P. B. forever

The play with musical letters takes on new dimensions in Staar’s homage cycle op. 14. The work P.B. forever, written for a concert of the Ensemble Wiener Collage under the direction of Pierre Boulez, operates with the musical letters of the name Pierre Boulez. i.e. E-Re (D)-B-E-Es (a combination of French and German spelling) and uses both triads and four-note chords in its compositional structure. In a larger context, the work presents itself as a large-scale rondo, with the opening functioning as a ritornello that recurs in various guises, culminating in the dissolution of the rhythmic structure at the end. The other parts of the work are characterized above all by the idea of various multidimensional reliefs, which are tonally distinguished from each other by instrumentation and dynamics, as well as rhythm and tempi. It was written for a chamber ensemble of 13 instrumentalists, and was premiered on June 16, 2009 at the Arnold Schönberg Center in Vienna, conducted by Pierre Boulez.