Pierre Boulez, who died this week at his home in Baden Baden at the age of 90, once wrote “Creation exists only in the unforeseen made necessary.”“With this belief as his paradigm, Pierre Boulez has radically changed music itself as well as its reception in society,” said conductor and musician Daniel Barenboim, in one tribute of many from the classical music world. “He always knew exactly when he had to be radical because it was a necessary requirement for music and society to develop.”Boulez, dubbed “A radical titan of contemporary music,” will be remembered for his tempestuous character as much as his musical achievements. Winner of 26 Grammy Awards, the French-born composer and conductor was music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1971 through 1977, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1971 to 1975, and led the orchestras of both the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics. But his dedication to contemporary music, including a collaboration with Frank Zappa, sometimes rattled purists. Earning a reputation as an enfant terrible, he once called John Cage a “performing monkey.”Recognized for developing integral serialism, Boulez experimented extensively with electronic music, and in his later years his influence on generations was recognized to such an extent that he was honored with awards such as The Glenn Gould Prize, and widely considered a great of 20th Century music evolution.In a statement, the French president François Hollande, said: “Pierre Boulez made French music shine throughout the world. As a composer and conductor, he always wanted to reflect on his era.”Manuel Valls, rhe French prime minister, tweeted: “Courage, innovation, creativity – this is what Pierre Boulez meant to the world of French music, of which he made a beacon of light throughout the world.”Tributes from across the world Matthias Pintscher, composer:“Sleepless and completely overwhelmed by the loss of Pierre Boulez…all the countless memories are flooding my brain, all those beautiful moments of sharing music, thoughts and an unconditional and generous friendship and his loyal mentorship… I miss him so much.He leaves a huge void among all of us but also imposes the duty on all of us to continue to walk on the path he has laid out for us: keeping moving forward, never standing still, keeping the mind fresh, bold and inspired, always staying curious and loving and share music because it is in between humans and take it where words end…
I would not be a musician without him
no one has inspired and encouraged me more than him
and I will always miss his smile.”Natalia Pschenitschnikova, composer:“I was the first who played Boulez Flute Sonatina in USSR. I was student in Moscow Conservatory and was almost thrown out because of that. I loved this music from the first moment. R.i.p Pierre Boulez. Thank You for everything!” Riccardo Muti, conductor:“As both an admirer and friend of the Maestro, I am deeply grateful for his contributions, as composer, conductor and educator, to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with which he had a collaboration of nearly 50 years, and served so brilliantly as its principal guest conductor and conductor emeritus.”Lennox Mackenzie, violinist and LSO chairman:“When Sir Simon Rattle announced the news of Pierre Boulez’s death at rehearsal today a palpable aura of sadness and quiet ensued. Maestro Boulez was enormously respected and loved by everyone in the LSO…. His visits were always warmly anticipated by one and all. Never one to use a baton, his minimal style of conducting brought great clarity and exhibited to the performers that it was the music that was important.The attention to detail allied to his deep, intellectual understanding of these masterpieces always brought revelations to his musicians in rehearsal. His hearing ability was legendary, able to pick out a slight intonational lapse perhaps from one musician, when a hundred were playing. Working with him was always compelling and intense.”George Benjamin, composer:[Boulez was] “an absolutely exceptional figure in the evolution of western music and his loss will be felt by musicians and music lovers across the planet. A conductor of profound insight, refinement and dynamism, a provocative polemicist and prime mover in musical thinking and action, he was the last of the extraordinary generation who redefined the art form in the aftermath of WWII. But his greatest achievement was his own music which, in its radical originality, introduced a scintillating sense of poetry and luminosity into modern music.”
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