Berio, Luciano

Berio, Luciano (b Oneglia, now Imperia, It., 1925; d Siena, 2003). It. composer. In 1955 with Maderna founded EMS at It. Radio, remaining until 1961. Went to USA 1963, teaching in Calif. and from 1965 at Juilliard Sch., returning to It. in 1972. Collab. with Boulez at IRCAM, Paris, 1974–9. Comps. are influenced by serialism, elec. devices, and indeterminacy. Has developed individually the ‘collage’ technique, borrowing extracts from other composers or imitating stylistic characteristics. Examples are Sinfonia, in which Berio quotes material from Mahler's 2nd Sym., Wagner's Das Rheingold, Ravel's La Valse, and Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and Laborintus II, where street cries and interjections are blended with references to madrigals and to jazz. Another collage is Recital I (for Cathy), one of several works (e.g. Epifanie and Sequenza 3) written for his former wife, the sop. Cathy Berberian. His Sequenza series for various instr. is largely aleatory. In Circles the singer may perform either the notated pitches or the approximations: the choice is hers. While in Milan in his youth Berio cond. a small touring opera co. and has remained enthusiastic about the th., though his works for it have so far been extremely unconventional. In 1986 and 1987 he transcr. 11 of Mahler's early songs for male v. and orch. and he has also re-worked mus. by Brahms and Schubert. At Salzburg Fest. in 1989 he cond. a prog. of his own works. Prin. works:THEATRE: Passaggio, messa in scena for sop., 2 ch., and orch. (1962–3); Opera (3 acts), 10 actors, sop., ten., bar., orch. (1960–70, rev. 1977); Allez Hop, mimed tale, mez., 8 mimes, dancers, orch. (1952–9, 1968); I trionfi del Petrarca, ballet (1974); La vera storia, sop., mez., ten., bar., bass, vocal ens., ch., orch. (1977–8); Un Re in Ascolto, 2-act opera (1979–83); Duo, bar., 2 vns., ch., orch. (1982); Naturale, ballet, va., tam-tam, vv. (tape) (1985–6).ORCH.: Nones (1954–5); Allelujah I (1955–7), II (1956–8); Divertimento (collab. Maderna) (1957); Différences, 5 instr., tape (1958–9); Quaderni I–III from Epifanie (1959–63); Chemins IIB (1969); Bewegung I (1971); Still (1973); Eindrücke (1973–4); Encore (1978); Entrata (1980); Suite da ‘La vera storia’ (1981); Accordo, for 4 wind bands (1981); Fanfara (1982); Requies (1983–4); Formazioni (1986); Continuo (1989); Festum (1989); Schubert/Berio: Rendering (1989).SOLO INSTR(S). & ORCH.: Concertino, cl., vn., harp, celesta, str. (1950); Variazioni, 2 bassethorns, str. (1954–5); Serenata, fl., 14 instr. (1957); Tempi Concertati, fl., vn., 2 pf., ens. (1958–9); Chemins I (from Sequenza II), hp., orch. (1965); Chemins II (from Sequenza VI), va., 9 instr. (1967–8); Chemins III (from Chemins II), va., orch. (1968–9); Chemins IIC, bcl., orch. (1972); 2-pf. conc. (1972–3); ‘Points on the Curve to Find…’, pf., 23 instr. (1973–4); Linea, 2 pf., vib., marimbaphone (1973–4); Chemins IV (from Sequenza VII), ob., str. (1975); Il Ritorno degli Snovidenia, vc., 30 instr. (1976–7); pf. conc. (1977); Corale on Sequenza VIII, vn., 2 hns., str. (1981); Voci, va., orch. (1984); Brahms/Berio: Opus 120, No.1, cl. or va., orch. (1984–6); Concerto II (Echoing Curves), pf., 2 groups of instr. (1988).VOICE(S) & ORCH. OR ENS.: Magnificat, 2 sop., mystic ch., ens. (1949); El mar la mar, mez., 7 players (1952); Chamber Music, female v., cl., vc., hp. (1953); Epifanie, sop. or mez., orch. (1959–61, rev. 1965); Circles, female v., hp., 2 perc. (1960); Laborintus II, vv., instr., reciter, tape (1965); O King, mez., 5 players (1967); Sinfonia, 8 vv., orch. (1968–9); Air, sop., orch. (1969); Air, sop., 4 instr. (1970); Agnus, 2 sop., 3 cl. (1970); Bewegung II, bar., orch. (1971); Ora, sop., mez., chamber ens. (1971); Recital I (for Cathy), mez., 17 instr. (1972); Cries of London, 6 vv. (1973–4), 8 vv. (1975); Calmo (in memoriam Bruno Maderna), mez., ens. (1974, rev. 1988–9); A-Ronne, radiophonic documentary for 8 actors (1974), version for 8 vv. and tape (1975); Coro, 40 vv., instr. (1974–6); 11 Folk Songs, mez., orch. (1975), from version for mez. and 7 players (1964); Ofanim, 2 instr. groups, 2 children's ch., women's vv., and Real Time Computer Mus. System, or for female singer, children's ch. (or tape), orch. (or tape), live ens. (1988).INSTR(S).: Opus Number Zoo, 5 wind instr. (1950–1, rev. 1970); 2 Pieces, vn., pf. (1951); str. qt. (1956); Sincronie, str. qt. (1963–4); Gesti, fl. (1966); Autre Fois, lullaby canon for Stravinsky, fl., cl., hp. (1971); Les mots sont allés, vc. (1978); Duetti per due violini (1979–82, arr. for 2 gui. by E. Kanthou, 1987); Lied, cl. (1983); Call (St Louis Fanfare) (1985); Riccorenze, wind quintet (1985–7); str. qt. (1986–90); Psy, db. (1989).PIANO: Petite Suite (1947); 5 Variations (1952–3); Rounds (1967), hpd. (1965); Wasserklavier (1965); Erdenklavier (1969); Memory, 2 pf. (1970); Luftklavier (1985); Feuerklavier (1989).SEQUENZA SERIES I, fl. solo (1958); II, hp. solo (1963); III, female v. (1965); IV, pf. (1966); V, tb. (1967); VI, va. (1967); VII, ob. (1969); VIII, vn. (1975–7); IX, perc. (1978–9); IX A, cl. (1980); IX B, alto-sax. (1981); X, tpt., pf. (1985); XI, gui. (1987–8). II arr. with orch. as Chemins I (1965); VI arr. for va. and 9 instr. as Chemins II (1967), for orch. as Chemins IIB (1969), and for bcl. and orch. as Chemins IIC (1972); VII arr. for ob., str. as Chemins IV (1975).ELECTRONIC: Mutations (1954); Perspectives (1956); Momenti (1957); Theme (homage to Joyce) with v. of C. Berberian (1958); Visage, with v. of C. Berberian (1961); Chants parallèles (1975); Diario imaginario (1975).