François-Xavier Roth in conversation with Jan Schlichte (13 min.)

The work of the French composer Edgard Varèse is small in quantitative terms, but his radical experiments with sounds, the new use of instruments and the early involvement with electronically generated music caused a sensation and have greatly influenced many subsequent composers. As part of a Varèse-themed programme strand of the Berliner Philharmoniker, François-Xavier Roth conducted a new edition of the Late Night format in October 2019, conducting almost all of the composer’s works for smaller ensembles. The performers included Philharmoniker percussionist Jan Schlichte, who Roth tells during a break interview why Varèse has been one of his heroes since his youth, and why his music has lost none of its radicalism to this day.