Read about Qobuz's trip to the Pierre Boulez exhibition in Paris →
Discover the entirety of Boulez's career as a composer on Qobuz →
Our selection of recordings by Pierre Boulez, the conductor →
The composer: A selection by Qobuz
Leaving behind the avant-garde of the Darsmtadt school in the 40s and 50s, Pierre Boulez knew his musical sound had to develop beyond the clichés of serialisme.
So began an incredible musical journey, which Qobuz is here to help you (re)discover via a selection of recordings illustrating the entirety of his musical evolution including recordings led by Boulez or other great conductors (Abbado, Gielen, Barenboim...) with some of the world's greatest soloists (David Fray, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Idil Biret, Maurizio Pollini...).
The essential discography, as chosen by Qobuz →
Four unmissable albums:
Tireless defenders and ambassadors of contemporary music, as well as works from the 20th and 21st centuries, for over 10 years the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain has incorporated the work of Pierre Boulez into their repertoire, thanks in no small part to their conductor Daniel Kawka. To this day they are one of only a handful of ensembles to play Dérive 2, a fiendishly tricky piece composed in 1988 and only performed in 2006. This is clearly a recording not to be missed. Three works which are typical of Boulez' later period but, perhaps paradoxically, are some of his most accessible and easy to master. A change in direction from his earlier material, Sur Incises and Anthèmes II remould and stretch musical ideas from older works, displaying an ever-evolving and progressive approach to composition from the composer.
MessageEsquisse is the umpteenth commission of cellist Msitsslav Rostropovitch, performed here with great flare by Jean-Guihen Queyras. A little older than the other two pieces (1976), it marks a turning point in Boulez' aesthetic. Pli selon Pli is a definitive work by Pierre Boulez as both a composer and conductor. It is a seminal work in terms of both its orchestral dimensions and its musicality; a portrait of French poet Mallarmé across 5 movements for large orchestra and soprano. It constitutes a turning point in the evolution of Boulez as a composer from what is referred to as his 'first period', the style of which is evident throughout, and a future composition cycle which would establish the 'orthodox' Boulezian style.
Here we find a Boulez who is a master of sound and texture, able to deliver sudden shocks of tension but never disrupting the logical and delicate structures at the heart of the music.
This last studio recording (2001) by Boulez himself is without a doubt the most accomplished around today. Without a doubt, this is Boulez' masterpiece. Created in 1955 for the Festival de la SIMC at Baden-Baden, it encapsulates the revolution in contemporary music that took place at the start of the 1960s.
With its characteristic instrumentation, fluctuating ambiance and textures and nods to the music of Asia, Boulez frees himself from his own combative rigidity to reach a point of balance that he would struggle to recapture completely during the following decades.
This album also features a stripped-down recording of the Dérive 1. Whilst perhaps not the definitive recording (that would perhaps be that of 2006), under the baton of the master himself, it is still tough, direct and extremel effective.
This 2002 recording led by Pierre Boulez himself reaches a new level of agility and colour which had never before been achieved. It shows a real maturity in the performers' ability to navigate this challenging repertoire, which is not always present in some contemporary recordings.
The conductor: The ideal discography
Qobuz has selected the greatest recordings from Boulez' discography.
THIS ALBUM IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE IN EN BUT IS IN NL
The Domaine musical: with hindsight, it was necessary. Somebody had to take charge, as yet unaware of this necessity, to trace the outlines of this new action and put all of his energy and conviction into allowing new ideas to manifest in clearly identifiable art. Pierre Boulez was made - or made himself - for this task. Regardless of what happened after his departure, it is plain to see that the choices and demands of the Domaine Musical corresponded closely with the choices and demands of its founder, with notable consistency during the twelves years of unshakable militancy.