Aperghis, Georges

Aperghis, Georges, innovative Greek composer; b. Athens, Dec. 23, 1945. After studies with Papaioannou in Athens, he settled in Paris in 1963 and completed his training with Xenakis, who initiated him into the mysteries of ultramodern techniques involving such arcana as musical indeterminacy and audiovisual coordinates in spatial projection. He was founder-director of the Atelier Théâter et Musique (1976–91), an experimental workshop for theater, music, and language. From 1992 he pursued his career in Nanterre. Aperghis has followed an avant-garde path as a composer, and has produced numerous theater pieces.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Pandaemonium (1973); Jacques le Gataliste (1974); Histoires de loup (1976); Je vous dis queje suis mort (1978); Liebestod (1981); L’écharpe rouge (1984); Tristes Tropiques (Strasbourg, Oct. 5, 1996); numerous music theater pieces. ORCH.: Contrepoint (1967); Libretto (1968); Symplexis for 22 Jazz Soloists and Orch. (1970); Die Waände haben Ohren (1972); Overture (1973); Declamations (1990). CHAMBER: Antistixis A for 3 String Quartets (1964–65); Contrepoint for 3 String Quartets, Piano, Trombone, and Percussion (1968); Quartet for 4 Double Basses (1970); Quartet for 4 Percussionists (1970); Parenthèses for Chamber Ensemble (1977); Ilios for 10 Instruments (1978); Triangle carré for String Quartet and Percussion Trio (1989). VOCAL: Vesper, oratorio (1970); Les lauriers sont coupés for Voice and Chamber Ensemble (1975); Un musée de l’homme, oratorio (1980); Tingel- Tangel for Voice, Accordion, and Percussion (1990); Ritournelles for 2 Baritones and 9 Instruments (1992).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire