Musik Trienniale Koln 2000 - Berg Lulu Suite / Debussy Le Jet D'Eau / Stravinsky Firebird / Boulez, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
In this 2000 concert, conductor Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony  tackle three 20th-century works that are the specialty of the orchestra's former  music director. The suite from Alban Berg's unfinished opera,Lulu, is  revealed as substantive and compelling. Soprano Christine Schaefer exquisitely  sings Lulu's short vocal interludes, and is also featured in Claude Debussy's  sublime vocal settingsLe Jet d'eau et Trois Ballades de Villon. Finally,  Boulez's forces give Stravinsky's first full-length ballet,The Firebird,  an electrifying run-through.As a bonus, there's a fascinating talk between Boulez and his successor in  Chicago, Daniel Barenboim. For an informative 20 minutes, the maestros discuss  their approaches to music, even touching on how to deal with Richard Wagner in  the 21st century.--Kevin Filipski