BOULEZ: SONIC STRUCTURES

The London Sinfonietta celebrates the intoxicating music of Pierre Boulez, stepping into the intricate structures the French composer built throughout his career. With his meticulous, mathematical approach to sound, Boulez dismantled 20th-century music and rewired it, transforming its internal logic. In this concert, the London Sinfonietta explores the chaos within his fixed systems and the volatile consequences of depth and detail. 

The evening opens with a special insight into …explosante fixe…, as George Benjamin—one of the UK’s greatest living composers—deconstructs the piece live on stage using the full live ensemble and electronics to reveal its inner workings and how Boulez conceived of composition. A longtime champion of Boulez’s work, Benjamin traces its evolution from Mémoriale, the luminous tribute to Igor Stravinsky that later expanded into …explosante fixe…. 

Marking the centenary of Boulez’s birth, this concert pays tribute to his ever-evolving approach to composition. …explosante fixe… was supposedly completed in 1971, yet Boulez continued reinventing it—experimenting with electronics, orchestration, and emerging MIDI techniques. Originally conceived as a tribute to Igor Stravinsky, the piece became a bridge to the future, constantly reimagined for new times. 

Throughout Sonic Structures, the London Sinfonietta highlights both the complexity and possibility at the heart of Boulez’s music. In the second half, …explosante fixe… is heard in full, with flutist Michael Cox leading an orchestra in orbit. They respond dynamically to his playing, weaving together the piece’s network of finely-tuned arrangements. At times they are restrained to near-silence, while at others they overwhelm the listener with a blanket continuum of sound. 

This event offers a deep  insight into the mind of Pierre Boulez—one of the most influential composers of the past century—through the artistry of George Benjamin and the London Sinfonietta. 

Programme to include:

George Benjamin discusses Boulez and explosion-fixe
Pierre Boulez  Mémoriale
Pierre Boulez  explosante fixe
 

George Benjamin  conductor
Michael Cox  flute 
Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble
London Sinfonietta

This event is produced by the London Sinfonietta. The work of the London Sinfonietta is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

Grisey: Quatre Chants is kindly supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation and the John Ellerman Foundation. 
Grisey: Quatre Chants is performed with the friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.