor of the new edition of the tape part. Most of the world is pretty much unaware of it, but while pop music is destroying Western Civilization and Classical music is degenerating into a simplistic minimalist market product peddled in stadia, the French are defending the real, that is living, Classical tradition better than anybody else, and this piece, and the whole project, are mathematical proof that the music merits the defense. Perhaps the French aspect of the project (the original dance rehearsals were all in French), and their upholding of the best of contemporary music, lets them deserve one gesture of chauvenism: it is somewhat to be lamented that there are no supertitles of Mrs. Xenakis's comments, which are left in French. But for those who speak French, that gesture will not remain a mystery.
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This article has been updated since it was posted at Netflix. Last updated 12/7/2009