Pierre Boulez (person)

In the 1950s and 1960s Boulez was strident about his dodecaphony. He found even Arnold Schoenberg to be a hack due to his conventional treatment of rhythm and form. Here are a few of his judgements of various composers:

• Alban Berg. "Bad taste."
• Brahms. "A bore."
• John Cage. "A performing monkey."
• Olivier Messiaen. "Brothel music."
• Schoenberg. "Ostentatious and obsolete romanticism."
• Karlheinz Stockhausen. "A hippie."
• Tchaikovsky. "Abominable."
• Verdi. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"