Boulez, Pierre

A composer identified with the serial style, developed by Webern from Schönberg's dodecaphonic system, from the early 20th century. He was among the most influential contemporary musicians, both as a composer and as a conductor. He sees composing as a research in the principles of aesthetics and beauty. He deals with acoustic and electronic music and founded IRCAM (the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), a music research studio in Paris, which opened 1977, specializing in the study and creation in music and acoustics. Since then Boulez has concentrated on his work as director of IRCAM, where his main work has been Répons for Orchestra and Digital Equipment (for soloists, orchestra, tapes, and computer-generated sounds).

His work "The Hammer with no Craftsman" ("Le marteau sans maître") for flute, guitar, vibraphone, xylorimba, percussion and viola, is among the important serial pieces, for it broke through the cold logic and introduced imagination and inspiration into this strict, mathematical technique.

He was not interested in creating music that would be popular, and remained uncompromising in his composition throughout his entire career.

Sites

Audio

Video

Images

MIDI