Luigi Nono

[Don Giovanni]

Although he's rather difficult at first, I've become very interested in Nono. Does anyone else here share my like for him? If so, what are your favourite works and how do you rank him among his contemporaries?

[not edward]

I really like Nono. He's an unusual beast in that he made a massive, radical change of style that I think worked equally well as his previous periods. I often think of him as--along with Barraque--the most Romantic of the post-war serialists...everything in his music has an intense need to express itself at all times.

Absolute favourites from his aggressive, noisy serial/agitprop phase:

Il Canto sospeso
Canti di vita e amore
como una ola de fuerza y luz
Al gran sole carico d'amore

From the quietist phase:

...sofferte onde serene.....
Fragmente-Stille, an Diotima
Das atmende Klarsein
the Caminantes cycle

[Don Giovanni]

I was wondering, edward:

You mentioned Como una ola de fuerza y luz. Which recording do you have? I don't suppose it's the Abbado with Pollini?

[not edward]

I was wondering, edward:

You mentioned Como una ola de fuerza y luz. Which recording do you have? I don't suppose it's the Abbado with Pollini?

It is, yes. I think there's one other on Berlin Classics, but I don't have it.

[bhodges]

I'm a Nono fan, too (and thought there was a thread about him on the old board, but I couldn't find one). 

I'll add La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura, which I first heard live by violinist Mark Menzies, here in NYC a few years ago.  Now I have Gidon Kremer's recording, which is very good, but not like hearing (and seeing) it in person!

I also like Liebeslied, on Abbado's disc Wien Modern (which is great in general). 



--Bruce

[Don Giovanni]

Nono is certainly someone whose work I'll be listening to frequently in the future. Como una ola de fuerza y luz is definitely a good work: the third movement (Duro Deciso) has some of the most haunting vocals I've experienced, at times they border on howling but I suppose if one reads the text it is understandable.

[karlhenning]

I haven't listened to Nono in almost two decades, so it is time I revisited his work.

[Don Giovanni]

If you like people screeching politically-fuelled words in Italian whilst someone uses the piano as a percussive instrument, I'm sure you'll love him! 

No, he isn't that violent but I have heard very few composers who are less so.

[m_gigena]

If you like people screeching politically-fuelled words in Italian whilst someone uses the piano as a percussive instrument, I'm sure you'll love him! 

It seems, Mr Henning, you have just been Karled.
What a lovely rendez-vous, having lost MM recently. ( )

[Don Giovanni]

May I ask: who was MM?

[m_gigena]

May I ask: who was MM?

My bad. MM stands for MozartMobster (whatever version he was  ). A former member of the community nowadays known as The old GMG.

He quit because he was aware College and GMG are not an eligible compound consumption choice.

[Don Giovanni]

Oh, I see. 

[Don Giovanni]

How important do people see Nono amongst other composers of the post-1950 avant-garde? I've heard him mentioned alongside Stockhausen and Boulez as one of the 'big three'. Anyone care to make a 'top 5' or something?

[not edward]

How important do people see Nono amongst other composers of the post-1950 avant-garde? I've heard him mentioned alongside Stockhausen and Boulez as one of the 'big three'. Anyone care to make a 'top 5' or something?

That's probably not an unreasonable assessment. Because of his politically committed nature, he did split away from the mainstream Darmstadt group quite early (though not as early as Henze).

As a sort of guessed top 5 in terms of importance at the time: Boulez, Stockhausen, Nono, Xenakis, Ligeti (in any order). That undervalues other figures such as Berio, Barraque, Maderna and B. A. Zimmermann, though.

[Don Giovanni]

I think I would agree with that. Although, I would put Berio directly below that (I think he deserves to be ranked with them - maybe above Xenakis if anyone).

I'm relatively new to the avant-garde - why did Henze split so early?

[not edward]

I think I would agree with that. Although, I would put Berio directly below that (I think he deserves to be ranked with them - maybe above Xenakis if anyone).

I'm relatively new to the avant-garde - why did Henze split so early?

Largely because Henze's instincts were very much in the direction of a Bergian/Ravellian lyricism (combined with a love of Italian opera). He did write serial music for a while, but generally it wasn't so successful.

[Don Giovanni]

Would it be fair to say that, eventually, after Darmstadt each of the composers found a new direction? Did any of the main composers follow eachother? I, although not extremely experienced in new, can hear little similarity between most of Ligeti and most of Stockhausen.

[not edward]

To be honest, all of the major composers had found very different directions even while the Darmstadt group was active. Perhaps after the first three or four years only Berio and Maderna had clear similarities in style: certainly later arrivals like Xenakis, Kagel and Ligeti had nothing to do with the "Darmstadt style."

[Don Giovanni]

Oh, interesting. Out of interest, who is your favourite of the avant-garde composers? Who would you recommend I discover next, considering that I am fairly familiar with Nono and Berio?

[not edward]

Ligeti would definitely be my favorite.

If you enjoy Nono and Berio, though, Maderna might be a good guy to listen to too. I think he's very underrated.