Ensemble Intercontemporain . Pierre Boulez

Nine years after his impressive period as conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, the figurehead of the European avant-garde, Pierre Boulez (1925) is our guest once again. This time he is accompanied by the ensemble he set up in 1976 and which has since become a point of reference in contemporary music. Boulez often creates new versions of his compositions and this also forms the basis of the present concert programme. The piano piece 'Incises' (1994/2001) and the triple trio 'Sur Incises' (1996/1998) are two works related to one another. The intense 'Incises' conveys a unique mood with contrasts of gesture and texture. 'Sur Incises' uses the same material but unravels the sounds from three pianos into complementary parts for three harps and three percussion instruments. The effects of the spatial placing of the three instrument groups make for a unique and unforgettable experience in every performance in any concert hall. On hearing this work, you get a strong sense of connection: music that has been written and conducted by the same person and played by the very same musicians for whom it was written. Sandwiched between these pieces, Jérôme Comte plays the Clarinet Concerto written in 1996 by Elliott Carter (1908) for the Ensemble InterContemporain. This is a remarkably light and accessible piece with a virtuoso solo part.