Albrecht Dümling on Pierre Boulez' »Notations« (10 min.)

Pierre Boulez’s Notations which were conceived as piano works and later orchestrated by the composer himself, are among the most important works of contemporary music. Sir Simon Rattle has felt a deep reverence for Boulez since his student days, and the Notations in particular belong to the conductor’s core repertoire. In this introduction for a performance by Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker in May 2013, the musicologist Albrecht Dümling explains the structure and effect of these pioneering compositions.