Opus (Dec 2012)
Converging Spaces: Sound and Spatialization in Iannis Xenakis’s <i>Terretektorh</i>
Abstract
In this paper we present an analysis of Iannis Xenakis’s Terretektorh (1965-66) considering the manner in which space has been exploited in the construction of the work’s musical discourse. We first discuss how the orchestra, with its 88 musicians dispersed amongst the audience, is transformed into a sort of meta-instrument optimized for the projection of sound trajectories and topologies. Next, we describe aspects of outside time found in the piece and propose a method of categorizing elements of space and sound. Finally, we discuss how these elements are organized throughout the piece and demonstrate the compositional strategies that explore the use of space, such as the efficient handling of sound parameters (register, dynamic envelope and timbre) and the exhaustive exposition of sonic trajectories at the beginning of the piece. It is argued that these strategies, more than a superimposition of the spatial dimension in relation to the dimensions of sound, are capable of creating a fusion that decisively contributes to the organization of the composition’s development.
