Boulez, Pierre 1925 - 2016
Author: Okada, Akihiro
Last updated：January 1, 2009
Author: Okada, Akihiro
Pierre Boulez was born in Montbrison, France, in 1925. After studying mathematics and other subjects in Lyon, he studied counterpoint and composition at the Paris Conservatoire under Andrée Vaurabourg (wife of Arthur Honegger, one of Les Six) and Olivier Messiaen.
After leaving the Conservatoire, he studied with René Leibowitz, known as a disciple of Schoenberg and Webernn, and became devoted to serial techniques. This tendency was further advanced, leading him to total serialism after World War II, also influenced by his participation in the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music in Germany, which began in 1947. Structures for two pianos (1952/1961) is a representative work composed using this technique.
Author : Saitoh, Noriko
Last Updated: August 1, 2008
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Author : Saitoh, Noriko
French composer. In addition to three piano sonatas, he composed works for two pianos. He studied harmony with Messiaen at the Conservatoire de Paris. He also privately studied counterpoint with André Vaurabourg and twelve-tone technique with Leibowitz. He served as music director for the Renaud-Barrault Company and founded the Marigny Petit Théâtre Concerts. The latter became the "Domaine Musical" and contributed to the dissemination of French contemporary music. His lectures at the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music were so renowned that he was called one of the "Darmstadt Trinity" alongside Stockhausen and Nono. In the 1960s, when he became deeply involved in music education, teaching at institutions such as the Basel Music Academy and Harvard University Graduate School, he also actively pursued conducting. Boulez's achievements also include the founding of IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique – Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) in the 1970s, where he served as director, and the creation of the "Ensemble InterContemporain," specializing in the performance of contemporary music. He also engaged in prolific writing activities.
His compositional style originated from influences of the Second Viennese School and Messiaen, which he then developed into his own unique methods. He applied serialism not only to pitch but also to other musical elements such as rhythm, and utilized serial operations within precise mathematical structures. When discussing Boulez's music, terms such as "abstract impressionism," "labyrinthine forms," and "controlled chance" are often used.
Works(7)
Piano Solo
sonata (3)
Piano Ensemble
pieces (2)
Chamber Music