P. Boulez on Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps part 1

[Hero0fSilence]

Wow, look at him speak... its nothing like watching, say, Stockhausen. Poor stocky had stage fright...

[kevtrev77]

I like the Boulez version - to me it is tighter, punchier and more kinetic than some of the more old school conductors. He gets it that if pagans were musicians, they would more likely be drummers than flute players.

[robertofiore]

Boulez non ha idea di cosa sia l'aggressività e confonde le parole forza, profondità con la parola aggressitività , forse perchè lui non le conosce, non le sente.

Il balletto fu un fiasco per il popolo dei balletti ottocenteschi perchè era la proposizione di una nuova musica, di una nuova frontiera che la 2 scuola di Vienna a mio parere non riuscì a concretizzare veramente...

Mi ha deluso l'analisi superfisciale e poco accorta di Boulez.

[YouCouns]

My advice is that you listen Stravinsky's own version of the Rite of Spring, which is quite old (1960's I believe...), but so powerfull and so "on the point". He really knows how must sound the piece, He is the composer, after all !

[cnmaster01]

@YouCouns I dunno i had a few issues with his conducting of firebird, minor issues, but they were there. haven't heard his Rite though

[meckes65]

@YouCouns

it was composed in 1913! It was a musical revolution and causes a scandal at its premiere. A real milestone in musical history.

[olivemypikachuu]

@meckes65 The Riot of Spring :D

[Hero0fSilence]

@olivemypikachuu :3

[Francise05]

His voice has aged well; he sounds like he is in his 30s.

[Waldvogel91]

I love the way he speaks English.

[MomSaysImCool]

@Waldvogel91 Yeah, he speaks with a slight English accent.

[tyapotyapo]

Like his works on Stravinsky, so is his speech very comprehensible.

[franciscocio]

Frankly, I don´t like Boulez's interpretation. he "plastifies" it... he doesn't get the "paganic" feel he claims to...

I prefer him conducting Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, or his own works, I think thats Boulez areas... although he loves the Rite, maybe I don't understand his interpretation.

[p0lyph0ny]

I find Boulez's interpretation anything but "plastified"; to me his lucid approach feels *more* paganic than other interpretations I've heard. More agressive approaches seem to me to have an element of faking -- an over-the-top make-believe "let's play barbarians" feeling --, whereas Boulez's approach reveals, in a utterly true and terrifying manner, the "willful barbarianism" in this piece.

But to each his own; fortunately, we have many different interpretations to choose from!

[RogueRotting360]

I prefer Stokowski's and Monteuax interpretations, since the earlier ones tend to be more nuanced and layered, as opposed to the later recordings which seem to be mechanical and lack the subtlety and dynamics of previous recordings.

He also admits to neither liking no understanding the Rite, which seems to present a barrier between truly capturing the spirit of the rite.

[taviona]

Yay! I'm going to see Boulez in the Vienna Konzerthaus next year \o/ He's cool :)

[ThaSchwab]

His performance of the Rite was fantastic.

[TheBlackPage1]

Va te faire foutre.

[Milos1999]

fascinating. Thank you for posting !