A Gas at Temperature T: Xenakis and the Physics of Stochastic Music
Iannis Xenakis applied the Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, Markov chains, and game theory to orchestral composition. In Pithoprakta (1955–56), 46 string parts are molecules of a gas, each following the kinetic theory distribution. In Duel and Stratégie (1959–62), two conductors play a zero-sum game with payoff matrices on stage. This post works through the physics and mathematics, and asks what it means when a composer treats an orchestra as a thermodynamic system.