Research on the First Musique Concrète: The Case of Xenakis’s First Electroacoustic Pieces

Abstract

Xenakis’s first electroacoustic pieces (Diamorphoses, 1957; Concret PH, 1958; Analogique B, 1959; Orient-Occident, 1960; and Bohor, 1962) can be called musique concrète. Indeed, these works use the concrète musique tape techniques. But their spirit and aesthetic is very different from those set forth in Pierre Schaeffer’s theories. In fact, these works are quite particular in their whole conception. The two authors of this article are researching this period of Xenakis’s electroacoustic music. In this article, they offer a brief survey of the issues these works raised. To illustrate some of these issues, they use Diamorphoses and Bohor as examples.