Background and performance considerations of Iannis Xenakis' "Psappha", for percussion solo

Author

John Ronald Johnson, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Date of Award

6-1-1993

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Music (MMUS)

Department

Music

Abstract

The works of Iannis Xenakis combine the influences of mathematics, architecture and music. Xenakis views these not as three separate worlds, but one entity resulting from logical thought. Through his work with stochasticism and other compositional techniques, Xenakis has broken new ground in twentieth-century music. In 1976, Xenakis was commissioned to write Psappha, for Percussion Solo, a work for membranophones, metallophones and wooden idiophones. This paper examines the characteristics of the work, the required instruments and their positioning, and the technical demands presented.

Comments

A Thesis Equivalent Project Presented to the Department of Music and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Music (MMUS) University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 1993 John Ronald Johnson.

Recommended Citation

Johnson, John Ronald, "Background and performance considerations of Iannis Xenakis' "Psappha", for percussion solo" (1993). Student Work. 2828.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/2828