Meaning: This quote by Luc Ferrari, a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète, offers a unique perspective on Pierre Boulez, a prominent figure in 20th-century classical music. Boulez was a French composer, conductor, writer, and pianist, known for his innovative approach to composition and his advocacy for modernist music. The quote suggests that Ferrari perceived Boulez as someone who approached composition with a sense of rigidity and adherence to rules, akin to a company lawyer who formulates and upholds laws. To fully understand the significance of this quote, it is essential to delve into the context of the relationship between Boulez and Ferrari, as well as the broader musical and cultural milieu in which these composers operated.

Pierre Boulez was a leading figure in the post-war avant-garde music scene, and he was known for his intellectual rigor and uncompromising approach to composition. He was associated with the serialist movement, which sought to systematize the organization of musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, and dynamics. This approach often involved the use of twelve-tone technique, in which all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are given equal importance, thereby eschewing traditional tonal hierarchies.

In contrast, Luc Ferrari was a composer who embraced a more experimental and open-ended approach to music. He was a central figure in the development of musique concrète, a form of electroacoustic music that involved the manipulation of recorded sounds. Ferrari's work often focused on the exploration of environmental sounds and the integration of everyday sonic experiences into his compositions.

Given the contrasting musical philosophies of Boulez and Ferrari, it is not surprising that Ferrari would perceive Boulez as someone who "wrote laws." Boulez's commitment to serialism and his meticulous approach to composition could be interpreted as a strict adherence to predefined rules and structures. In this sense, Boulez's music might have appeared to Ferrari as being governed by a set of laws or regulations, much like a legal document crafted by a company lawyer.

Moreover, the comparison to a company lawyer is particularly evocative, as it implies a sense of formality, bureaucracy, and perhaps a lack of spontaneity. Ferrari's use of this metaphor suggests a perception of Boulez as a composer who approached his craft with a degree of formality and regulation that may have been at odds with Ferrari's own more fluid and exploratory approach to music.

It is important to note that this quote reflects Ferrari's personal perspective and may not capture the full complexity of Boulez's musical output and artistic vision. While Boulez was undoubtedly committed to a rigorous and systematic approach to composition, his influence extended far beyond the realm of "writing laws." As a conductor and a proponent of new music, he played a pivotal role in championing the works of contemporary composers and reshaping the landscape of classical music performance.

In conclusion, Luc Ferrari's description of Pierre Boulez as a composer who "wrote laws" offers a thought-provoking insight into the perception of Boulez's music within the context of the avant-garde music scene of the 20th century. The quote captures the tension between Boulez's systematic approach to composition and Ferrari's more free-form, experimental style. It serves as a reminder of the diverse and often conflicting philosophies that have shaped the trajectory of modern classical music, and it invites further exploration of the complex interplay between rules and creativity in the realm of musical composition.