Description: In the opening concert of the MusikTriennale Koln 2000, the human voice plays a central role: The soprano Christine Schafer, who has achieved worldwide fame, interprets works by Alban Berg and Claude Debussy. The concert is a homage to Pierre Boulez, who will celebrate his 75th birthday as principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.20 min. documentary
Amazon.com: In this 2000 concert, conductor Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony tackle three 20th-century works that are the specialty of the orchestra's former music director. The suite from Alban Berg's unfinished opera, Lulu, is revealed as substantive and compelling. Soprano Christine Schaefer exquisitely sings Lulu's short vocal interludes, and is also featured in Claude Debussy's sublime vocal settings Le Jet d'eau et Trois Ballades de Villon. Finally, Boulez's forces give Stravinsky's first full-length ballet, The Firebird, an electrifying run-through.
As a bonus, there's a fascinating talk between Boulez and his successor in Chicago, Daniel Barenboim. For an informative 20 minutes, the maestros discuss their approaches to music, even touching on how to deal with Richard Wagner in the 21st century. --Kevin Filipski
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Rating: - modernist showcase of impassioned performances
The on-going winter residencies of Pierre Boulez with the Chicago Symphony is fast becoming legendary. Maitre Boulez began over ten years ago with concerts of the modernist repertoire of Berg, Bartok, ... Read More
