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"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain." - Bob Marley

Pierre Boulez

Pierre Boulez is one of the composers who wanted to completely start over after the Second World War: the whole classical tradition had to be dismissed. Not just tonality (the 'normal' use of chords), but also the classical, or dramatic, form of music. The twelve tones of the octave, following Schoenberg and Webern, were used to decide not only pitch, but also tone duration, timbre and loudness.  With his Structures, Boulez immediately showed his most extreme merit as a so-called serialist composer. After his, his work could only become subtler, which Boulez knew by composing his master piece Le marteau sans maitre soon after. Nonetheless, this work too remains quite inaccesible, however fascinating it may be. In his orchestral works, Poulez shows his french side: in these works refined, sparkling timbres dominate the composition. Some recommendations are his Rituel and Pli selon pli. Besides his work as a composer, Boulez was well-known as a conductor. 

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Complete Music for Solo Piano
Marc Ponthus