In the opening concert of the MusikTriennale Koln 2000,
the human voice plays a central role: The soprano Christine Schafer, who has
achieved worldwide fame, interprets works by Alban Berg and Claude Debussy.
The concert is a homage to Pierre Boulez, who will celebrate his 75th birthday
as principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.20 min. documentary
In this 2000 concert, conductor Pierre Boulez and the Chicago
Symphony tackle three 20th-century works that are the specialty of the
orchestra's former music director. The suite from Alban Berg's unfinished
opera, Lulu, is revealed as substantive and compelling. Soprano Christine
Schaefer exquisitely sings Lulu's short vocal interludes, and is also featured
in Claude Debussy's sublime vocal settings Le Jet d'eau et Trois Ballades de
Villon. Finally, Boulez's forces give Stravinsky's first full-length ballet,
The Firebird, an electrifying run-through. As a bonus, there's a fascinating
talk between Boulez and his successor in Chicago, Daniel Barenboim. For an
informative 20 minutes, the maestros discuss their approaches to music, even
touching on how to deal with Richard Wagner in the 21st century. --Kevin
Filipski