Boulez Conducts Boulez

Die-hard fans of Pierre Boulez's music may find no difficulty in this disc's selections, though others less familiar with the composer's music may question the rationale behind the program. Notations and Structures, Book II, for two pianos are logically paired, since both inhabit the same sound world and, more subtly, can be positioned fairly closely on the continuum of Boulez's serial thought and development. Granted, Notations is terse and rigorous in its dialectic contrasts, while the second set of Structures, in reaction to the severe economy of the previous piece, is overflowing with ideas and more effusive in its gestural language. Yet for all their differences, these works complement each other and would have been natural choices for an all-piano CD, perhaps followed by one of Boulez's piano sonatas. But they give no preparation for the shock of ...explosante-fixe..., a piece for flute, ensemble, and electronics that bursts with color, activity, and imagination. This stunning work is the disc's tour de force, and its dazzling sonorities are enhanced by the great sound of Deutsche Grammophon's 4D reproduction. Once it takes hold, ...explosante-fixe... carries the listener into another musical dimension, and its brilliance makes the previous works seem pedestrian in comparison.