Pierre Boulez, conductor of bracing clarity, dies at 90

Washington Post ^ | 1/6/2016 | Tim Page

[Borges]

Pierre Boulez, who began his career as a radical modernist composer dedicated to overthrowing classical traditions and lived to become one of the most revered and sought-after orchestral conductors in the world, died Jan. 6 in Baden-Baden, Germany. He was 90.

His family announced the death to the Philharmonie Paris but did not disclose a cause.

Mr. Boulez (pronounced boo-LEZZ) came to public attention as the leading voice of postwar avant-garde music in France, an enfant terrible given to making public suggestions such as “the most elegant way of solving the opera problem would be to blow up the opera houses.”

[Borges]

ping

[ConservativeDude]

mixed emotions here....

[Borges]

He said some stupid things in his firebrand days but turned into the bst all around composer of modern music (Mahler and Debussy on).

[Borges]

CONDUCTOR of modern music.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Ha, from the pic at the link he looked like a cross between Bernie Sanders and Pope Francis.

[Maceman]

IMHO, his recording of conducting Stravinsky's Rite of Spring with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra is the best version ever. EVER.

Even better than Stravinsky's version.

Boulez/Cleveland Symphony Orchestra: The Rite of Spring -- Igor Stravinsky

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[ConservativeDude]

yes

[Sans-Culotte]

When I watched the Blu-ray of Boulez conducting the Mahler 2nd with the Berlin Staatskapelle, he looked pretty frail to me. I wasn't sure he'd make it through the cataclysmic last movement. He was probably near 80 at that time.

I always like Boulez for modern 20th century pieces. His Stravinsky recordings were the go-to versions when they came out. RIP.

[Borges]

And he wasn't above having some fun...

[EveningStar]

ping

[Verginius Rufus]

Baden-Baden should be a sister city to Walla Walla, Washington, and to Paw Paw, Michigan.