Xenakis, Marius Constant, Ensemble Ars Nova - Oresteia

piyushaegis

Review by Piyush Aegis

Album Review: Oresteia by Xenakis, Marius Constant & Ensemble Ars Nova If you’re into classical music but want something that feels fresh and daring, Oresteia is a gem worth exploring. This French contemporary masterpiece takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with its bold compositions and haunting atmosphere. Released under Erato, it’s got all the right ingredients—killer performances by Ensemble Ars Nova, spine-tingling choir work from Maitrise de Notre-Dame de Paris, and Marius Constant at the helm making sure everything clicks perfectly. The album dives deep into the ancient Greek tragedy of the same name, breaking it down into four tracks: Agamemnon, Chœphores (1ère Partie), Chœphores (2e Partie), and Eumenides. Each piece has its own vibe, but two tracks really stuck in my head after listening. First up, there’s Agamemnon. It starts off almost like a storm brewing—you can feel the tension building in the strings and brass. Then BAM, the choir comes in full force, and suddenly you're not just listening anymore; you're living through some sort of mythic drama. The way they layer voices over dissonant orchestration? Chills. I kept rewinding bits because it felt so cinematic. Like, imagine sitting in a dark theater watching gods argue while lightning flashes outside. That’s Agamemnon for ya. Then there’s Eumenides, which wraps things up beautifully. What stands out here isn’t just how chaotic it gets (and trust me, it does), but also how controlled everything feels. There’s this section where the percussion takes center stage—it sounds like hammers hitting metal—but instead of being jarring, it pulls you deeper into the story. By the end, when the music finally calms down, you kinda sit there wondering what hit you. In a good way! One thing about this record is how raw it feels despite being meticulously crafted. You’ve got Claude Ermelin engineering the sound, ensuring every note hits home without losing clarity. And let’s give props to Labourasse for the artwork too—it matches the intensity of the music perfectly. Liner notes by Claude Rostand add context if you’re into diving deeper into the themes, though honestly, the music speaks for itself. What surprised me most was how modern this album still feels decades later. Sure, it’s rooted in ancient tales, but the experimental edge makes it timeless. Listening to Oresteia feels less like hearing a classical album and more like stepping into another world—one filled with drama, chaos, and beauty. And hey, here’s a random thought: If Greek tragedies had soundtracks back in the day, wouldn’t everyone have been walking around quoting lines like “OMG DID YOU HEAR THAT DRUM SOLO?” Just saying.

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: xenakis-marius-constant-ensemble-ars-nova-oresteia.zip
  • MP3 size: 12.8 mb
  • FLAC size: 197.2 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
Eumenides
Chœphores (2e Partie)
Chœphores (1ère Partie)
Agamemnon

Video

Iannis Xenakis  Oresteïa (1966)

Images

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Catalog Numbers

ERA 9137

Labels

Erato

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Formats

  • Vinyl
  • LP
  • Album
  • Reissue

Companies

RoleCompany
Phonographic Copyright (p)Éditions Costallat

Credits

RoleCredit
ArtworkLabourasse
ChoirEnsemble Vocal Stéphane Caillat, Maitrise de Notre-Dame de Paris
Directed ByMarius Constant
EngineerClaude Ermelin
EnsembleEnsemble "Ars Nova"
Liner NotesClaude Rostand

Notes

℗ Éditions Costallat 1970

Barcodes

  • Rights Society (On labels [boxed]): SACEM SACD SDRM SGDL
  • Other (Price Code letter): C

About Xenakis, Marius Constant, Ensemble Ars Nova

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Iannis Xenakis (born 29 May 1922, Brăila, Romania - died 4 February 2001, Paris, France) was a Romanian-born Greek-French composer, music theorist, architect and engineer. Was married to . He is regarded as one of the most radical and important composers of the twentieth century. He formulated a theory of stochastic music in the early 1950's, and in late 1954 he was accepted as a member of the Groupe De Recherche De Musique Concrète. He later joined . He pioneered the use of computers for musical composition in 1961. As an architect, he worked with and designed the Philips Pavilion for the Brussels World's Fair in 1958. In 1963, he published Musique Formelles, a collection of his articles relating music, architecture, and mathematics. In 1972, he founded CEMAMu (Centre d'Etudes de Mathématique et Automatique Musicales) in Issy-les-Moulineaux, just outside of Paris. He has composed for a wide range of instrumental ensembles and solos, and his 'polytopes', sound and light spectacles, have been performed in a number of localities, including: Persepolis (1971), Paris (1972), Mycénes (1978) and again in Paris (1978).

Real Name

    • Γιάννης (Ιάννης) Ξενάκης

Name Vars

  • I. Xenakis
  • Ianis Xenakis
  • Ianniz Xenakis
  • Jannis Xenakis
  • Xenakis
  • Xénakis
  • Y. Xenakis
  • Y. Xenakis
  • Y.X.
  • Yannis Xenakis
  • Γιάν. Ξενάκης
  • Γιάννης Ξενάκης
  • Ι. Ξενάκης
  • Ιάννης Ξενάκης
  • Ξenakis
  • Ξενάκης
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  • ¯»Ê­¹
  • ä˹û¯»Ê­¹

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? The album *Oresteia* blends ancient Greek tragedy with modern classical music. It features works by composers like Xenakis and Marius Constant. The haunting choral pieces are performed by the Ensemble Vocal Stéphane Caillat and the Maitrise de Notre-Dame de Paris. Each track is inspired by different parts of the Oresteia trilogy, an epic story of revenge and justice. The album's striking artwork was crafted by Labourasse, adding a visual layer to its intense soundscapes. Released under the Erato label in France, it’s a stunning mix of contemporary style and timeless drama.

Comments

mfput24
2025-03-16
11:44 lol
easybookmy
2025-03-15
It's so satisfying how it ends in total chaos
kylemterrizzi
2025-03-14
would not listen to this for pleasure
jewishgais
2025-03-14
Marvellous
nimadenuke9f
2025-03-13
It is curious how it sounds to me like a mix of Greek, Japanese, Ancient and Modern Music at the same time. Very ritualistic, tribal.Like Noh Drama plus Greek Chorus.