SWR Linie 2 | 100 Jahre Pierre Boulez

In the organizer's words:

To kick off the Boulez year, the "Linie 2" concert series at Freiburg's E-Werk will feature a very special kind of "concert workshop" for the first time: Conductor Oscar Jockel will also act as moderator and will begin by explaining Pierre Boulez's work "Polyphonie X", which is the focus of the evening, with individual sound examples performed by the SWR Symphony Orchestra. With its orchestral arrangement and serial structure, "Polyphonie X" for 18 instruments occupies a special place in the composer's oeuvre, in a way linking the young master with the later composing grand seigneur. Premiered in Donaueschingen in 1951, the three-movement piece caused a real scandal at the time, causing Boulez to withdraw it for the time being, although it also marked his breakthrough as a composer. Stravinsky, who later heard "Polyphonie X", was very impressed and felt reminded of the scandal surrounding his "Sacre du Printemps" from 1913.

After his analytical reflection, "Polyphonie X" is performed in its entirety, followed by two works by composers important to Boulez: the "Fuga Ricerata a sei voci" from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Musical Offering" BWV 1079, arranged by Anton Webern, and Webern's Symphony op. 21. Directly following "Polyphonie X", both pieces illuminate Boulez's work from two complementary perspectives: The Bach arrangement places a particular focus on independent polyphony, while Webern's two-movement symphony from 1928, as a twelve-tone composition, concentrates particularly on the "inner growth" of the musical material from a musical nucleus (to a large-scale musical form). Both are also characteristic of Boulez's composition. At the end, "Polyphonie X" is played a second time, rounding off an evening in which musicians and audience have taken a short journey together through the universe of the composer Pierre Boulez. An exciting musical journey of discovery!

Pierre Boulez

"Polyphony X"

Johann Sebastian Bach/Anton Webern

"Fuga (2nd Ricercata) a sei voci" from the "Musical Offering" BWV 1079/5

Anton Webern

Symphony op. 21

Pierre Boulez

"Polyphony X"

With

SWR Symphony Orchestra
Oscar Jockel, moderator and conductor

Price information:

Admission 16€ / 7€ (reduced)