ODE TO PIERRE BOULEZ

“To those who whine, who doubt his importance to our times and to the future – a warning. To Boulez we owe the most influential musical changes of our lifetime – as a conductor, composer, educator, programme planner and superior being, he has embraced an international state of artistic achievement, and wrestled, built and triumphed on all our behalfs. He has educated a whole generation of musicians – and happily, ecstatically even, it was mine – evangelising for rhythm and form over mere miasma of sound or texture, and has been bold for all who would be creative, insisting on rigour in intellect, opinion, art and its practice.” – The Scotsman