David Robertson, a distinguished conductor known for blending avant-garde music with accessibility, dives deep into his journey and influences. He reflects on Pierre Boulez's impact on contemporary music and discusses whether Boulez aligns more with surrealism or serialism. Robertson shares insights on connecting with musicians, the challenges of memorizing complex scores, and why he prefers the original 1911 version of Stravinsky's 'Petrushka.' Additionally, he touches on the emotional resonance of music and the differences in how audiences from various cultures experience performances.
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insights INSIGHT
How Conductors Like David Robertson Bring Complex Music to Life with Emotion and Clarity
David Robertson reveals that Pierre Boulez, often seen as severe and uncompromising, was actually deeply emotional but not comfortable expressing it himself. Boulez was flexible in rehearsals, welcoming adjustments by players to bring out the music's emotional depth.
Robertson explains the importance of memorizing complex contemporary scores like Boulez's Explosante Fixe to achieve intimate understanding, comparing musical memorization to knowing deeply loved names.
He emphasizes that great conductors create clarity by having a clear sonic idea in their heads and instinctively shaping the orchestra to make all parts audible, respecting each musician as a soloist.
This mindset helps ensembles deliver complex, avant-garde music that still connects emotionally and feels contemporary to audiences.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Boulez's Collaborative Flexibility
Pierre Boulez collaborated flexibly with musicians, adapting pieces based on their input.
He welcomed emotional intensity in performances even if he behaved differently himself.
insights INSIGHT
Mosaic Rhythm in Boulez's Music
Boulez's complex scores become clear when you mentally embrace their mosaic and rhythmic fluidity.
Forcing his rhythms into strict meter would stifle their expressive naturalness.
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David Robertson is a rare conductor who unites avant-garde complexity with accessibility. After serving as music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez’s storied contemporary-music ensemble, he went on to rejuvenate the St. Louis Symphony. Robertson combines a fearless approach to challenging scores with a deep empathy for audiences.
Tyler and David explore Pierre Boulez's centenary and the emotional depths beneath his reputation for severity, whether Boulez is better understood as a surrealist or a serialist composer, the influence of non-Western music like gamelan on Boulez's compositions, the challenge of memorizing contemporary scores, whether Boulez's music still sounds contemporary after decades, where skeptics should start with Boulez, how conductors connect with players during a performance, the management lessons of conducting, which orchestra sections posed Robertson the greatest challenges, how he and other conductors achieve clarity of sound, what conductors should read beyond music books, what Robertson enjoys in popular music, how national audiences differ from others, how Robertson first discovered classical music, why he insists on conducting the 1911 version of Stravinsky's Petrushka rather than the 1947 revision, and more.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel.
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