Talk:Pierre Boulez

Notes for future edit:

Include Kent Nagano

Include Varèse relationship/discography

Varèse's influence on other composers, not just from the classical world

by  P. Boulez

...perhaps the best example regarding this phenomenum was Frank Zappa. I knew Frank Zappa quite well. his great interest was Varèse's music. it certainly had a great influence on his thinking and on his material. it was very interesting to watch how someone like Zappa was hypnotised by Varèse. though Zappa was in a different world, Varese's music was still influential in an osmosis kind of way. it is not immediately appreciable nonetheless still very acute. 

Anyone can of course take from him. but you know, a generation has its own point of view and for example for my generation Varèse was practically unknown, especially from a French point of view. he was French but exiled in the US for a long time. Through a student of his of the generation of Messiaen, he was represented still in France after the war. but it meant he was a kind a myth and remained an unknown quantity. His works were just not performed. in fact I gave the first performances of Varèse after the war at the Domaine Musicale. I remember the performance of Déserts was a big scandal. not due to the instrumental music but due to the tape music. The tape was performed at a level of loudness that was practically unbearable to cover the protest! So nobody heard the music properly. Poor Varèse was upset and offended by the reception he received. his relationship with the French musical community was always a tortured one. He had some projects in the 1930s in France for which he came back from the us, but they never materialised. so he went back disappointed. I was one of the rare Frenchmen with whom he communicated.

Duncan 23:03, 31 Mar 2005 (PST)

resp

I know, I know... I also have to shorten the text, I guess... Something for Phaze II... - User:emdebe