Discography: Boulez as Composer
Introduction

The discography which we are pleased to publish here was prepared by the eminent music critic Paul Griffiths, and is significant for several reasons.

It is, first and foremost, the most extensive discography of Pierre Boulez's compositions ever to have been published to date. It includes 133 CDs, LPs, cassettes and videodisks containing recordings of a total of 34 works. The sheer quantity of material attests to the central place which Boulez has occupied in the musical life of the twentieth century (and continues to occupy in the twenty-first...).

One is struck by the fact that certain of Boulez's works - the Piano Sonatas in particular - exist in nearly a dozen versions. This very abundance suggests that, despite the reputed difficulty of execution of Boulez's scores, the long process of their acceptance into the 'standard repertoire' is well underway. In addition, this discography also enumerates a number of pirated recordings; the existence of these, according to one school of thought, is proof positive of Notoriety! Included as well are recordings of several works which the composer has since withdrawn from his catalogue, but whose publication he authorizes for archival use and, more generally, for their historical interest (Poésie pour pouvoir, Polyphonie X).

In the case of certain works, Griffiths has noted the existence of several successive versions. This is the case for Le Visage nuptial, Le Soleil des eaux and Pli selon pli, among others. He also notes cases in which two pieces are interrelated, as is the case with Domaines and Dialogue de l'ombre double, as well as with Répons and the Dérives. Over and above the factual information which it contains, this discography invites the reader to penetrate one of the most fascinating and most original aspects of Boulezian poetics: many of his works are but one stage in an ongoing process whose final destination, if it exists at all, is situated on the horizon line of Boulez's imagination.

Note: Where the recording date is not known, the date of first release may be given inside square brackets.