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Lucerne and Salzburg Festivals Celebrate Pierre Boulez’s 90th Birthday

Jul. 01, 2015

Lucerne and Salzburg Festivals Celebrate Pierre Boulez’s 90th Birthday

On August 23, the Lucerne Festival hosts a series of tributes for renowned composer/conductor Pierre Boulez. The seven events of “A Day for Pierre Boulez” feature eight of his landmark works, in addition to eight world premieres from esteemed contemporaries.

The marathon event opens with a new work for solo piano—a “birthday serenade”—by Matthias Pintscher, followed by a collaborative performance of Boulez’s Rituel in Memoriam Bruno Maderna with students of the Lucerne Festival Academy and members of Ensemble Intercontemporain. A concert of chamber music follows with two versions of Messagesquisse, one for solo cello and six cellos, the other for solo viola and six violas, in addition to Mémoriale (…explosante-fixe…Originel) for solo flute and eight instruments. Boulez’s string quartet Livre pour quatuor and its source of influence, Berg’s Lyric Suite, comprise the midday programs. 

The penultimate concert is highlighted by the Boulez classic sur Incises for three pianos, three harps, and three percussionists, and also features the world premiere of a new work for soprano and ensemble by Heinz Holliger. The finale is a monumental concert of orchestral works, including the world premiere of a new work by Wolfgang Rihm alongside Matthias Pintscher’s Osiris and Boulez’s Notations I-IV and VII in both solo piano and orchestral versions.

This year’s Salzburg Festival also includes 90th birthday celebrations for Boulez with a series of programs scheduled between July 30 and August 21. Rituel in Memoriam Bruno Maderna is paired with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D, and Klangforum Wien perform … explosante-fixe… and his landmark Le Marteau sans maître for alto voice and six instruments. Tamara Stefanovich joins legendary pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard to perform the complete piano works of Boulez. Daniel Barenboim leads the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in performances of sur Incises and Dérive 2 for 10 instruments, and Matthias Pintscher conducts Répons with Ensemble Intercontemporain. The events come to a close with a series of works for strings: Livre pour quatuor, Anthèmes 1 for violin solo, and Messagesquisse (cello version), performed by the JACK Quartet, Michael Barenboim, and Jean-Guihen Queyras respectively.

Pierre Boulez
Rituel in Memoriam Bruno Maderna (1974-1975/1987)
for orchestra in 8 groups
4.4.5.asax.4-6.4.4.0-9perc-6vn.2va.2vc
27’ 

Messagesquisse (1976/2000)
for viola solo and 6 violas
7’

Messagesquisse (1976/1977)
for cello solo and 6 cellos
7’

Memoriale (1985/1993)
for flute and 8 instruments
2hn-3vn.2va.vc
7’

sur Incises (1996/1998/2006)
for 3 pianos, 3 harps, and 3 percussionists
40’

Notations I-IV (1945/1978/1984)
for orchestra
4.4.5.4-6.4.4.1-timp.8perc-3hp.cel-str
8’

…explosante-fixe… (1991/1993)
for flute with live electronics, 2 flutes and ensemble
2.2.3.2-2.2.2.1-3vn.2va.2vc.db
36’

Le marteau sans maître (1953/1955)
for alto and 6 instruments
text (Fr) by René Char
afl-perc.vib.xylorimba-gtr-va
35’

Derive 2 (1988-2006/2009)
for 11 instruments
ca.cl.bsn-hn-mar.vib-hp.pno-vn.va.vc
45’

 
Répons (1981-1984-1985)
for 6 soloists, ensemble and live electronics
solo instruments: vibraphone, glockenspiel, harp, cimbalom, 2 pianos
2.2.3.2-2.2.2.1-str(3vn.2va.2vc.1db)-live electronics
45’

Anthèmes 1 (1991-1992)
for violin
10’

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