|
|
 Sound UbuWeb |
Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) Twentieth Century Problems in Music: The Search for New Techniques March 31-April 3 1960 New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein, Music Director Marni Nixon, Soprano Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Pianist
Pierre Boulez on Music (March 1958) In an program recorded in March of 1958, the French composer Pierre Boulez is interviewed by Alan Rich, Robert Erickson and a panel of distinguished and learned musicologists and composers. Sounding at times like a doctoral dissertation defense, the young Frenchman attempts to clarify the role, or lack there of, of development and structure in the avant-garde music being produced by a new wave of European composers such as himself, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and others. Boulez’s comments about music without repetition, climax, or symmetry seem to confound Andrew Imbrie, Robert Erickson, Arnold Elston, Jack Holloway, and Alan Rich, most of whom represent the traditional, academic ideal of music as a development of themes and motifs. Boulez, whose English while understandable is not fully fluent, uses such analogies as the stream-of-conciseness writing style of James Joyce to highlight his concept of music as a labyrinth, or network of possibilities, that can be listened to in a variety of ways, rather than as a linear narrative with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. The idea of music as a relatively arbitrary exploration of choices, tied together by common rhythms, tone rows, and chords, rather than a predetermined theme or melody, is clearly foreign to the panelists, and they can be heard to struggle with it throughout the program. As such, this fascinating and historical interview stands as an example of the challenge that the avant-garde music of the mid-20th Century presented to the established order, and is a testament to Boulez’s perspicacity and personal courage, as well as the graciousness, and even open-mindedness, of the host and panelists. Note: There is some tape warble at beginning of program but it is only minor and soon goes away. Pierre Boulez at Donaueschingen (October 21, 1973) Charles Amirkhanian interviews the French, avant-garde, composer, and conductor, Pierre Boulez, following the world premiere performance of his revised (3rd version), “explosante-fixe,” at the Donaueschingen Music Festival on October 21, 1973. In this relatively brief interview Boulez offers his perspective on American composers such as Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, Steve Reich, and John Cage, all of whom he had at least heard of and generally respects, although he admits that his own approach to avant-garde orchestral and electro-acoustic music differs from that of his American counterparts. Boulez also discusses the, just presented, third version of his “explosante-fixe,” which is scored for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, viola, cello, harp, and electronics, and describes the type of preparations and rehearsals that were necessary for it performance. Amirkhanian then plays a slightly abbreviated recording of the very same performance, which featured the first chairs of the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the composer. Pli Selon Pli by Pierre Boulez (1962) From the 1962 Donaueschingen Music Festival, a complete recording of Pierre Boulez’s “Pil Selon Pil” for soprano and orchestra, performed by Eva Maria Rogner and the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer. “Pil Selon Pil” which is translated as “fold by fold” or “crease on crease” is a piece in five movements, each based on poem by Stéphane Mallarmé. The first movement "Don" is based on "Don du poème"; the second movement "Improvisation I on Mallarmé" is based on the sonnet "Le vierge, le vivace et le bel aujourd'hui"; the third, "Improvisation II on Mallarmé" is based on the sonnet "Une dentelle s'abolit"; the fourth, "Improvisation III on Mallarmé" is based on the sonnet "A la nue accablante tu"; and the final movement, “Tombeau" is based on the poem of the same name. The works is mostly atonal in nature and only quotes from Mallarmé’s poems rather than use them in full. In a 1971 interview published by the” New York Review of Books”, Igor Stravinsky described “Pli Selon Pli” as "pretty monotonous and monotonously pretty" Poetry - Center and Absence - Music: A Lecture by Pierre Boulez (June 8, 1963) In March 1963, Pierre Boulez delivered an address to the Festival of Contemporary Arts at the University of Illinois in Urbana on the topic of music and poetry. After a brief introduction by Igor Stravinsky, Boulez reflects on his work with the texts of Stephane Mallarmé and on the challenge of relating those “two sacred monsters’, music and poetry. After tracing the history of setting poetry to music, Boulez defends his own “abstract” way of handling texts, all the while insisting that there be some relationship between the meaning of the texts and the motivation of the music. This lecture has been published by the 1986 Harvard University Press volume “Orientations: Collected Writings by Pierre Boulez”, edited by Jean-Jacques Nattiez and translated by Martin Cooper. Pierre Boulez Interview (February 16, 1986) Charles Amirkhanian interviews Pierre Boulez and Andrew Gerzso as part of the Speaking of Music series. Boulez discusses the pros and cons of microtonal music, spatial music, as well as delving into the technical details of his latest work, "Répons". Le Marteau Sans Maître Für Alt Und Sechs Instrumente Nach Texten Von René Char (1973)
Composed By, Leader – Pierre Boulez Flute – Severino Gazzelloni (tracks: A1 to A3, A5, B1 to B4) Guitar – Anton Stingl (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B1, B2, B4) Instruments [Xylorimba] – Georges Van Gucht (tracks: A2, A4, B1, B3, B4) Lyrics By [Text] – René Char Percussion – Jean Batigne* (tracks: A2, A4, B1, B3, B4) Vibraphone – Claude Ricou (tracks: A1, A4, B1 to B4) Viola – Serge Collot (tracks: A1, A2, A4, A5, B1, B4) Voice [Alto] – Jeanne Deroubaix (tracks: A3, A5, B1, B4) Harmonia Mundi – HMSt 530 682  07 - Pierre Boulez - Le Marteau Sans Maître  This recording is part of the Wolf Fifth Archive
Various Works
Répons (1981-84)
Dialogue de l'Ombre Double (1982)
Anthèmes II (1991-97)
From Les Concerts du Domaine Musical - 1956 - Vega C 30 A 278 UbuWeb Sound | UbuWeb |