On March 7, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel, the best Basque composer of all time. And in LA LUZ a tribute was paid to this composer, recalling the influence of the famous Bolero on the collective imagination.

By chance, Deutsche Grammophon has just released an album with emblematic works by Ravel, including the Bolero, by the Berlin Philharmonic, and under the direction of the great Pierre Boulez, whose centenary of his birth has been celebrated on March 25. The recording made in 1993 at Jesus Christus Kirche in Berlin is a reference. Through this album, the composer and the director are honored.

Through these lines, Boulez, I want to pay tribute to the musical phenomenon that influenced the avant-garde of music after World War II.

The French composer can be considered a reference not only in the world of music, but also in the intellectuality of his time. From an academic background as a mathematician, Boulez was fascinated by the universe of contemporary music through professors such as Olivier Messiaen or René Leibowitz.

Precisely his mathematical knowledge made him embrace what is known as integral serialism. This differs from Schönberg’s dodecemonism in that he applies the concept of the series not only to the height of notes, but also to other variables of sound: rhythms, dynamics, ports, etc.

He was also a pioneer of electronic music and computer music.

He was director of the IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) from 1970 to 1992. This institute, which is responsible for the research and development of contemporary music, has a strong influence in Europe and Boulez gave this institution a prominent character.

From 1960, his compositional form became more flexible, reaching a controlled randomness and a sharp timbre sensitivity, influenced by Debussy. Some of his most important works are Polyphonie X (1951), Le marteau sans maître (1955), Pli selon Pli (1962) and Notations (1980).

Taking into account both anniversaries, I invite you to enjoy the recording of Deutsche mentioned above: The great Ravel, under the guidance of a director who best understood the music of the genius of Ciboure, Pierre Boulez.