Pierre Boulez's compositional process often involves starting with small-scale pieces that develop into larger works. This article discusses his pieces Eclat and Multiples, illustrating how Eclat began as an eight-minute exploration and evolved into a 25-instrument composition. Similarly, Sur Incises started from a solo piece and expanded into a complex work with multiple pianos and percussion. Boulez's intentions for Eclat/Multiples indicate he wanted to further extend the piece, with this disc featuring previously unreleased music, showcasing the dynamic evolution of his work in a live performance setting.
Almost all the major works from the second half of Pierre Boulez's composing career developed in the same way: their starting point is a small-scale ensemble or solo piece that served as the kernel for the much expanded and elaborated later score.
Eclat/Multiples, completed in 1981, began life in 1965 as Eclat, a kit-like eight-minute exploration of the sound world Boulez had first created for the central movements of his masterpiece Pli selon Pli.
It's clear from the sketches for Eclat/Multiples that Boulez intended to extend it beyond the 28-minute version that is played today, and this disc includes an extra four minutes of music never recorded before.
The pair of substantial pieces are played with fabulous precision and incisiveness on this disc, showcasing the evolution of Boulez's compositional technique.
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