Known for drawing unusual sonorities from conventional instruments, Xenakis strangely left the piano's potential for novel sounds unexplored. In these works, Xenakis stays on the keyboard without so much as a plucked string or any use of gadgetry to alter the instrument's sound. Although that might make these pieces appear less radical, even "safe," Xenakis exploits every other option available.
The working relationship between Stefano Scodanibbio and the Arditti Quartet has existed since the mid 80’s. I remember very well looking at his first Quartet ‘Visas,’ which included some very unusual harmonics for the string instruments. These harmonics are very difficult to play and originate from Stefanos’s great command and knowledge of double bass. I suppose in the beginning of our relationship, I needed convincing that these techniques were actually possible on the violin.
The Donaueschingen Festival (Donaueschinger Musiktage) is a festival for new music that takes place in Donaueschingen in south-western Germany every October. This prestigious festival was founded in 1921 and is one of the oldest festivals for contemporary music in the world. NEOS presents the highlights of the 2016 festival in high resolution and surround technique. All works on the two SACDs are live recordings of the world premieres recorded between 14 and 16 October 2016, performed by artists like the British soprano Juliet Fraser, the trombonist Mike Svoboda, renowned ensembles like the Arditti Quartet, Klangforum Wien, ensemble recherche and the SWR Symphonieorchester.
Since 1991, a complete edition of all recordings in which Karlheinz Stockhausen has personally participated is being released on compact discs. Each CD in this series is identified by Stockhausen's signature followed by an encircled number. The numbers indicate the general historical order of the works. Stockhausen realised the electronic music and participated in these recordings as conductor, performer, sound projectionist, and musical director. He personally mixed down the recordings, mastered them for CDs, wrote the texts and drew the covers.
György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" and "one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time".