Boulez withdraws from Proms 2012 concerts & talks

[Guest]

Pierre Boulez's continuing eyesight problems have forced him to withdraw from Proms 2012 concerts and talks.

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/07/breaking-boulez-is-out-of-the-bbc-proms-and-more.html

[Osborn]

Oh dear, oh dear. Le Marteau is such an important work, endlessly fascinatiing and desperately difficult to perform. To have (to be realistic) a last chance to hear it conducted by the composer was a dream that's now a pipe dream. (Incidentally, Hilary Summers is absolutely brilliant in this)

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh dear, oh dear. Le Marteau is such an important work, endlessly fascinatiing and desparately difficult to perform. To have (to be realistic) a last chance to hear it conducted by the composer was a dream that's now a pipe dream. (Incidentally, Hilary Summers is absolutely brilliant in this)

Well I would have thought Boulez would have known the work backwards, without need to resort to the score. And inverted, retrograde inverted, and subjected to serial permutations.

Seriously, though, this is very sad news.

[bluestateprommer]

Most unfortunate that PB has had to withdraw from The Proms and other engagements. His eye problems clearly don't prevent him from enjoying concerts as an audience member, as the Chicago Tribune critic noted in this review of the Chicago Symphony and Mahler 6, with Jaap van Zweden on the podium:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-08/entertainment/ct-ent-0709-currier-review-20120708_1_dreamers-orchestra-and-chorus-millennium-park/2

FWIW, the Forum Calendar is now updated.

[Hornspieler]

Most unfortunate that PB has had to withdraw from The Proms and other engagements. His eye problems clearly don't prevent him from enjoying concerts as an audience member, as the Chicago Tribune critic noted in this review of the Chicago Symphony and Mahler 6, with Jaap van Zweden on the podium:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-08/entertainment/ct-ent-0709-currier-review-20120708_1_dreamers-orchestra-and-chorus-millennium-park/2

FWIW, the Forum Calendar is now updated.

For any performing artist to encounter problems with eyesight or hearing is a terrible blow and M Boulez has my deepest sympathy. I wish him well.

Does this mean any changes to the scheduled programmes, or will another conductor take over responsibilty for his compositions?
(and also the complete Beethoven cycle?)

Hornspieler

[Osborn]

HS. The Beethoven cycle (with Boulez works) is unchanged with Barenboim conducting. Francois-Xavier Roth will conduct Le Marteau in the late night prom. Boulez's place in a discussion with Roger Wright at the RCM will be taken by Barenboim on 20 July. RW will do well to stay afloat - DB is fiendishly difficult to interview!

[amateur51]

For any performing artist to encounter problems with eyesight or hearing is a terrible blow and M Boulez has my deepest sympathy. I wish him well.

Does this mean any changes to the scheduled programmes, or will another conductor take over responsibilty for his compositions?
(and also the complete Beethoven cycle?)

Hornspieler

It's all in the Press Release in the original post, HS.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Most unfortunate that PB has had to withdraw from The Proms and other engagements. His eye problems clearly don't prevent him from enjoying concerts as an audience member.

Yes, the Press Bulletin makes it clear that Boulez is unable to travel:

Due to recent eye surgery in the United States, Pierre Boulez is unfortunately unable to travel to the UK

I hope this means that the surgery was as (comparitively!) straightforward as cataracts, and that we shall hear him conducting Le Marteau etc etc in the near future. Boulez' eyesight has caused him problems in recent years: he misjudged some steps and had a serious fall about a year ago.

[amateur51]

Pierre was 'doing' sunglasses long before Beckham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17-pJZ9nEg

Get better soon, Maitre

[Hornspieler]

It's all in the Press Release in the original post, HS.

Thanks for the info.

HS

[Bryn]

Pierre was 'doing' sunglasses long before Beckham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17-pJZ9nEg

Get better soon, Maitre

That was when he was suffering from a bout of shingles and was as a consequence temporarily photophobic.

[amateur51]

That was when he was suffering from a bout of shingles and was as a consequence temporarily photophobic.

Ouch!

I've had shingles but not the photophobia