Main content

Boulez at 100: The composer

Tom Service continues Radio 3's celebrations of Pierre Boulez's centenary with a selection of some of the key works, including a complete broadcast of ...explosante-fixe...

Tom Service celebrates some of the key works from the Boulez catalogue, in a wide-ranging sequence of music spanning several decades, including the orchestral Notations (1978/1984/1997) based on his earlier set of pieces for piano; an excerpt from Repons (1981-84) in which Boulez fused instrumental sounds with electronics developed at the composer鈥檚 IRCAM research centre in Paris; we hear Le Soleil des eaux (1947-8/1958), an early example of his writing for voice and orchestra and interest in the poetry of Ren茅 Char; Messagesquisse (1976) for solo cello and six cellos in a live recording made by Ensemble intercontemporain at the Paris Philharmonie in December; an excerpt from his iconic and influential Le Marteau sans ma卯tre (1955/1957); and finally, a complete broadcast of 鈥xplosante-fixe鈥� (1973/1993), a work which evolved and took on many different forms over the years, heard here in the final version for solo MIDI-flute with live electronics, two 鈥渟hadow flutes鈥� and ensemble.

Along the way we鈥檒l hear from conductor Martyn Brabbins, pianist Tamara Stefanovich and two of Boulez鈥檚 biographers: Caroline Potter whose book Organised Delirium looks at the influence of the surrealists on Boulez鈥檚 early work, and Christian Merlin on Boulez鈥檚 early interest in non-Western music, recorded in conversation with Kate Molleson at the Mus茅e de l鈥橦omme - one of her postcards from Paris featured throughout Radio 3's Boulez at 100 weekend.

8 days left to listen

1 hour, 59 minutes

Last on

Sun 30 Mar 2025 16:15
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

Music Played

  • Pierre Boulez

    Notations for orchestra: 1 - Mod茅r茅 - Fantasque

    Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris 鈥� Philharmonie. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • Erato.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Notations for orchestra: 2 - Tr猫s vif - strident

    Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris 鈥� Philharmonie. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • Erato.

  • Pierre Boulez

    R茅pons: Sections 2-3

    Performer: Andrew Gerzso. Ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporain. Ensemble: IRCAM. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • DG.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Le soleil des eaux

    Performer: 蜜芽传媒 Symphony Orchestra. Singer: Phyllis Bryn鈥怞ulson. Choir: 蜜芽传媒 Singers. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • Erato.

  • Pierre Boulez

    ...explosante-fixe... (1993 version)

    Performer: Sophie Cherrier. Ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporain. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • DG.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Messagesquisse

    Performer: Jean鈥怗uihen Queyras. Ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporain. Conductor: Pierre Bleuse.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Notations for piano: No.8, Mod茅r茅 jusqu' 脿 tr猫s vif

    Performer: Ralph van Raat.
    • Naxos.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Le Marteau sans ma卯tre: VIII. Third commentary on "Hangmen of Solitude"

    Conductor: Pierre Boulez. Ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporain.
    • CBS.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Piano Sonata No.2: I. Extr锚mement rapide

    Performer: Tamara Stefanovich.
    • Pentatone.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Incises

    Performer: Ralph van Raat.
    • Naxos.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Piano Sonata No.2: IV. Vif

    Performer: Tamara Stefanovich.
    • Pentatone.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Notations for orchestra: 4 - Rythmique

    Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris 鈥� Philharmonie. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • Erato.

  • Pierre Boulez

    Notations for orchestra: 7 - Hi茅ratique. Lent

    Orchestra: Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Gielen.
    • Hanssler.

  • Pierre Boulez

    ...explosante fixe... (1993 version)

    Performer: Sophie Cherrier. Ensemble: Ensemble intercontemporain. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • DG.

  • Pierre Boulez

    une page d'茅ph茅m茅ride for piano

    Performer: Ralph van Raat.
    • Naxos.
    • 8573894.
    • 22.

Broadcast

  • Sun 30 Mar 2025 16:15
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3