Boulez Conducts Varése: Amériques, Arcana, Déserts & Ionisation

Would the composer want them to sound this nice?

     

Boulez takes the experimental edge off of most of this music. Seems he is exploring the more traditional aspects of Varése. This approach works best in "Déserts." It's electronic interludes are omitted and this gives the amorphous work a fresh sound. On "Amériques" and "Arcana," the large room recording makes these dynamic tracks sound like an approaching storm. "Ionisation" is the only track to suffer from the too-diffuse micing. I still prefer the much more wild, harsher recordings from the 1960s. This newer take on the composer is suitable for listeners with more conservative tastes. Now be warned - there really is no taming this "Stratospheric Colossus of Sound."