Notations- a film by Marion Kalter

On the occasion of Pierre Boulez’s 100th birthday, La Maison Française of New York University Presents Notations by Marion Kalter. At the heart of the film is a conversation with the composer, during which he reflects on his life and artistic journey while looking at photographic portraits. The film is a multi-layered homage to one of the most influential musicians and thinkers of the 20th century.

The central voice in the film is that of Pierre Boulez (1925–2016). In the spring of 2005, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, the composer, conductor, and theorist sat down for an extensive interview with journalist Claude Glayman at IRCAM in Paris. Produced by Frédéric Luzy and filmed by Michel Follin, the result is a unique historical document: four hours of conversation about a life devoted to and shaped by music. Marion Kalter has transformed this material into an independent film through a tightly edited, rhythmically structured montage.

Boulez recalls formative encounters, artistic collaborations, and intellectual companions: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Luciano Berio, Nadia Boulanger, Elliott Carter, Franco Donatoni, Pascal Dusapin, Daniel Harding, György Ligeti, Philippe Manoury, Olivier Messiaen, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Luigi Nono, Maurizio Pollini, Paul Sacher, Georg Solti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Leonard Bernstein, among others. These names speak for themselves—yet Notations goes further. The composer’s voice is interwoven with images that accompanied him over decades: photographs by Marion Kalter.

Since 1984, when Kalter first photographed Boulez during rehearsals at IRCAM for »Le Monde de la Musique«, she has documented his work over nearly three decades—in Paris, Salzburg, New York, and Touraine. Her photographs are more than mere documentation: they reflect proximity and distance, precise observation, and a deep understanding of the subject. This visual dimension runs through the entire film, giving the composer’s recollections a second layer of resonance.

The filmic narrative is complemented by musical excerpts: Boulez’s Douze Notations pour piano (1945), recorded by the composer himself for ORF in 1992, provides a sonic foundation. In both the introduction and conclusion, Marion Kalter speaks in her own voice—as an artist, contemporary witness, and close observer of one of the most significant musicians of the 20th century. Her personal reflection on the long-standing collaboration with Boulez becomes a tribute to listening, seeing—and remembering.

Notations is not a conventional portrait but a dense tapestry of memory. A filmic document about Pierre Boulez, but also about the art of approaching—through words, music, and images.

Photo credit: Marion Kalter

Host or Publisher La Maison Française of NYU