Stockhausen and Boulez, Royal Festival Hall

Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen are two titans of the post-war avant-garde. The London Sinfonietta are the capital’s most committed devotees of contemporary music. As part of the Southbank Centre’s 2015/16 line-up, these three forces will be brought together for a concert that looks to be one of the highlights of the winter season.
The first half of the programme is centred on Boulez. Derive 1 (1984) for six instruments is a burst of tension and beauty, whirring fourth from a single six-note chord. It has been called a miniature summation of his entire project. Anthemes II (1997) is a longer piece, which melds two violins with live electronics. Based on the composer’s childhood memories of church services, it is a characteristically refined soundscape.
While Boulez can be characterised as a slick urbanite, Stockhausen had more than a dash of the cosmic dreamer. Hymnen (1966-67) is a gargantuan composition that takes as its point of departure the national anthems of various countries. The Sinfonietta will perform ‘Region III’ as a stand-alone piece. Dedicated to John Cage, it includes Russian, American and Spanish anthems, and serves as a paean towards global unity in aftermath of global war. This is difficult music, but eager listeners will find it offers ample rewards.