Tomorrow night I'm hearing Berio's Sinfonia, with Maazel and the New York Philharmonic, with Synergy Vocals from London (who have performed with Steve Reich and others). I'm excited, since I've only heard the piece live once before, many years ago. It's hard to believe it isn't performed more often.
I credit the original recording of Sinfonia (below) with jump-starting my interest in contemporary music. From the first hearing (around age 14 or so) I was fascinated with the piece, and PS, heard it many years before I heard Mahler's Second Symphony (the basis for Berio's middle movement). At the moment, my favorite recording is Chailly's, but I haven't yet heard the more recent Eötvös version.
Other Berio fans, favorite works?
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on January 30, 2008, 12:18:50 PM
Tomorrow night I'm hearing Berio's Sinfonia, with Maazel and the New York Philharmonic, with Synergy Vocals from London (who have performed with Steve Reich and others). I'm excited, since I've only heard the piece live once before, many years ago. It's hard to believe it isn't performed more often.
I credit the original recording of Sinfonia (below) with jump-starting my interest in contemporary music. From the first hearing (around age 14 or so) I was fascinated with the piece, and PS, heard it many years before I heard Mahler's Second Symphony (the basis for Berio's middle movement). At the moment, my favorite recording is Chailly's, but I haven't yet heard the more recent Eötvös version.
Other Berio fans, favorite works?
--Bruce
First thing of any substance I ever heard from Berio was his Concerto for two pianos, on a RCA record that has never been released on CD. It remains a favorite, regardless.
Sinfonia is very fine, likewise
Coro. I haven't heard enough of the
Chemins or
Sequenza series to make an overall call, but what I have heard was of high quality. A piece called
Points On the Curve To Find, a sort of mini-piano-concerto, seems to bring a Reich-ian element into Berio's style, and it
works, too!
Heard a you tube clip.
No
Quote from: bhodges on January 30, 2008, 12:18:50 PM
Other Berio fans, favorite works?
--Bruce
I'm not sure I'd call myself a fan. Some works I really love; others leave me cold. I've been listening to Berio for about 30 years. I don't know which grabbed me first, the
Folk Songs or the
Sinfonia. I do know
this was one of my first Berio purchases, circa 1978:
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/gm2/Berio.jpg)
It's a two LP box. I may not be a confirmed Berio fan but I'm definitely a confirmed Berberian fan. Being a Mahlerite my favorite Berio work is, of course,
Sinfonia. I own Boulez and Chailly's recordings.
A bit of trivia from a Deadhead. Phil Lesh, the Gateful Dead's amazing bass player, was a student of Berio's at Mills College in the mid-60s. Berio was so impressed with Lesh's skill as a composer, he invited him to be his apprentice in Italy. Lesh met Jerry Garcia shortly thereafter and he chose a different musical course...to the profound gratitude of Dead fans all over the world ;D We'll never know what the classical world lost but perhaps we hear a taste of what might have been during the Lesh-inspired second set Space segments during Dead shows.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 31, 2008, 06:13:18 AM
A bit of trivia from a Deadhead. Phil Lesh, the Dead's amazing bass player, was a student of Berio at Mills College in the mid-60s. Berio was so impressed with Lesh's skill as a composer, he invited him to be his apprentice in Italy. Lesh met Jerry Garcia shortly thereafter and he chose a different musical course...to the profound gratitude of Dead fans all over the world ;D We'll never know what the classical world lost but perhaps we hear what could have been during the Lesh inspired second set Space segments during Dead shows.
Well, a lot more people are hearing his music anyway.
Quote from: MN Dave on January 31, 2008, 06:15:11 AM
Well, a lot more people are hearing his music anyway.
;D :D ;D very true, Dave.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 31, 2008, 06:13:18 AM
A bit of trivia from a Deadhead. Phil Lesh, the Dead's amazing bass player, was a student of Berio at Mills College in the mid-60s. Berio was so impressed with Lesh's skill as a composer, he invited him to be his apprentice in Italy. Lesh met Jerry Garcia shortly thereafter and he chose a different musical course...to the profound gratitude of Dead fans all over the world ;D We'll never know what the classical world lost but perhaps we hear what could have been during the Lesh-inspired second set Space segments during Dead shows.
Sarge
Wow, thanks for that awesome scan of the Berberian LP, which brought back some very nice memories. I haven't seen that in probably 20 years or more! :o
And love the Phil Lesh story, which I hadn't heard before. I'm not the hugest Dead fan ;D but now it makes me want to hear them again.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on January 31, 2008, 06:31:33 AM
Wow, thanks for that awesome scan of the Berberian LP, which brought back some very nice memories. I haven't seen that in probably 20 years or more! :o
Glad you liked, and appreciate, the scan, Bruce. Scanning LPs can be a pain in the butt because they are larger than the scanner bed. It requires two, sometimes three scans which then have to be joined, color-matched, etc, in Photoshop. But I love these old LPs; it's a labor of love really.
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 31, 2008, 06:47:53 AM
Glad you liked, and appreciate, the scan, Bruce. Scanning LPs can be a pain in the butt because they are larger than the scanner bed. It requires two, sometimes three scans which then have to be joined, color-matched, etc, in Photoshop. But I love these old LPs; it's a labor of love really.
Sarge
Well, a huge "bravo" for that one, which is crystal clear. (You might have a small home business waiting in the wings.) Very professionally done.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on January 30, 2008, 12:18:50 PM
Tomorrow night I'm hearing Berio's Sinfonia, with Maazel and the New York Philharmonic, with Synergy Vocals from London (who have performed with Steve Reich and others). I'm excited, since I've only heard the piece live once before, many years ago. It's hard to believe it isn't performed more often.
I credit the original recording of Sinfonia (below) with jump-starting my interest in contemporary music. From the first hearing (around age 14 or so) I was fascinated with the piece, and PS, heard it many years before I heard Mahler's Second Symphony (the basis for Berio's middle movement). At the moment, my favorite recording is Chailly's, but I haven't yet heard the more recent Eötvös version.
Other Berio fans, favorite works?
--Bruce
The Eötvös version of
Sinfonia is very good, and very well recorded. I've got all the other recordings (the Berio on a crappy old cassette, Boulez and Chailly on CD) apart from the Bychkov, which received mediocre reviews when it was released, so I didn't bother with it, although now I regret not getting it while I could. Has anyone heard the Bychkov? I have to admit that I've never really taken to the fifth movement. Perhaps it's because I got to know the work via Berio's four-movement recording. The fifth seems like a redundant attempt at tying up loose ends that are better left untied.
I am desperate for RCA to release on CD their recordings of
Nones and, above all, the jaw-droppingly beautiful
Alleluja II. I've heard
Laborintus II twice in the flesh and although I've got a recentish recording, no performance comes close to matching the original recording conducted by Berio himself. I really should get around to buying Berio's recording of
Coro (another one I have on crappy old tape), because I don't think the two CD recordings I have are as good.
I occasionally dig out Maazel's recording of
Un Re In Ascolto, but it's never really grabbed me. I don't know why. The muddy recording doesn't help.
Forgot to mention my recordings of Passagio, Visage, Epifanie and the DG Sequenzas. My other half is out tonight, so I'll have to give Passagio another whirl. I haven't played that for years.
Quote from: MDL on January 31, 2008, 09:06:51 AM
Forgot to mention my recordings of Passagio, Visage, Epifanie and the DG Sequenzas. My other half is out tonight, so I'll have to give Passagio another whirl. I haven't played that for years.
I don't think I've heard
Passagio (nor the
Alleluja II) and would be eager to hear your impressions of both. I'd also be interested to know more about your live experiences with
Laborintus II. (I think I have that one with Berio on LP, but haven't listened to it in a very long time.) Quite a Berio listening history, there!
--Bruce
I cut my teeth on Thema (Omaggio a Joyce). Visage was too hard.
Now I can just barely recapture what it was about Visage that was so disturbing. Thema and Visage both still seem very fine to me.
Berio (and Lutoslawski and Ligeti) all used to visit L.A. back in the day. A lot.
I don't think I missed any of those concerts. There were some very interesting symphony concerts in the seventies and eighties there.
Quote from: bhodges on January 31, 2008, 09:14:58 AM
I don't think I've heard Passagio (nor the Alleluja II) and would be eager to hear your impressions of both. I'd also be interested to know more about your live experiences with Laborintus II. (I think I have that one with Berio on LP, but haven't listened to it in a very long time.) Quite a Berio listening history, there!
--Bruce
Alleluja II is a fantastic piece for five orchestral groups spread around the audience, a bit like Stockhausen's
Gruppen, but nowhere near as dense or aggressive. Indeed, much of the piece is lyrical, with lots of flute solos and delicate chamber writing, although there are a few spectacular swirling climaxes with ricocheting trumpets and crashing percussion. But even in its densest passages, there's a real feeling of light, space and colour. It's extraordinarily beautiful, and it's such a shame that it's hardly ever performed these days. This piece is in desperate need of a CD release.
Laborintus II is great live. It's exciting to see the vocalists get stuck into it when Berio lets rip. The only problem, one that applies to both live performances I've attended, is that the electronic interlude is never loud enough and lacks impact.
Quote from: MDL on February 01, 2008, 02:13:37 AM
Alleluja II is a fantastic piece for five orchestral groups spread around the audience, a bit like Stockhausen's Gruppen, but nowhere near as dense or aggressive. Indeed, much of the piece is lyrical, with lots of flute solos and delicate chamber writing, although there are a few spectacular swirling climaxes with ricocheting trumpets and crashing percussion. But even in its densest passages, there's a real feeling of light, space and colour. It's extraordinarily beautiful, and it's such a shame that it's hardly ever performed these days. This piece is in desperate need of a CD release.
Laborintus II is great live. It's exciting to see the vocalists get stuck into it when Berio lets rip. The only problem, one that applies to both live performances I've attended, is that the electronic interlude is never loud enough and lacks impact.
Thanks much for these comments! Sounds like I need to keep a lookout for a performance of both of these. Just did a search of the
New York Times archive to see if perhaps a performance of either had occurred here. There was just one citation for
Alleluja II, done by Peter Eötvös in 1996 at the Holland Festival, and
Laborintus II actually appeared at Avery Fisher Hall in 1986, as part of the New York Philharmonic's
Horizons 86 Festival.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on January 30, 2008, 12:18:50 PM
Tomorrow night I'm hearing Berio's Sinfonia, with Maazel and the New York Philharmonic, with Synergy Vocals from London (who have performed with Steve Reich and others). I'm excited, since I've only heard the piece live once before, many years ago. It's hard to believe it isn't performed more often.
So the Berio
Sinfonia was excellent. If I weren't booked tomorrow night I'd go again. Maazel seems to thrive on music that is not that familiar to him, and in this case (he used a score) it seemed to keep him on his toes, with very little taken for granted.
The vocal group, Synergy Vocals, was superb. Before the piece began, composer Steven Stucky did a short demo with them, in which they sang some of the vocal parts without the orchestral fabric. Their very first chord (from the first movement) was pretty impressive, not to mention just flat-out gorgeous.
More in a "proper" review later, but it was a great experience. PS, the work hadn't been done here since 1988, when Boulez did it, also with the Philharmonic.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on February 01, 2008, 08:11:27 AM
PS, the work hadn't been done here since 1988, when Boulez did it, also with the Philharmonic.
--Bruce
That's terrible! I've caught it at least twice in London over the past decade or so, and I missed last year's Prom performance because the main work after the interval was some Rossini bore. ::) Apologies to Rossini fans for the gratuitous insult. I wasn't aware that New York was so ill-served when it came to modern music. You'll have to emigrate!
Quote from: MDL on February 01, 2008, 09:29:05 AM
That's terrible! I've caught it at least twice in London over the past decade or so, and I missed last year's Prom performance because the main work after the interval was some Rossini bore. ::) Apologies to Rossini fans for the gratuitous insult. I wasn't aware that New York was so ill-served when it came to modern music. You'll have to emigrate!
;D (Sorry, I got a laugh, too, from "Rossini bore"--and offer my apologies as well.)
Well, NYC is generally
over-served for modern music. But you'd think that since
Sinfonia was written
for the Philharmonic, they'd do it more often. PS, I checked
The New York Times, and
Sinfonia has been done by others, more than I recalled: in 1994 by Semyon Bychkov and the Orchestre de Paris, 1998 by Robert Spano and the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and 1999 with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra.
--Bruce
I will be hearing Quatre dédicaces with CSO/Boulez tomorrow. Will report.
Quote from: O Mensch on February 01, 2008, 12:11:48 PM
I will be hearing Quatre dédicaces with CSO/Boulez tomorrow. Will report.
Cool, he's bringing that to Carnegie in a few weeks, so I'll be hearing it, too. You probably saw Marc Geelhoed's write-up:
http://deceptivelysimple.typepad.com/simple/2008/02/roadtrip-by-pla.html
--Bruce
Great! BTW, your signature quote cracks me up. ;D
Quote from: O Mensch on February 01, 2008, 12:44:54 PM
Great! BTW, your signature quote cracks me up. ;D
Thanks! Yeah, I pretty much burst out laughing when I saw it... ;D
--Bruce
BTW, you may have seen Michael Hovnanian's post on rehearsing with Boulez: http://csobassblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/week-20.html
Wow, no, I didn't. How have I missed this blog? He's quite good! And all the references to "unnamed orchestra" etc. are hilarious. (As if somehow we can't figure it out.)
Thanks, I've now bookmarked it, and might have to add it to my blogroll.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on February 01, 2008, 01:02:41 PM
Wow, no, I didn't. How have I missed this blog? He's quite good! And all the references to "unnamed orchestra" etc. are hilarious. (As if somehow we can't figure it out.)
Actually, originally it was named and the title of the blog was CSO Bass Blog. But then someone mentioned that he shouldn't be using the orchetra's name when it isn't the orchestra's official view.
Wow! There is his Sinfonia in the background, for about the 5th time - at least three times concentrated listening - and I thought I had discovered something new and special. Searched GMG before I opened my big trap and find two pages of great posts. 8)
I had never listened to Berio but in my Donaueschingen collection is a performance of the Sinfonia and I perked up: "That's Der Rosenkavalier!" and sent my monumental discovery to a conductor friend on another forum. He replied with a list of all the composers and their compositions and recommended the Riccardo Chailly. I ordered it, received it today and of course I am now hooked on Luciano! - No, not the fat guy, Silly! - ;D
It's over two years since anybody's shown any love to Berio on this thread. Shame!
Last night, while trawling gormlessly through YouTube, watching trampolining dogs and sock puppet productions of King Lear, I found that some rather wonderful person had posted the RCA recordings of Berio's Nones and Allelujah II. I love both pieces, particularly Allelujah II (which I misspelt Alleluja II in a previous posting), scored for five ensembles spread around the audience. OK, the earlier sections of Allelujah II have a faint whiff of cat-walking-up-and-down-a-piano serialism, but stick with it; the piece blossoms and develops in a beautiful and spectacular fashion.
Neither recording has been issued on CD. Why on earth not, RCA?
A big thank you to YouTube poster Wellesz; is he/she a GMGer?
Nones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGnY6Y42dK4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGnY6Y42dK4)
Allelujah II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO75hFLDc84 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO75hFLDc84)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4gGuPn_l9c&feature=PlayList&p=25CBEC8974301702&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4gGuPn_l9c&feature=PlayList&p=25CBEC8974301702&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7)
Quote from: MDL on July 07, 2010, 04:15:02 AM
It's over two years since anybody's shown any love to Berio on this thread. Shame!
Last night, while trawling gormlessly through YouTube, watching trampolining dogs and sock puppet productions of King Lear, I found that some rather wonderful person had posted the RCA recordings of Berio's Nones and Allelujah II. I love both pieces, particularly Allelujah II (which I misspelt Alleluja II in a previous posting), scored for five ensembles spread around the audience. OK, the earlier sections of Allelujah II have a faint whiff of cat-walking-up-and-down-a-piano serialism, but stick with it; the piece blossoms and develops in a beautiful and spectacular fashion.
Neither recording has been issued on CD. Why on earth not, RCA?
A big thank you to YouTube poster Wellesz; is he/she a GMGer?
Nones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGnY6Y42dK4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGnY6Y42dK4)
Allelujah II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO75hFLDc84 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO75hFLDc84)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4gGuPn_l9c&feature=PlayList&p=25CBEC8974301702&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4gGuPn_l9c&feature=PlayList&p=25CBEC8974301702&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7)
Wellesz seems to be the YouTube poster of note, eh?
I have the Sony disc with
Chorale and
Points on the Curve, etc., (Boulez), which, how can anyone not like that?
The Arditti disc of SQs is uniformly excellent. I think I like his last piece,
Glossa, the best.
Then I have the 3min brass quintet,
Call. The 5min
O King. The violin
Sequenza.
There might be another piece or two. I find his output slightly befuddling. It appears that he had quite a burst of creativity in later years, and I haven't been able to keep up. I still don't think I've listened to
Sinfonia.
Of course, I'd like to get a set of
Sequenzas, the set I suppose he is best known for (next to
Sinfonia and
Coro). I really need a version of the piano one.
As with the Bernd Zimmermann thread, I am curious about Berio being one of the first to do collages. Is
Sinfonia Post-Modern?
I'm going to have to check his Works List.
Quote from: snyprrr on July 07, 2010, 05:58:15 AM
Wellesz seems to be the YouTube poster of note, eh?
I have the Sony disc with Chorale and Points on the Curve, etc., (Boulez), which, how can anyone not like that?
The Arditti disc of SQs is uniformly excellent. I think I like his last piece, Glossa, the best.
Then I have the 3min brass quintet, Call. The 5min O King. The violin Sequenza.
There might be another piece or two (solo cello). I find his output slightly befuddling. It appears that he had quite a burst of creativity in later years, and I haven't been able to keep up. I still don't think I've listened to Sinfonia.
Of course, I'd like to get a set of Sequenzas, the set I suppose he is best known for (next to Sinfonia and Coro). I really need a version of the piano one.
As with the Bernd Zimmermann thread, I am curious about Berio being one of the first to do collages. Is Sinfonia Post-Modern?
I'm going to have to check his Works List.
I just checked his Work List, and wow!, he's lots of stuff that doesn't seem to have been recorded. He seems to have been really popular in the LP era, but a lot of that is the Berberian stuff.
I am curious about the '70s orchestral works,
Bewengung,
Ephkrasis(sic),
Eindrucke. What might I enjoy?
His Amazon discography seems to divid into groups: the Schubert/Rendering type stuff, a few piano discs, vocal cds, various cds with one or two Sequenzas & Chamber Music & O King. We have three sets of Sequenzas.
After going through about 300 listings, I was struck by my "eh-ness". Why doesn't non-vocal Berio really really excite me? It seems that most of the reviewers, too, have a slight lack of total enthusiasm for the non-vocal Berio. Is he just a very professional, 20th century composer, who does everything with a certain amount of creativity, but often falls short of true memorability? Obviously, the vocal works don't count here.
His Work List is huge, and I didn't know he had so many "early works". I'm more bewildered than when before I checked.
Quote from: snyprrr on July 07, 2010, 05:58:15 AM
and I haven't been able to keep up. I still don't think I've listened to Sinfonia.
I think you'd know if you'd listened to
Sinfonia. It's one of the most distinctive and unforgettable works of the avant-garde.
Quote from: snyprrr on July 07, 2010, 05:58:15 AM
As with the Bernd Zimmermann thread, I am curious about Berio being one of the first to do collages. Is Sinfonia Post-Modern?
What do you mean? Post avant-garde, the way Penderecki turned his back on modernism and tried to become the new Bruckner in the mid '70s? No, it's a pretty wild out-there extravanganza of sound.
The classic recording of Coro, where Berio himself conducted the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, was reissued by DG in its "Echo 20/21" series a few years back. However, DG has allowed all of the "20/21" and "Echo 20/21" discs to fall out of print.
Luckily, Brilliant Classics bought the rights to this recording, at least in Europe (can't find it on Amazon.com, must not be available in North American). I just bought the Brilliant reissue today for 6€. No sung text, but there is a 2009 essay by John Fallas.
Any thoughts on Berio's orchestrations of early Mahler songs?
Quote from: James on December 10, 2010, 05:02:29 AM
...guitarist Eliot Fisk...
I've never heard Fisk play the Sequenza. If it's like his other recordings it's probably the musical equivalent of a drunk beating his wife. Having not heard it though I'd appreciate your thoughts?
I bought this as soon as it came out, mainly for the Concerto for Two Pianos:
(http://pixhost.info/avaxhome/d5/e0/0017e0d5_medium.jpeg)
It's an excellent, fascinating release ruined by the sleeve notes. Any info about the music to guide the listener? You must be joking. What do we get instead? Meaningless, completely unintelligible "poetic" musings. Whoever decided to fill the pages with that useless crap should be shot. Or at least sacked.
Quote from: MDL on December 10, 2010, 08:08:02 AM
I bought this as soon as it came out, mainly for the Concerto for Two Pianos:
(http://pixhost.info/avaxhome/d5/e0/0017e0d5_medium.jpeg)
It's an excellent, fascinating release ruined by the sleeve notes. Any info about the music to guide the listener? You must be joking. What do we get instead? Meaningless, completely unintelligible "poetic" musings. Whoever decided to fill the pages with that useless crap should be shot. Or at least sacked.
I just listened to this last week and was thinking the same thing. Great music, but what is all the writing about? Not that the music needed that much explaining. But the random-musing almost caused me to want to read something intelligible.
I just heard the Sequenza XIV for cello, played by Matt Haimovitz on this intriguing new cd '300 Years of Italian Cello' (with Gabrieli, Sciarrino, Dallapiccola...). I must say that this cello solo is one of the best I've ever heard, starting off with bongo sounds, and going through the whole riggamarole by the end. There are lots of interesting sounds along the way, making this the least cello sounding cello piece I've heard. Haimovitz plays it like a jaguar... sleek and long... this is a very polished, modern piece that is just a head-nodder.
I hadn't expected such a joyful surprise of a piece. Bravo!
That looks like a great disc--and there was a cheap copy on amazon.ca -- thanks for the heads-up!
Quote from: edward on October 25, 2011, 01:02:07 PM
That looks like a great disc--and there was a cheap copy on amazon.ca -- thanks for the heads-up!
Yes, it's quite a good step for Mr. Haimovitz. The album is 'concept', so, there is a lot of talk about his awesome cello, which does indeed make a uniquely rich and tangy sound.
Beware, though: my copy came in the most laughably flimsy packaging,... as if the see-through tray were missing,... if you get it, you'll see. You'll want to do some packaging modification. tsk tsk on the company for such a mind blower. The music, however, makes a great recital! Cheers!!
Keep going!
Quote from: Pessoa on November 13, 2013, 09:46:49 AM
Keep going!
Wow, 2 whole years for a Berio Post! So let's get to it then? Does it seem as though the fires for Berio have cooled somewhat? I'd love to know where James places Berio.
All the Berio I've ever really 'needed' has come on that
old Boulez/Sony disc of 'concertos', though, the
String Quartets by the Arditti are a true prize.
I just find his output so... spare? But, let's put it context. Did he get the Ligeti Treatment? No. Lutoslawski Treatment? No. As far as recordings go, he sort of falls into the Xenakis category, though, I do believe there is a more Complete Berio Recordings, though I don't know the actual percentage.
There are two pieces I'm curious about (anyone?): Eindrucke(?), and Epkrapis(?!!). Is there also a Begunengung(?)?
Epkrapis sounds like a planet from a Star Trek episode . . . .
Pace synprr, it's actually Ekphrasis (Continuo II).
I don't think it's a particularly distinctive piece: to my mind there are too many late Berio works which are retreading--in a less focused manner--ground already well covered in Formazione, and this is one of them. Which isn't to deny that it's thoroughly pleasant listening--it just feels minor to me in comparison to, say, Stanze, a late work that emphatically does have fire in its belly.
Formazioni is brilliant.
I confess I haven't heard a lot of Berio's music, and his Sequenza VII for oboe is one of the few pieces for oboe that actually scared me away--as a college student--because of its technical difficulties! :o Now I'd like another look at it...
Quote from: jochanaan on November 15, 2013, 04:58:00 PM
I confess I haven't heard a lot of Berio's music, and his Sequenza VII for oboe is one of the few pieces for oboe that actually scared me away--as a college student--because of its technical difficulties! :o Now I'd like another look at it...
I have a score of Sequenza VII (in scanned form) floating around somewhere, PM me if you want....
Berio's another one I'm none too happy about! All that vocal writing... brrr. Every now and then he wrote just a perfect AvantGarde work, so anonymously...
Was Berio just a SellOut compared to the more ascetic Italians? Livin' the good life?
This very morning- how do you feel about Berio today? He seems very "Hollywood" to me today, and I don't mean that in any particular way, just somewhat slick and smooth and professional (nothing wrong with that). I want to put him next to Lutoslawski on the CD rack...
Are there any stories about Berio's time at IRCAM? He was director of the electroacoustic department for a whole 6 years, but he sole piece for live electronics was withdrawn right after its premiere, and IRCAM in general was unable to produce anything substantial for its first several years. Berio was presumably drawing a handsome salary from the French state, and he must have been doing something all that time, even if it was just paper-pushing.
Quote from: CRCulver on September 26, 2014, 01:15:20 PM
Are there any stories about Berio's time at IRCAM? He was director of the electroacoustic department for a whole 6 years, but he sole piece for live electronics was withdrawn right after its premiere, and IRCAM in general was unable to produce anything substantial for its first several years. Berio was presumably drawing a handsome salary from the French state, and he must have been doing something all that time, even if it was just paper-pushing.
schmoozing
Quote from: snyprrr on April 30, 2014, 09:19:51 AM
Berio's another one I'm none too happy about! All that vocal writing... brrr. Every now and then he wrote just a perfect AvantGarde work, so anonymously...
Was Berio just a SellOut compared to the more ascetic Italians? Livin' the good life?
This very morning- how do you feel about Berio today? He seems very "Hollywood" to me today, and I don't mean that in any particular way, just somewhat slick and smooth and professional (nothing wrong with that). I want to put him next to Lutoslawski on the CD rack...
I've only heard the
Sinfonia, which I like quite a bit. Any thoughts?
Sad news for fans of Berio and, tangentially, of Mahler as well...
Ward Swingle, founder of the Swingle Singers (and succeeding groups), passed away on January 19, aged 87. For many of us, the sound of The Swingle Singers in Berio's Sinfonia is almost inextricably related to the scherzo of Mahler's Second Symphony...
Obituary from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/21/ward-swingle
Here they are in the classic Boulez recording of the Berio piece:
https://www.youtube.com/v/NW30g2tPmDA
Swingle's scatty jazz takes on Bach are soooo "swinging sixties", but actually quite charming:
https://www.youtube.com/v/EM6yMDB9wgE
RIP
I had no idea Berio had so many compositions, that reach back to the '30s. A lot of his '50s titles seem to mimic Maderna, too. Is it all bloop/bleep, or does he do "normal" post-WWII music... I know, silly question...
Anyhow, never really been much into Berio, I have the SQs, 'O King', 'SOLO', a few of the 'Sequenza'... maybe a few trifles here or there... not really into 'Sinfonia', 'Coro', or the other big vocal pieces...
eh?
Quote from: snyprrr on September 06, 2016, 06:49:12 AM
I had no idea Berio had so many compositions, that reach back to the '30s. A lot of his '50s titles seem to mimic Maderna, too. Is it all bloop/bleep, or does he do "normal" post-WWII music... I know, silly question...
Anyhow, never really been much into Berio, I have the SQs, 'O King', 'SOLO', a few of the 'Sequenza'... maybe a few trifles here or there... not really into 'Sinfonia', 'Coro', or the other big vocal pieces...
eh?
Berio is certainly one of the more diverse guys from his era.
Sinfonia,
Coro, and
Sequenzas seem to be the sort of holy trinity of Berio (well,
Folk Songs too, but those are only relatively popular because of sheer accessibility). Did you not like the
SOLO though? I love that thing! And all the
Chemins?
Visage?
Laborintus II?
Voci? Surely you love
Points On A Curve To Find... at the very least.
Don't make me question our friendship, snyprrr!
Quote from: nathanb on September 06, 2016, 03:28:11 PM
Berio is certainly one of the more diverse guys from his era. Sinfonia, Coro, and Sequenzas seem to be the sort of holy trinity of Berio (well, Folk Songs too, but those are only relatively popular because of sheer accessibility). Did you not like the SOLO though? I love that thing! I just pulled it out as i was doing the Xenakis thing, and was reminded I have Berio scattered about. I will play it in the car tomorrow. It caused me to Wiki him, and I just got lost in the sheer amount of Opii :laugh: Berio had. By the time I got to SOLO, and the end of the list, I was in research mode. I always try to find a year to start listening, but with Berio, it appears most of what I have is Late Late. SOLO is almost his last work, I will listen in the car tomorrow
And all the Chemins? Visage? Laborintus II? Voci? Surely you love Points On A Curve To Find... at the very least. I'll tell ya... I remembered that old SONY/Boulez disc with the 'Points...' and the 'Corale'(?), the two 'Chemins', and the cello concerto... I remember thinking back then that Berio was an all around "Modern Composer" with that disc, maybe a Concerto Composer? So, anyhow, I took that disc for granted, and, when I purchased it about a decade ago, I HAVE NEVER OPENED IT!! LOL- people on this Forum have ROOMS of unopened CDs and such, I appear to be down to one. Looks like I'll have to crack it open (hey, at least it will make me feel like I bought something,- oh the agony of this disease!!!!!)). I know I'm going to be less caring about the oboe and viola pieces. I do believe I really liked the 'Corale'. Can't wait to remember 'Points...'.
Visage don't recall... Laborintus, was that on the HarmoniaMundi thing?... Voci/ECM haven't heard...
Don't make me question our friendship, snyprrr!
there there :laugh:
Like I said, the sheer number of works was a shock to me. However, I do basically know the Berio that I like, and that can be encapsulated by the Arditti disc of 4 String Quartets. No.1 has that rough serial sound, like Early Maderna and Feldman- I don't know what else I'd like from this era. He and Maderna seem to both have the same titles for their pieces????
No.2, 'Sincronie', from 1964, is more like Xenakisy... KHS type of Pure High Modernism... this is the kind of stuff I could snort all day... and then come down with Feldman? LOL... I don't know what other works here I'd like. Most of the 'Sequenza' seem inconsequential to me- I seem to have most of them on "various" discs scattered all over the house, but I never listen to the Berio when I grab the disc.
The 'Sequenza' for cello is my exception. That thing is a grande monster of a piece, love it. Have Matt Haimovitz.
SQ No.3, 'Notturno' hits the wary berio era for me. Here he seems to write a lot of overlong pieces (just like Rihm has been doing lately??). I DO like 'Notturno', but it doesn't make me want to seek out all his concertos from the era. Someone liked 'Stanze' from this era?
SQ No.4, 'Glossa', also Late Late, is great in my estimation, but, again, it hasn't made me trust other LateLate Berio.
CathyB. I can only handle in very small doses,... I'm not sure I've heard any vocal Berio that I "personally like".
REMEMBER HOW WE DISCUSSED 'APARTMENT HOUSE 1776'? That's how I wish Berio sounded.
Quote from: karlhenning on November 14, 2013, 07:28:01 AM
Epkrapis sounds like a planet from a Star Trek episode . . . .
LOL,... excuse me, sir. i meant to be ill!
Can we pinpoint perhaps three works that serves as catalysts for stylistic changes? Early '50s? Early '60s? '70s, '80s? I believe in you Karl,... thank you! ;) ;D
Differences (1945) ensemble and tape 15'
Made it to ten minutes (it's late). Well, OK, I just wish Xenakis had wrote this... I'd call this Hard Core '50s Serialism. It's not particularly seductive. Could be Nono or Maderna?? What do I know?
eh,... meh
I just couldn't get it up for this tonight, baby... maybe we can try again in the morning...
This is my problem with Berio, and probably '50s Nono and Maderna as well. Their sooo Hard Core, maaan, I just don't get any pleasure out of them... like I do from Xenakis. All three of them have a ton of works in this era,... too much for me to want to wade through, I already got spooked by the '50s Maderna. I fear Nono,lol!! Post war commie Italians moaning and groaning, bleeping and blooping...brrrrrrrr
nathnb, I'd rather you just spoon feed me the Masterpieces, lol!!
Spent the day with Berio, to obviously mixed results.
LIKED:
Laborintus 2: groovy 60s, I seem to do well with recitation...
Bewegung: nice and mysterious
Epipanie (1960): pretty HardCoreSerialist with soprano/orchestra... like 'Erwartung'???
Voci: though it's pretty long
SOLO: trombone concerto, classy, modern... I'd have to call Berio the "dean of AMERICAN Composers". That's what he
seems like to me, an International SuperStar Composer... he got the closest to being a Rock Star?
[color=red]WASSERKLAVIER: WOOOOOOW- the most beautiful music in the world. This was my highlight
[/color]
DISLIKED:
Most of the Sequenzas just left me chewing my cud.
Epkrapsis: meh... kind of loud and typical anonymous
Eindrucke: again, didn't do anything for me
Serenata: typical 50s Serialist HardCore... meh
5 Variations for Piano: sounding more like Schonberg than Webern
The other small piano pieces
Allelujah 2: quite loudish... I like Xenakis better
Guitar Sequenza: especially can't STAND this piece, though it made Berio famous amongst guitarists
Bassoon Sequenza: soooo long, but good
Oboe Sequenza: eh, it's never done anything for me
Visage: LOL, that's pretty wacky! Not in the mood though.... will come back.... Berio seemed to have a good relationship w RCA
Quote from: snyprrr on September 07, 2016, 03:57:43 PM
Visage: LOL, that's pretty wacky! Not in the mood though.... will come back.... Berio seemed to have a good relationship w RCA
Quoting Seth Brodsky from Allmusic
The sublime coda to Visage is one of twentieth century music's holy momentsI cannot agree more.
Visage is a masterpiece which frightens at first, but deserves multiple listening. One of the very few electroacoustic pieces of the 50s-60s that really stands the test of time.
Quote from: GioCar on October 29, 2017, 09:56:16 AM
Quoting Seth Brodsky from Allmusic
The sublime coda to Visage is one of twentieth century music's holy moments
I cannot agree more.
Visage is a masterpiece which frightens at first, but deserves multiple listening. One of the very few electroacoustic pieces of the 50s-60s that really stands the test of time.
Visage is a work I still do not know...After readng this,
Gio, it shoots to the top of my wishlist. :)
But first, I think I'll get this CD that has just been released. Apart from the
Maderna transcriptions of
antichi maestri, which I find intriguing, it includes (AFAIK--I do not see any other listed on lucianoberio.org) the world premiere recording of
Chemins V for guitar and chamber orchestra (an expansion of
Sequenza XI).
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_300/ecm4815034.jpg?1507198334)
Quote from: ritter on October 29, 2017, 11:23:34 AM
But first, I think I'll get this CD that has just been released. Apart from the Maderna ]transcriptions of antichi maestri, wccih I find intriguing, it includes (AFAIK--I do not see any other listed on lucianoberio.org) the world premiere recording of Chemins V for guitar and chamber orchestra (an expansion of Sequenza XI).
(https://d27t0qkxhe4r68.cloudfront.net/t_300/ecm4815034.jpg?1507198334)
Maybe I saw that new release in the NR thread but I didn't pay attention to the Berio.... Thank you
Rafael, although I already have the Maderna's Trascrizioni (a CD issued by Amadeus, the Italian magazine) it goes right in my wishlist as well :)
If you want to get
Visage, I believe that the only affordable way today is to get this double CD
(https://www.col-legno.com/pics_db/zhdk_cover_1.jpg)
which is anyway a treasure trove of various electroacoustic pieces from the second half of last century:
Edgard Varèse - Poème électronique (1958)
György Ligeti - Glissandi (1957)
György Ligeti - Artikulation (1958)
Bruno Maderna - Musica su due dimensioni (1958)
Luciano Berio - Différences (1958–59)
Luciano Berio - Visage (1961)
Helmut Lachenmann - Szenario (1965)
Jonathan Harvey - Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco (1980)
Pierre Boulez - Dialogue de l'ombre double (1985)
Brian Ferneyhough - Mnemosyne (1986)
The Harvey is pretty good as well. The Boulez...you know it ad nauseam, don't you? ;D
PS I've just seen you bought
Visage in a different edition I wasn't aware of...well, what about a double? :laugh:
Quote from: GioCar on October 29, 2017, 09:37:36 PM
...although I already have the Maderna's Trascrizioni (a CD issued by Amadeus, the Italian magazine) ...
Oh yes, I've seen that CD listed in many places...
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/4115%2BE%2Bs9SL.jpg)
...but also, the tag "
attualmente non disponibile" in as many languages as one can imagine.
I do have the Amadeus
Berio CD, recorded live in Madrid (in a concert I could not get tickets for :( ):
(https://img.discogs.com/4t0cl7c8pW5sGc3IC15bVCuO6ws=/fit-in/600x610/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6580283-1422440924-4609.jpeg.jpg)
There are some jewels in the Amadeus magazine's back catalog (most of them almost impossible to locate AFAIK). I also have a great CD issued by them of two piano music with the great
Bruno Canino and
Antonio Ballista...
Quote from: ritter on October 30, 2017, 09:44:21 AM
I do have the Amadeus Berio CD, recorded live in Madrid (in a concert I could not get tickets for :( ):
(https://img.discogs.com/4t0cl7c8pW5sGc3IC15bVCuO6ws=/fit-in/600x610/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6580283-1422440924-4609.jpeg.jpg)
I've been a subscriber to that magazine for a certain period of time but I missed that CD... :(
Bump for a great composer. He has written some great pieces; I really like Points on the Curve to Find..., the Sequenzas (I've only heard a few of em), and Différences, a wild electroacoustic chamber piece. Still haven't heard all of the famous Sinfonia, and I assume that is the next step. Is the original recording with the Swingle Singers still a safe bet? That is the one I'm most interested in.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BQHGkxt6L._SL500_.jpg)
Quote from: vers la flamme on August 24, 2019, 04:07:11 PM
Bump for a great composer. He has written some great pieces; I really like Points on the Curve to Find..., the Sequenzas (I've only heard a few of em), and Différences, a wild electroacoustic chamber piece. Still haven't heard all of the famous Sinfonia, and I assume that is the next step. Is the original recording with the Swingle Singers still a safe bet? That is the one I'm most interested in.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BQHGkxt6L._SL1000_.jpg)
That recording of the wonderful
Sinfonia is of course of great historical importance, and certainly a "safe bet", but....there's a caveat, and a
big one at that: the recording was made immediately after the world premiere in 1968, and the piece wasn't quite complete at the time.
Berio only added the 5th movement later, in 1969, and thus it does not appear in this version. So, I'd say your better off with later recordings (e.g. the
Boulez, the
Eötvös—perhaps my favourite—, the
Chailly...)
There's another live recording of the (complete)
Sinfonia under the composer, live with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Swingle Singers (from 1997), but AFAIK it's only available in one of that orchestra's "Anyhology" sets (No. 6, 14 CDs), and it costs a small fortune these days (I was lucky enough to buy it dirt cheap as a cut-out some years ago in Brussels):
[asin]B0056WOZQM[/asin]
Chailly it is then... I'll look out for it.
I believe it's also included in the big Boulez Erato box, which I may get my hands on eventually... so maybe I'll hold out for that one. I have a little bit of Berio already to work through until then.
Quote from: ritter on August 25, 2019, 12:08:15 AM
That recording of the wonderful Sinfonia is of course of great historical importance, and certainly a "safe bet", but....there's a caveat, and a big one at that: the recording was made immediately after the world premiere in 1968, and the piece wasn't quite complete at the time. Berio only added the 5th movement later, in 1969, and thus it does not appear in this version. So, I'd say your better off with later recordings (e.g. the Boulez, the Eötvös—perhaps my favourite—, the Chailly...)
There's another live recording of the (complete) Sinfonia under the composer, live with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Swingle Singers (from 1997), but AFAIK it's only available in one of that orchestra's "Anyhology" sets (No. 6, 14 CDs), and it costs a small fortune these days (I was lucky enough to buy it dirt cheap as a cut-out some years ago in Brussels):
[asin]B0056WOZQM[/asin]
Just echoing these comments. I am also a big fan of the Chailly studio recording, with the vocal group, Electric Phoenix.
--Bruce
A new recording of Coro is an event indeed.
(https://eclassical.textalk.se/shop/thumbnails/shop/17115/art15/h1256/5051256-origpic-3d492b.jpg_0_0_100_100_1600_1600_0.jpg)
Moreover, it's really an impressive recording. The sense of space which is so important in this piece and is lacking a bit in the only other recording (the famous one with the composer conducting) is beautifully rendered here.
Coupled with a less effective performance of Cries of London, if compared to the Swingle Singers' one.
Quote from: GioCar on March 21, 2020, 08:43:21 AM
A new recording of Coro is an event indeed.
(https://eclassical.textalk.se/shop/thumbnails/shop/17115/art15/h1256/5051256-origpic-3d492b.jpg_0_0_100_100_1600_1600_0.jpg)
Moreover, it's really an impressive recording. The sense of space which is so important in this piece and is lacking a bit in the only other recording (the famous one with the composer conducting) is beautifully rendered here.
Coupled with a less effective performance of Cries of London, if compared to the Swingle Singers' one.
Sounds very interesting,
Gio.I was bowled over when I first listened to
Coro many years ago. I should revisit the piece soon (perhaps i'll order this recording when things come back to a relative degree of normality—I don't feel comfortable about demanding delivery of these discretionary goods in the current circumstances).
For the record, though, there's actually two performances of
Coro previously available prior to this one; the one on DG conducted by the composer, and then a live one from Salzburg under
Leif Segerstam (I bought it for the filler,
Epifanie—with
Cathy Berberian—, but am not 100% sure I've actually listened to the performance of
Coro included here).
[asin]B0002K71UA[/asin]
BTW, our fellow GMGer
Mandryka pointed out this new set of the complete
Chrmins series to us not too long ago, and I concur (https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,29166.msg1273254.html#msg1273254) with him it's verse special.
(https://www.dibpic.com/uploads/posts/2020-02/1581527395_390sd3.jpg)
Listened to most of the Berio in my collection today, two (short) CDs worth. Still have yet to hear Sinfonia in full, 6 months after my last posts here, asking about it ;D
Anyway I've heard Coro is the other big masterpiece to look out for... I'll have to sample some of that new BIS recording when it comes out. I think it may also be about time to hear the complete Sequenzas. I think Naxos looks like the way to go.
Thanks to all for today's Berio posts, a most welcome break from the dire news elsewhere. I don't know Coro that well, so will look forward to hearing this new recording, and as a fan of Cathy Berberian, am delighted to see this Orfeo version. Even if difficult to find, the fact it exists is heartwarming.
--Bruce
Quote from: ritter on March 21, 2020, 09:04:40 AM
Sounds very interesting, Gio.I was bowled over when I first listened to Coro many years ago. I should revisit the piece soon (perhaps i'll order this recording when things come back to a relative degree of normality—I don't feel comfortable about demanding delivery of these discretionary goods in the current circumstances).
For the record, though, there's actually two performances of Coro previously available prior to this one; the one on DG conducted by the composer, and then a live one from Salzburg under Leif Segerstam (I bought it for the filet, Epifanie—with Cathy Berberian—, but am not 100% sure I've actually listened to the performance of Coro included here).
[asin]B0002K71UA[/asin]
You are right
Rafael, I forgot about that one. I never listened to it, but I remember that cover.
I'm a happy Qobuz subscriber, I almost don't buy CDs anymore, also because I've run out of
my available space in
our home. (please notice
my vs
our). Luckily, streaming services are not affecetd by the current emergency, at least for the time being...
Quote from: vers la flamme on March 21, 2020, 10:05:18 AM
Listened to most of the Berio in my collection today, two (short) CDs worth. Still have yet to hear Sinfonia in full, 6 months after my last posts here, asking about it ;D
Anyway I've heard Coro is the other big masterpiece to look out for... I'll have to sample some of that new BIS recording when it comes out. I think it may also be about time to hear the complete Sequenzas. I think Naxos looks like the way to go.
Well it's already out, at least in Europe.
Two favourite pieces by Berio have never been commercially recorded. There's Ofanìm
https://www.youtube.com/v/zCHk8cvMJ-8
and Outis
https://www.youtube.com/v/GCMVQatMW1M
and I was very pleased to get a recording of Kol Od a few weeks ago, in the Chemins box
https://www.youtube.com/v/UWf0a244VOk
Thoughts on Laborintus II? I enjoyed it but found it very odd. Jazzy instrumentals with some kind of chaotic drama gliding over it all in Italian. I found it strangely meditative.
This is what I have:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/618zMorgFtL.jpg)
Berio is awesome; I seriously need to hear more of his music.
I just bought this, digitally:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pcpPxD+cL._SS500_.jpg)
Excited to spend time with the music.
Bit rambling, but...
I've only heard a few of the Sequenzas. Once saw Sequenza V for trombone performed live. It was a delight, but so highly theatrical that I never pursued Sequenza recordings, thinking that I'd miss some visual aspects. There's a Christian Lindberg video on youtube; the performer I saw wore a tuxedo rather than a clown suit.
Reminds me to listen to Coro...many years ago a GMG member (though it was on a different forum iirc) kindly sent me a CDR.
[Added] Thanks for the reminder, greatly enjoying this version:
(https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcmVzdG8tY292ZXItaW1hZ2VzIiwia2V5IjoiODA4MjIzMy4xLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MzAwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo2NX0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE0NTQ2NzA2MDN9)
Hmm, which is better: the DG Coro or the Segerstam on Orfeo? I'd like to get my hands on that work.
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81kFZer5X8L._SL500_.jpg)
I've been listening to this recording of the Sinfonia lately. Man, it is so good!! Great singing, great playing, great sound. That being said, I'm ready to hear the debut recording (under the composer's direction, with movements omitted); I want to know what the world heard for the first time with this towering masterpiece ;D
Quote from: GioCar on March 21, 2020, 08:43:21 AM
A new recording of Coro is an event indeed.
(https://eclassical.textalk.se/shop/thumbnails/shop/17115/art15/h1256/5051256-origpic-3d492b.jpg_0_0_100_100_1600_1600_0.jpg)
Moreover, it's really an impressive recording. The sense of space which is so important in this piece and is lacking a bit in the only other recording (the famous one with the composer conducting) is beautifully rendered here.
Coupled with a less effective performance of Cries of London, if compared to the Swingle Singers' one.
fabulous
I got the DG set of the 'Sequenzas', but found it somewhat cold and broken up in the musicianship (others might disagree). Then recently had the option of getting the Naxos series too for little money, and IMO the works are a good deal more attractive, warmer, or 'melodical' on that set ...
Will be getting the Eotvos 'Sinfonia' etc too, judging from the samples it's more attractive to me than the two I've got.
Which recording of the Sinfonia has the most aggressive/menacing and least polite sounding reciters in the 3rd movement?
Quote from: vers la flamme on June 05, 2023, 02:48:42 PMWhich recording of the Sinfonia has the most aggressive/menacing and least polite sounding reciters in the 3rd movement?
What an interesting question! Not sure I can answer with authority, but the original recording with the Swingle Singers might be the one. That said, in the interest of research ;D , I found this one from 2016, conducted by
Eduardo Leandro, an excellent conductor whom I have heard a number of times at new music concerts in New York.
The vocalists are
Roomful of Teeth, who might be a little "edgier" than some ensembles. (They are primarily a new music-oriented group.) Perhaps the biggest surprise: my first time hearing the
Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra (at the university of the same name), and they do the piece proud.
-Bruce
he was a much talked about character. many despised him
https://www.operaclick.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1173
for Franco Mannino it had been forced upon to the academicians of santa cecilia
The English Wikipedia for Coro says something which caught my eye as being interesting if true
As customary in Berio's musical output, Coro has its place in a sequence of works whose titles refer to archetypal modes of musical expression. He started this sequence with his Sinfonia (1968–1969), followed by his outlook on the whole genre of music theatre in Opera (1960–1970), on the life and work of a solo singer in Recital I (for Cathy) (1972) and on the relationship between soloists and ensembles in his Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1972–1973).[3] With Coro, Berio also further explored the kind of folk music he had already used in his Folk Songs (1964) and Questo vuol dire che (1969).[4
I'm not totally clear what's being said in fact. I think the idea is that we have the following exploratory sequences
Sinfonia, Opera 1, Recital 1 and 2 piano concerto
Folk Songs, Questo vuol dire che, Coro
Quote from: Mandryka on August 12, 2023, 06:35:35 AMThe English Wikipedia for Coro says something which caught my eye as being interesting if true
As customary in Berio's musical output, Coro has its place in a sequence of works whose titles refer to archetypal modes of musical expression. He started this sequence with his Sinfonia (1968–1969), followed by his outlook on the whole genre of music theatre in Opera (1960–1970), on the life and work of a solo singer in Recital I (for Cathy) (1972) and on the relationship between soloists and ensembles in his Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1972–1973).[3] With Coro, Berio also further explored the kind of folk music he had already used in his Folk Songs (1964) and Questo vuol dire che (1969).[4
I'm not totally clear what's being said in fact. I think the idea is that we have the following exploratory sequences
Sinfonia, Opera 1, Recital 1 and 2 piano concerto
Folk Songs, Questo vuol dire che, Coro
That Wikipedia passage comes off as pretentious and lacking in informational content.
First:
Sinfonia,
Opera,
Recital 1 and
Concerto were not composed consecutively. [As can be observed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Luciano_Berio .] So I question the "sequence of works" phrase; it could just as well be worded "Berio titled a bunch of compositions after modes of musical expression"! :laugh:
The second assertion is less shaky, but I also doubt it means anything more than "Berio employed folk music in three major works". [If
Questo vuol dire che qualifies as a major work; it seems lesser-known.] However, I'm not familiar enough with the works to say whether the use of folk material follows a perceptible methodological progression.
In fact I hadn't even heard of Questo vuol dire che until yesterday. I've got myself a recording (I think there's only one available) It's rather wonderful - folk music singing and tape. Very '68. Nono and Beckett vibes, sous les pavés la plage.
Here
https://ubu.com/media/sound/electronic/19-02_Luciano-Berio_Questo-Vuol-Dire-Che_1968-1969.mp3
Taken from here
https://ubu.com/sound/electronic.html
More info here
https://www.openculture.com/2016/03/the-history-of-electronic-music-in-476-tracks-1937-2001.html
Thanks.
Big fan of Berio's vocal work, always happy to hear more.
And for the link as well! Long ago I had UbuWeb bookmarked, but it fell by the wayside when I upgraded computers.
Is this right?
There are two commercial recordings of the double piano concerto -- Canino/Ballista and Grau/Schumacher
and
There is just one commercial recording of the second piano concerto, Echoing Curves, with Lucchesini.
https://louthcontemporarymusicsociety.bandcamp.com/track/naturale
I'm enjoying the above performance of Naturale -- a new piece of music for me.
I found this comment by Berio about it
The act of transcription, such as translation, may involve three different conditions: an identification with the composer's original musical text, the assumption of the text as a pretext for experimentation and, ultimately, the oppression of the text, its deconstruction and philological abuse. I think you reach a solution when these three conditions co-exist. It is only then, I believe, that the transcript becomes an act really creative and constructive. Naturale, written between 1985 and 1986 is a piece designed for dance, and is in part derived from a more complex work of 1984 (Voices), where is placed, precisely, the problem of the convergence of those three conditions. The original texts of Natural Sicilian songs are commented upon by the voice of Celano, perhaps the last true Sicilian storyteller, which I had the privilege and good fortune to meet (and record) in Palermo in the summer of 1968. I am deeply grateful to Aldo Bennici for providing me with the original documents: work songs, love, lullabies. The voice of Celano is inserted in the path of the purple instrumental, singing instead of abbagnate (songs of hawkers) of rare intensity. With Naturale, as with Voices, I hope to help encourage a deeper interest for the Sicilian folk music, which with the Sardinian, is certainly the most rich, complex and glow of our Mediterranean culture.
https://www.yellowbarn.org/page/luciano-berio-naturale-viola-percussion-and-tape
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/21/00/4260384130021_600.jpg)
Really impressive performance of the piano sonata from Benjamin Kobler - I don't know if it isn't the recording which I've enjoyed the most in fact.