Polyphonie X

Polyphonie X is a composition by Pierre Boulez for eighteen instruments divided into seven groups, written in 1950–51. It is in three movements.

It is one of the first works of Boulez's total serial period. It was composed shortly after "Structure 1a", the opening of the piano duo Structures I (Heyworth 1973, p. 14; Jameux 1991, p. 52), the movement the composer would later describe as an experiment with "an expressive nadir" (Jameux 1991, p. 51). The première of Polyphonie X on 6 October 1951 during the Donaueschingen Festival caused a scandal, with one half of the audience shouting and imitating animal noises, while the other half responded with applause and bravos (Jameux 1991, pp. 47–48).

The title is often misinterpreted as having algebraic significance; in fact, the X is intended as a purely graphical symbol, implying the crossing of musical parameters which takes place in the score (Jameux 1991, p. 47).

Polyphonie X has only been performed twice, and only once in its entirety; after hearing a recording of the première Boulez immediately withdrew the work because he felt it suffered from "theoretical exaggeration" (Stacey 1987, p. 62), intending eventually to subject it to a thoroughgoing revision (Jameux 1991, p. 48). As of 2011 this has not happened, and the piece remains unpublished. Two recordings exist; one of the première by the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Rosbaud, another by the symphony orchestra of the RAI conducted by Bruno Maderna (first movement only).

References

• Heyworth, Peter (1973), "The First Fifty Years", in Glock, William (ed.) (ed.), Pierre Boulez: A Symposium, London: Eulenburg Books (published 1986), ISBN 0-903873-12-5 {{citation}}: |editor-first= has generic name (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
• Jameux, Dominique (1991), Pierre Boulez, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-66740-9 translated by Susan Bradshaw.
• Stacey, Peter (1987), Boulez and the Modern Concept, Aldershot: Scolar Press, ISBN 0-85967-644-7