Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)
Le Marteau sans maître, pour flûte, vibraphone, xylorimba, alto, guitare, percussion et alto
Éclat, pour ensemble
Dialogue de l'ombre double, pour basson et électronique

Katalin Karolyi, mezzo-soprano
International Contemporary Ensemble
Pascal Gallois, basson, direction

Pierre Boulez's oeuvre can be divided into several periods, with the foundations laid during the decade from 1954 to 1965. During this chapter of his life, Pierre Boulez left his native France to compose, direct and shine in Germany, England and finally the United States. It was also during this period that he became fully engaged in his compositional work. This chapter of his life was fully influenced by the situation of those composers close to him following the Second World War. Often described as a "Tabula Rasa", this period was essentially centred in Darmstadt beginning in the early 1950s. Those close to Pierre Boulez during this time were Stockhausen, Maderna, Nono, Berio, Cage and a few others. Beginning in the early 1980s, I was fortunate enough to work with Pierre Boulez, naturally, but also Stockhausen and notably Berio. During my exchanges with these composers, I observed the profound links uniting them since the 1950s and this period of reconstruction during which they became fascinated by the oeuvres of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern rejected by the Nazis as “degenerate art”. Having also taught in Darmstadt, 50 years later, I was still able to feel the extent to which this city embodied the necessity to reconstruct another world for creation. From the very beginning, Pierre Boulez represented the coordinator of this movement, of this “Darmstadt School”. His uncompromising commitment saw his actions fully extended to encompass society, the public, education, music-making and artistic life as a whole (Pascal Gallois).