Boulez, Pierre (*1925)
Pierre Boulez was born in 1925 in Montbrison, France. He first studied mathematics, then music at the Paris Conservatory, where his teachers included Olivier Messiaen and René Leibowitz. In 1954, with the support of Jean-Louis Barrault, he founded the “Domaine musical” in Paris – one of the first concert series dedicated entirely to the performance of modern music – and remained their director until 1967. Boulez began his conducting career in 1958 with the Südwestfunk Orchestra in Baden-Baden, Germany. From 1960 to 1962 he taught composition at the Music Academy in Basle. As a composer, conductor and teacher, Pierre Boulez has made a decisive contribution to the development of music in the 20th century and inspired generations of young musicians with his pioneering spirit. His recordings have earned him a total of 26 Grammys and vast numbers of other prestigious awards.
1966
Makes Bayreuth début with Parsifal, returning to conduct Wagner's final
work again in 1967, 1968, and 1970
1967
Named principal guest conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra (until 1972)
1969
Conducts new production of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande
at Covent Garden
1971
Appointed principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (until 1975) and
the New York Philharmonic (until 1977); release of his first Deutsche Grammophon
recording: Parsifal, from live performances at the 1970 Bayreuth Festival
1976
Music director of the 100th anniversary production of Wagner’s Ring at
Bayreuth; returns to conduct the cycle again at the next four festivals
1977
From now until his resignation as director in 1992, he devotes himself to the
newly created Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM)
at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and founds the Ensemble Intercontemporain (EIC)
1989
Signs an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon
1992
Conducts Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande with Welsh National
Opera on a European tour (released as a video in 1994 and as DVD in 2002 by
DG)
1993
Conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker for the first time in almost 30 years;
releases include Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Four Orchestral
Pieces, with the Chicago Symphony
1994
Conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Berlin Festival in a Ravel programme;
CD releases: Ligeti Concertos for Cello, Violin and Piano, Boulez conducting
the EIC and works by Ravel with the Berliner Philharmoniker
1995
As “co-founder” of the music centre “cité de la musique”
in Paris, he directs its opening concert with works by Mahler and Rameau; named
principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; named “Artist
of the Year” by Gramophone, and honoured on the occasion of his 70th birthday
at the Victoires de la musique in France; CD releases include numerous prize-winning
recordings of works by Debussy, Bartók, and Boulez himself
1996
Receives the Berlin Arts Prize; CD releases include Bartók with the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, Mahler with the Cleveland Orchestra and Schoenberg with
the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
1998
Conducts Bluebeard’s Castle at the 50th Aix-en-Provence Festival; the
opera is recorded with Jessye Norman, László Polgár and
the Chicago Symphony and released on DG; also issued: Schoenberg’s Pierrot
lunaire and Boulez’s Répons and Dialogue de l’ombre double,
and Ravel’s Piano Concertos with Krystian Zimerman and the Cleveland Orchestra
2000
“Boulez 2000” – a year of touring with the London Symphony
Orchestra and EIC and concerts with the great orchestras of Cleveland and Chicago;
CD releases include prize-winning works by Boulez
2002
Boulez’s ultimate realization of his Pli selon Pli, with soprano Christine
Schäfer and the EIC, and his early Le Marteau sans maître are recorded
under his direction
2003
Tour of Japan and concerts in Lucerne with Boulez conducting the Gustav Mahler
Youth Orchestra. Autumn appearances include an all-Janác¹ek programme
with the Orchestre de Paris. On CD: Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Wiener
Philharmoniker and Anne Sofie von Otter (Grammy Award, 2004); also released:
Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette and Les Nuits d’été
with the Cleveland Orchestra
2004
Numerous concerts worldwide and a new production of Parsifal at the Bayreuth
Festival. On CD: Ravel and Debussy with the Cleveland Orchestra, and, with Ensemble
Modern, music by Sir Harrison Birtwistle to celebrate the composer’s 70th
birthday
2005
Deutsche Grammophon celebrates Boulez’s 80th birthday with major new releases
conducted by Boulez: Mahler song cycles with Anne Sofie von Otter, Violeta Urmana,
Thomas Quasthoff and the Wiener Philharmoniker; the Bartók Piano Concertos
with Krystian Zimerman and the Chicago Symphony, Leif Ove Andsnes and the Berliner
Philharmoniker, and Hélène Grimaud and the LSO (German Record
Critics Prize, 2005; Record Academy Prize, Tokyo, 2005; Midem Classic Award,
2006); his own Le Marteau sans mâitre plus Dérives 1 & 2<
with the EIC (Grammy, 2006); and the three Piano Sonatas, played by Paavali
Jumppanen (, 2005). Concerts with major European and American orchestras, including
appearances at the Lucerne, Vienna and Bayreuth Festivals. Re-release of Wagner’s
Ring from the 1976 Bayreuth Festival on DVD. Boulez is appointed honorary member
of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Wien, named honorary member of the Wiener
Philharmoniker, and honorary conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin
2006
Devotes himself to composition for several months. He resumes his concert engagements,
conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris and Jessye Norman (Bluebeard’s
Castle) and appears at the Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals.
CD release: Mahler Symphony no. 2 (Wiener Philharmoniker). Receives the Distinguished
Musician Award 2006/07 from the Incorporated Society of Musicians and is appointed
Conductor Emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, commencing with the 2006/07
season
2007
Concerts with the Staatskapelle Berlin, Wiener Philharmoniker, Ensemble Intercon¬temporain
(including their 30th-anniversary concert in Paris), the Berliner Philharmoniker,
Orchestre de Paris, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra
and the Ensemble Modern. Release of the final recording in his cycle of Mahler’s
Symphonies, no. 8 (Record Academy Prize, Tokyo, 2007)
2008
Concerts in the USA with the Chicago and Cleveland orchestras; appearances in
Europe with major orchestras including the Ensemble Intercontemporain, London
Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Wiener Philharmoniker (Salzburg Festival),
BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Staatskapelle Berlin. On DVD: Janác¹ek’s
From the House of the Dead with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; completion of
his Bartók cycle with the audio release of the concertos for viola (Yuri
Bashmet), violin (Gidon Kremer), and for two pianos and percussion (Pierre-Laurent
Aimard/Tamara Stefanovich)
::: ::: :::
Resources
John Cage
Joseph Beuys
Pierre Boulez
Luc Ferrari
Egberto Gismonti
Charles Edward Ives: Central Park in the Dark
Gyorgy Ligeti
Olivier Messiaen
Steve Reich
Ad Reinhardt
Terry Riley
Jean-Claude Risset
David Tudor
Ludwig Wittgenstein
::: ::: :::
[11] · Piano drone #1 [04:40]
[10] · Piano minimal #2 inspired by quaggy [13:06]
[09] · Piano minimal #1 [04:46]
[08] · Train Sonor: Piano NYC Subway #4 [10:17]
[07] · Cluster medicine [pianodrone #2] [18:54]
[06] · Flute stream [09:54]
[05] · Supernatural drone [guitardrone reverse] [17:02]
[04] · Piano minimal #3 [simultaneous] [08:50]
[03] · For Marjan K. [excerpt three] [05:44]
[02] · For Marjan K. [excerpt two] [05:40]
[01] · For Marjan K. [excerpt one] [06:21]
::: ::: :::