Composer

:

Pierre Boulez

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song Cycle

Compose Date

:

1957 - 1962

Average_duration

:

66:43

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

Pierre Boulez's 'Pli selon pli' is a composition for soprano and orchestra, composed between 1957 and 1962. The piece was premiered in 1962 by the Domaine Musical in Paris, with soprano Christine Schäfer and the Orchestre National de France conducted by Boulez himself. 'Pli selon pli' is divided into five movements, each of which is based on a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé. The first movement, "Don", is a setting of Mallarmé's poem "Don du poème" and features a solo soprano accompanied by a small ensemble of instruments. The second movement, "Improvisation sur Mallarmé I", is a setting of "Un coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hasard" and features the full orchestra. The third movement, "Improvisation sur Mallarmé II", is a setting of "A la nue accablante tu" and features a smaller ensemble of instruments. The fourth movement, "Improvisation sur Mallarmé III", is a setting of "Tombeau" and features the full orchestra. The final movement, "Epilogue", is a setting of "L'Azur" and features the soprano and a small ensemble of instruments. 'Pli selon pli' is characterized by Boulez's use of serialism and his interest in exploring the relationship between text and music. The piece features complex rhythms and harmonies, as well as extended techniques for the instruments. Boulez also employs a technique he called "points de repère" (landmarks), which involves repeating certain musical phrases throughout the piece in order to create a sense of unity. Overall, 'Pli selon pli' is a challenging and complex work that showcases Boulez's innovative approach to composition and his mastery of orchestration.

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