Xenakis and Geoffrey Madge
Geoffrey Madge’s first meeting with Iannis Xenakis was in October 1970 in London, prior to his performance of “Herma”, part of his debut concert progamme at Wigmore Hall.

Following this meeting many Xenakis performances followed under his supervision: his complete piano solo works, ensemble works and both piano concertos.

One of the highlights of Geoffrey Madge’s cooperation with Xenakis was his very successful contribution to the Xenakis Festival in 1975 in Athens with Herma, Evryali and Synaphai. In that year the new Greek government, replacing the facist regime of the colonels, decided to celebrate the new freedom by honouring Iannis Xenakis with an all-Xenakis Festival in the Herodus Atticus Theatre.

In 1975 Decca recorded for LP the first piano concerto, “Synaphai - connexities for piano and orchestra” with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Elgar Howarth with Geoffrey Madge as soloist. After this recording he gave many performances of this work with the conductors Michel Tabachnik, David Porcelijn, Cristobal Halfter and others.

Since then many Xenakis performances have followed of which Eonta, for piano and 5 wind players, is one of the most popular, hair-raising compositions.

The 1975 Decca LP (Edison) has now been re-issued on CD by Explore Records (EXP 0017).

BV Haast has recently re-issued a historical live performance Xenakis CD (BV Haast CD 0706) with Eonta, Evryali, Herma, Palimpsest, Epei and Dmaathen.

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