Boulez: ...explosante-fixe...; Notations; Structures

This Deutsche Grammophon disc--originally released in 1996 but reissued in the "Echo 20/21" series for Pierre Boulez's 80th birthday--contains three pieces by the great French composer, conductor, and theorist. The first two pieces are writen for piano, "Notations" is performed by Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and on "Structures pour deux pianos, Livre II" Aimard is accompanied by Florent Boffard. The third, "...explosante-fixe..." is for solo MIDI flute (Sophier Cherrier), two flutes (Emmanuelle Orphele and Pierre-Andre Valade), electronics, and orchestra, here the Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Boulez himself.

"Notations" (1945) is a series of twelve piano miniatures written in the very early days of Boulez's career and is fact the earliest piece he has published. Initially neglected after their composition, two Notations (5 and 9) were quietly used in "Pli selon pli", and then the work was fully uncovered in 1970s, when the composer embarked on orchestrating them. While the orchestral versions--much longer and of course with a greater range of colour--are impressive, the original piano Notations are a delight as well. Each consists only of twelve measures, featuring a twelve-tone row in much the same fashion as the work of Anton Webern. In spite of certain formal commonalities, however, the pieces widely range from free (e.g. 1) to tightly rhythmic (4, 6), contemplative (3) to frenetic (2). If you like Gyorgy Ligeti's "Musica Ricercata", you'll find this quite enjoyable. Aimard's performance here is so confident and poised, the man is a titan of contemporary piano repertoire.

"Structures, Livre II" (1956-61) shows that a decade later Boulez had come out from Webern's shadow and was expanding serialism with original contributions. Boulez had caught John Cage's fascination with musical chance operations, and so much of the material is left to the discretion of the performer (a feature shared by his Piano Sonata No. 3 of the same era). What is obligatory, however, is rigidly notated; the piece features serialisation of all elements, rhythm and dynamics too, not just pitch. Boulez even specifies the exact height of the pedal. Thus, the work is a strange combination of freedom and severity. This is not Boulez at his most accessible: the music of the two pianos is interrelated, but in not so charming a fashion as Stockhausen acheived in his "Gruppen" for three orchestras. For a more entertaining example of Boulez's thought during the mid-1950s, I'd recommend the piano sonata.

"...explosante-fixe..." (1991-93), taking its title from a line in Andre Breton's NADJA, was first conceived in the early 1970s when Boulez oversaw the founding of IRCAM and was interested in how cooperation between electronic technicians and composers might serve music. However, the state of the technology didn't satisfy Boulez at the time, and the work was finally presented anew twenty years later. In this piece, one of Boulez's most eerie and colourful, the concerto concept is vastly expanded through electronics: one MIDI flute performs great feats of sound high above the capabilities of the other instruments, while two normal flutes double its acrobatics in imperfect imitation and an orchestra fills out the sound. The work has an elegant formal scheme: it begins with two "transitory" sections derived from elementary material, and the elementary material is finally presented at the end, so that the piece seems to go from a wide cloud to a point. In between, there are two electronic interstitial passages. Yet, this piece requires no real formal understanding of musicology, it just sounds great. The early wall of sound gives way to, as it is often describes, a house-of-mirrors, which in turn leads to a liberation of all elements with thundering percussion and roaring violin, and the final "Originel" is shy and innocent, As usual, the Ensemble Intercontemporain give a flawless performance and show themselves as the premier interpreters of Boulez's work.

All in all, "...explosante-fixe..." is certainly the most accessible piece Boulez has written and so this is disc a fine introduction to his soundworld. Established fans will love this reading of the piano pieces.

This is a reissue in the DG 20/21 Echo series of the disc which was originally released in 1996, with excellent improved artwork. "...explosante-fixe..." is the highlight, without question the most powerful of all of Boulez's compositions. For me, this is the reward for persevering through several of his less compelling pieces until finally hearing it! (This is a good year to hear Boulez -- DG is releasing a slew of new recordings in honor of his 80th birthday.)

I was confused as to its place in the Boulez chronology. Here's why -- "explosante," an open-ended work, was apparently the first composition Boulez worked on at IRCAM in the early 1970s. In the form presented here, though, "explosante" was finalized a decade after "Repons," which was finalized in 1984, but "explosante" was recorded first, in 1994, while "Repons" wasn't recorded and released on disc until 1998. Clear now?

I have to say I am underwhelmed by Repons (see my review), but "...explasante-fixe..." marks a tremendous advance over the earlier work. While "Repons" is shimmery and Debussian, "explosante" is quite forceful, coming closer to sounding like Xenakis than anything else Boulez has done. An electro-acoustic work featuring the midi flute of Sophie Cherrier along with two more flutes and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the form is three instrumental movements separated by two electronic interludes (interstitiel). It's ironic, perhaps, that when Boulez decides to let fly with his most powerful work he does it with a flute piece, but this is no ordinary flute -- the electronic amplification makes it possible for Cherrier to cut through even the densest of passages. The IRCAM technology is utilized to its fullest.

The two piano pieces are quite fine as well. "Notations," Boulez's earliest composition, sounds very much like Schoenberg and Webern, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard performs them fantastically. "Structures II" is tougher (though not as tough as the Piano Sonata No. 2 -- check out Pollini's ferocious recording for instance), a duo played by Aimard and Florent Boffard, but on this disc it is a perfect segue from the introverted "Notations" to the wild energy of "explosante."

It is rather ironic, I guess, that Pierre Boulez - the most radical of the radical in the 1950s - currently enjoys a position as a Grand Old Man of the musical establishment. And it isn't undeserved - indeed, some people have claimed that Boulez is the greatest musician alive, and I might, in fact, tend to agree. ... explosante-fixe ... is for all practical purposes and extensive flute concerto, and it contains all the usual Boulez touches; strong ideas developed with meticulous care and unusual and imaginative sonorities with the flute interacting with electronics and ensemble, but with a lyrical streak perhaps lacking in some of his other works. This is not, even if one were to take a dismissive view, a squeak-bang work of the kind many people associate with the avant-garde, but a beautifully controlled, imaginative work, with subtle uses of enhancements to color and pitch in an ever-enchanting manner. The performances are superb. Notations is early Boulez, more barnstorming, perhaps, than explosante-fixe but also revealing more obviously Boulez's connection to tradition (Stravinsky, impressionism) and it receives a powerful expression here. Structures, Livre 2 is rendered with explosive power, yet remarkable restraint, by Aimard and Boffard. The recordings are superb and really serve to support what is, indeed, a taxing but rewarding musical experience. Recommended with enthusiasm - maybe not so much to those who are already skeptical of the avant-garde, but I cannot imagine that anyone with an open mind will be disappointed with the music here.