Did looking at the score for the first time give you the sense of uncovering a “secret Boulez”?

I was of course very surprised when I saw it, the Romantic aspect. But at the same time it might explain or even prove how basically, to me, the First and Second Sonatas [from a few years later] feel like highly Romantic works.

They contain “rational” elements — of course, everybody always talks about the rational part of them. But at the same time, the big intervals, I see them as very expressive. Even if he writes “to completely destroy all beauty of sounds.” It is highly Romantic to think that. I mean, it’s a little aggressive! But it’s also Romantic. It’s a lot of emotions. I think the “Prélude, Toccata et Scherzo” kind of proves that he had it within his personality. This hyper-emotional or, let’s say, passionate aspect.

You spoke at Carnegie about the first movement as bearing the influence of Bartok. And then you hear some Messiaen in the middle of the movement?