Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)

[Papy Oli]

I don't have much to add to this great discussion, but did want to echo Mandryka's comment above. Boulez can feel a bit intimidating, but patience with his work can pay off later.

Will just add, as I've said elsewhere, Répons is one of his most sheerly beautiful works, and I've often thought that Debussy might have written something similar, had he lived into the late 20th century and worked with electronics. This version with Matthias Pintscher and the Ensemble intercontemporain is quite good, and I think it can be helpful to actually see the musicians performing it.

Thank you Bruce I'll check it out!

[Papy Oli]

Comme furtive d'elle et visible je sens
Que se dévêt pli selon pli la pierre veuve

I'd take it that "d'elle" pre-calls la pierre so to speak?

Does it mean the layers of grey (encens) that seems to peel off the stone, furtively but visibly in the canal of Bruges that comes later in the poem.

[Mandryka]

I'd take it that "d'elle" pre-calls la pierre so to speak?

Does it mean the layers of grey (encens) that seems to peel off the stone, furtively but visibly in the canal of Bruges that comes later in the poem.

Lovely poem, lovely city. I don't know if I could translate the effect of that d'elle into English. I'll leave it to you and @ritter. I know @Florestan wouldn't touch Mallarmé!


À des heures et sans que tel souffle l'émeuve
Toute la vétusté presque couleur encens
Comme furtive d'elle et visible je sens
Que se dévêt pli selon pli la pierre veuve
Flotte ou semble par soi n'apporter une preuve
Sinon d'épandre pour baume antique le temps
Nous immémoriaux quelques-uns si contents
Sur la soudaineté de notre amitié neuve
O très chers rencontrés en le jamais banal
Bruges multipliant l'aube au défunt canal
Avec la promenade éparse de maint cygne
Quand solennellement cette cité m'apprit
Lesquels entre ses fils un autre vol désigne
À prompte irradier ainsi qu'aile l'esprit.

[ritter]

Cross-posted from the WAYL2N thread...

Revisiting the live recordings of two withdrawn works by Pierre Boulez: Polyphonie X for 18 instruments (SWF Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Rosbaud) and Poésie pour pouvoir for three orchestras, tape and electronics (Michel Bouquet —voice on tape—, SWF Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hans Rosbaud and the composer).



Both these pieces were revived last year, as part of the celebrations for the composer's 100th birthday. Let's hope modern recordings are released, now that the Boulez estate seems to have made these works available and allowed publication.

Having said that, Polyphonie X is a tough nut to crack, and the composer later referred to it as a "document" rather than a "work". It is not an attractive piece IMHO.

Poésie pour pouvoir is much more interesting.  Henri Michaux's potent poem Je rame ("I row") is read by an actor on tape, and all sorts of electronic equipment available at the time —1958– are used (sound generators, curve modulators, rotating loudspeakers...), next to the three orchestras led by two conductors. Boulez was displeased with the results, but it  is clear that the seed of what would eventually be one Répons was planted in this piece. For the revival in 2025, the score was reconstructed, with updated performance electronics, by Marco Stroppa and Carlo Laurenzi.

Michaux's poem had an intersting backstory. It was published as a "livre-objet" in 1949, with a drawing by the author as frontispiece, teak wood covers, and the text set as linocuts by Michel Tapié.

The December 12, 2025 performance of Poésie pour pouvoir has been posted on YouTube —audio only—, and I've read that the Philharmonie de Paris will post a full documentary and the performance soon.

[Papy Oli]

Make of that what you will...but I have started a Boulez spreadsheet 

..and then @ritter pops along and brings up withdrawn works that are no more withdrawn...

I just want to keep a tab of the contents of the DG complete box with performers and add along the various non-boxset performances I listen to (and possibly prefer), to see if the box is worth it or if going piecemeal. So far:

- I have liked the Sur Incises by Barenboim and the Boulez Ensemble.

- it edged the Sur Incises Moment I on Bandcamp by a smidgen. (Bastille records , release 34 from @San Antone ). Will probably buy both though


- Enjoyed Eclat both on the above and the Gallois release.

- Notations (Orch. Version) by Gielen and piano version will also go in the basket.
Pi-hsien Chen more likely than Soares and Fray.

- had a brief encounter with Pollini's piano sonata no.2. it was, well, more than ok (in the DG box).That will probably be my focus tomorrow with other versions (Pi-hsien Chen again and Jumppanen).

- Also in the DG box was Domaines (Michel Portal (clarinet), Musique Vivante,Diego Masson)). Another win.

- The Répons YT video with Pintscher was much more difficult. I was interested enough for 20 minutes, "lovely" xylophone moments and then it all went pear-shaped!! I tried the second half later tonight today and it lost me even more. One to be retried at another time.

- also realised today that I already had some Boulez works in my Supraphonline purchase of the Boulez Sony box set. Pli's in there plus 2 versions of Marteau plus another Eclat/Multiples.

Lots of back and forth but I guess I have let go of trying to understand and just let the sonority wash over me. If it catches me, all the better.

I certainly didn't have some potential Boulez purchases on my 2026 bingo card 

[Papy Oli]

(can't believe I have just posted this. Thank you very much again for all the recs  )

[Papy Oli]

By the by, I added a version of Marteau to the streaming pile by Robert Craft (Boulez collection volume 2). The sound is very clear and immediate. I might make this my starting point...

[Karl Henning]

@ritter sometimes the composer himself reflects,
What was I thinking?

[Papy Oli]

@ritter sometimes the composer himself reflects,
What was I thinking?

Should the estate have released those works in the first place, even though the composer they are suppose to protect or manage the estate of, had withdrawn them?

[Karl Henning]

Should the estate have released those works in the first place, even though the composer they are suppose to protect or manage the estate of, had withdrawn them?

Oh, I think so.