Boulez: Sur Incises/Messagesquisse/Anthèms 2

This disc (entitled "Sur Incises") contains not only the title piece; a work for three pianos, three harps, and percussion, but also the world premiere recording of Anthemes 2 for violin and electronics, and Messagesquisse for solo cello and six cellos. The overall cast of the project is predictably impressive. The Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain are their usual impeccable selves, and the soloists (Jean-Guihen Queras, cello and Hae-Sun Kang, violin) both shine, if not ignite, under the baton and direction of the great man himself. As a whole opus, the recording is obviously of great significance. Released in 2000 as part of the "Boulez 2000 series", here is a truly new oevre from Boulez, clearly independent of all the re-releases of his work as a conductor. Certainly to be taken seriously, despite the current trend to date Boulez's work automatically in the 1960s.

"Sur Incises" is based on the solo piano pieces called simply "Incises", and as Wolfgang Fink's excellent sleeve notes explain, is a kind of portrayal of the infinite; a development for its own sake, supposedly stemming from the works of Webern, Berg and Stravinsky which Boulez loves so dearly. Also in this amplified version, it is a portrayal of the inner workings of the piano, using the harps and the "percussion-claviers" as shadows within the dominant piano writing. The arrangements are wonderful, and the playing sensitive and virtuosic, but I can't help feeling that this is second-generation Ravel, and that these tone colours evoke a delicacy and subtlety of style more suited to the late Romantics than to the ever-curious Boulez. Like Percy Grainger's sumptuous re-working of Ravel's "Vallée des Cloches" for myriad celestes, harps and vibraphones, tone colour and atmosphere are the order of the day, and seem to take the listener happily through these impressionistic moments without offence. Highly enjoyable, but not the Boulez we knew before. Take that as you will.

Similarly, 'Anthemes 2' for violin and electronics is a development and exploration of the much shorter 'Anthemes' for solo violin. Yet here, it seems that Andrew Gerzo (Boulez's electronics man) has had a greater say in what to do with the acoustic sounds of the violin, producing a piece, as it were, to be performed. This side-steps any accusations on the composer of being abstract for the sake of it, and it's nice to see.

Similar in sound-world, but not in content is the cello ensemble piece Messagesquisse. The only one of the three works not to receive its first recorded airing on this disc, it seems to hold it's own the best. The six tutti players shoot off the soloist almost throughout, like worker bees round Queryas's queen, yet there are structure and sections to this taking us beyond the predictable randomness of Boulez's more familiar approach. The orchestration is in itself unanimous, using the seven cellists as similar voices, as in vocal music. Yes, the pitch range is stretched, but the emphasis on their melodic ability (and the avoidance of avant-garde technical wizardry) was the feature that most surprised and pleased me as a listener. It's a good disc, and highly recommended as an example of contemporary music which is effective and accessible as well as challenging.