Berio, Luciano (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003)

[Beef Oven!]

A long-time favourite Italian composer of mine from the experimental/avant garde and elecro-acoustic side of life. Post Tanglewood study and Darmstadt New Music School, he co-founded the Studio Fonologia Musicale and later became the Director of electro-acoustic music at IRCAM in Paris.

The first Berio music that I came across was a couple Sequenza (sequence) for solo instruments and other chamber works o Phillips.. At the time I think he had completed ten Sequenza, there are now fourteen. I then picked up on the Pierre Boulez Sony recordings. Coro, Formazioni and Sinfonia soon became favourites.

Tomorrow night's Prom concert contains Sinfonia and I intend to get along to the Arena for it.

The aforementioned Philips recording is still one of my most cherished CDs.

The "Pierrot Ensemble" version of O Kingwas written at the same time (1968) as that for the Sinfonia:

https://www.universaledition.com/com...ks/o-king-3920

Thanks. I knew O King was written around the same time, but thought it was a bit earlier. I guess the difference is that the version in Sinfonia is the arrangement for 8 voices and orchestra (not a lot gets past me! ).

[Bryn]

Thanks. I knew O King was written around the same time, but thought it was a bit earlier. I guess the difference is that the version in Sinfonia is the arrangement for 8 voices and orchestra (not a lot gets past me! ).

If I recall correctly, the first movement of Sinfonia was written before the incorporation of O King as the second movement. The following two movements were complete the same year (1968) and it was this four-movement version which was first performed and recorded. A fifth movement was added around a year later.

Fond as I am of Sinfonia, Laborintus II is even closer to my heart.

[Beef Oven!]

If I recall correctly, the first movement of Sinfonia was written before the incorporation of O King as the second movement. The following two movements were complete the same year (1968) and it was this four-movement version which was first performed and recorded. A fifth movement was added around a year later.

Fond as I am of Sinfonia, Laborintus II is even closer to my heart.

I have a recording of Laborintus II by the Belgian group Ictus with the American singer Mike Patton. I really don't listen to it much. I think I will give it a spin later tonight.

Edit: This is quite handy,https://www.ictus.be/lablib

[Bryn]

I have a recording of Laborintus II by the Belgian group Ictus with the American singer Mike Patton. I really don't listen to it much. I think I will give it a spin later tonight.

As far as I know, that's the performance to be found on Vimeo.

The old vinyl disc had a creative way of dealing with the side change.



The Parts 1 to 2 finesse was retained for its original CD release:



A classic recording, well worth getting, or at least hearing.

[Beef Oven!]

I'd never heard of Vimeo! I will spend some time there.

I only have the CD on Ipecac. I've just been listening to it and I'm in the last 5 minutes. This recording is is excellent, amazingly audiophile for a live recirding.

[Bryn]

It's a crying shame that none of Berio's Operas (or "azione musicale" in the case of Outis) have made it to freely available DVD. A full video of Outis used to be available on YouTube, but now only audio versions of Un Re in Ascolto, Cronaca del luogo and Outis are to be found there. Un Re in Ascolto is available on CD, but has gone up a little in price since I parted with £9.99 plus £1.24 p&p for it a decade ago.

[Beef Oven!]

It's a crying shame that none of Berio's Operas (or "azione musicale" in the case of Outis) have made it to freely available DVD. A full video of Outis used to be available on YouTube, but now only audio versions of Un Re in Ascolto, Cronaca del luogo and Outis are to be found there. Un Re in Ascolto is available on CD, but has gone up a little in price since I parted with £9.99 plus £1.24 p&p for it a decade ago.

I have never knowingly heard any Berio opera.

[Bryn]

I have never knowingly heard any Berio opera.

Sone heavyweight Googling and YouTubing are called for. Outis is the only one I have seen video of (both the horribly mangled playback on Sky Arts, and the ones that used to be on YouTube), so I do not know how much is lost by its absence from the other two works, but there is certainly a lot to miss with Outis.

Oops, I quite forgot La Vera Storia, which I have never seen or heard, but note that at least Part 1 is on YouTube. Ah, the second Part is also there but took a bit of searching out.