Signed Drawing

Original pen and ink illustration of the great conductor by artist George Krishizki, signed by Boulez and also signed by the artist, dated 1972, and titled: "Pierre Boulez conducting Varese's "Arcana" / New York Philharmonic." 12 x 9 inches.

The influential 20th-century composer Edgar Varèse completed his orchestral work Arcana in 1927. Inspired by the Renaissance scientist Paracelsus, the piece's title refers to his idea of hidden powers that “can change us, bring about transmutations, can renovate and restore us”; the specific, “immaterial talents” of substances that drive out disease. The demanding, sometimes cacophonous piece requires 120 musicians, including eight percussionists playing almost 40 different instruments.

Pierre Boulez conducted Arcana with the New York Philharmonic in February 1972, on a diverse program including Telemann, Berg, and Mozart. One of Boulez's important legacies to the orchestra was wider programming of contemporary music and experimental programming; Varèse, who had been an influence on Boulez as a composer, was one of those he championed.

The Russian-Polish-American illustrator George 'Georges' Krishizki came to the U.S. in 1949; his on-the-spot drawings of musicians in performance attracted an appreciative audience. In a 1973 article published in conjunction with two simultaneous exhibitions, the artist explained the genesis of his long-running engagement with the concert hall: “I’ve always enjoyed going to concerts, and one day I decided it would be fun to combine my interests in music and art and make sketches of musicians during performances.” (14875)

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Signed Photograph

Signed Document/Item

Art

Opera

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