The Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat has received permission to give the world-première performances of a previously unheard early work by Pierre Boulez: the Prélude, Toccata et Scherzo, from 1944. The first performance will take place at the Paris Philharmonie on September 8; van Raat will then play it on the occasion of his Carnegie Hall début, on Oct. 24, and in Rotterdam on Nov. 25. Van Raat reports that the work begins in with gestures reminiscent variously of Bartók and Messiaen, but that hints of Boulez's mature style become increasingly evident in the breaking down of melodic material into cells. Aside from the historical interest, van Raat believes that the piece will be a valuable addition to the twentieth-century piano repertory. Let's hope a recording ensues.
