Greek composer Iannis Xenakis ranks as a leading and original innovator of music in the second half of the 20th century and, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Wiener Festwochen have invited French choreographer Emmanuelle Huynh to apply her artistic vision to the iconic work Kraanerg. The work was originally composed in 1968 as ballet music for 23 instruments and analogue tape. The title, which is a compound of two Greek words, stands for the hopes of the youth movement at the time, rising up to bring about change in the prevailing political, social and ideological systems. Under the musical direction of Sylvain Cambreling, the Klangforum Wien unleashes its dense mass of sound, loud and furious. For this stage version, Huynh has collaborated closely with lighting designer Caty Olive. Together, they give the extraordinary composition a multidisciplinary framework, entirely in keeping with Xenakis’s own visions. It is a concert packed with energy and rebellion. And filled with utopian ideas.

Text: Wiener Festwochen
Photo: Reinhold Friedl