Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)
"Dérive 1", pour flûte, clarinette, vibraphone, piano, violon et violoncelle
Troisième Sonate pour piano
"Fragment d'une ébauche"

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
"Verklärte Nacht", op. 4

Dimitri Vassilakis, piano
Ensemble Prague Modern
Pascal Gallois, direction

For this recording, I was keen to bring together two major figures of the 20th century: Arnold Schoenberg for the first half-century and Pierre Boulez for the second. I collaborated with Pierre Boulez during the three final decades of his life and I also performed many works by Schoenberg under his direction. Boulez often pointed out that starting in the early 20th century contemporary music began to take shape around two main revolutionary movements engendered by Stravinsky on the one hand and Schoenberg on the other. It seems to me pertinent to offer the listener the young Schoenberg's masterpiece - he was only 25 when he composed Transfigured Night in 1899 - in a poetic piece that by itself symbolizes the pinnacle of German Romanticism (and of tonal music), along with a work by Boulez dating from 1984, Dérive 1. This recording yet again demonstrates the phenomenal qualities of Dimitri Vassilakis' interpretation of Boulez, as well as his qualities as a pianist transcending a phrasing of wonderful intelligence and sensibility. In this CD, Dimitri also offers us a new “mirror” version of the 3rd sonata, in addition to the world premiere of Boulez's Fragment d’une ébauche for piano. We warmly thank the composer's family and assigns, who kindly granted us permission to record this final score.