Boulez, Pierre

titled above the music "I.A", in black ink on four four-stave systems per page, with autograph bar numbers and system dividers in red ink, inscribed by Boulez at the end "Monument à la limite du pays fertile / Paul Klee"

6 pages, large folio (c.40.5 x 29cm), 40-stave paper, browning to first page, a few stains, remains of adhesive tape on some pages, probably c.1952-1954

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

WE HAVE NO RECORD OF AUTOGRAPH MUSIC MANUSCRIPTS BY PIERRE BOULEZ APPEARING AT AUCTION.

The two books of Structures are among Boulez's most important works from the 1950s. Composed during a single night in 1951, 'Structure 1a' is the "most successful of Boulez's essays in total serialization" (TNG), where all parameters, including articulation and rhythms (not just pitches), are based entirely on a single tone row. The inscription at the end refers to Paul Klee's abstract painting Monument in Fruchtland: "Monument à la limite du pays fertile" (1929), now in Lucerne, which displays a pattern of striped and rectangular coloured layers, which brings to mind a series of landscapes as seen from an aeroplane. Boulez referred to the title "Monument à la limite du pays fertile" as a metaphor for his strict serial method of composition. This score is a pre-publication manuscript; Structures premier livre was published in 1955. 

This score comes from the collection of the celebrated pianist Paul Jacobs (1930-1983), whose pioneering performances and recordings of avant-garde music in the 1950s and 1960s were of great important to contemporary composers, particularly Boulez. Jacobs met Boulez when he moved to Paris in 1951 and played in the Domaine musical concerts, working regularly with the composer for around thirty years.  He recalled that once in 1954, Boulez gave him a pile of scores and told him that they were to be played at a concert within ten days (Joan Peyser, Boulez and Beyond, 2007, p.181).