Today is the 9th anniversary of the passing of Luciano Berio, who died at the age of 77 years, 7 months.
These notes are excerpted from the cover (enclosed), written by the composer:
The four sections into which Sinfonia (composed in 1968) is divided are not analogous to the movements of the classical symphony. The title, in fact, must be taken only in its etymological sense of "sounding together" (of eight voices and instruments). Although their expressive characters are extremely diversified these four sections are generally unified by similar harmonic and articulatory characteristics (duplication and extended repetition being among the most important.)
I. The text of the first part consists of a series of short fragments from Le Cru et le Cuit by the French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss. These fragments are taken from a section of the book which analyses the structure and symbology of Brazilian myths about the origins of water and other related myths characterized by similar structure.
II. the Second section of Sinfonia is a tribute to the memory of Dr Martin Luther King. Here the vocal part is based on his name, nothing else.
III. The main text for the third section includes excerpts from Samuel Beckett's The Unnameable, which in turn prompt a selection from many other sources, including Joyce, spoken phrases of Harvard undergraduates, slogans written by the students on the Sorbonne walls during last May's insurrection in Paris (at which I was present), recorded dialogues with my friends and family, snatches of solfege and so on.
IV. The text for the fourth section, a sort of coda, is based on a short selection from those used in the three preceding parts.
Side One:
a-Sinfonia I & II
Side Two:
b-Sinfonia III & IV
performed by the New York Philharmonic with The Swingle Singrers under the direction of Luciano Berio
(1) or (1) or (1)
My apologies for not dividing the Movements. The cover has no timings listed and it was only after posting that I noticed that the label list individual timings (in black on dark red...)
ReplyDeleteI= 6:31, II= 4:47, III= 12:21, IV= 2:58
Thanks, DrEyescope, it seems wonderful. Greetings from Brazil.
ReplyDeleteDr.,
ReplyDeleteAnother superb and intriguing recording you've posted. Thank you.
Looks interesting, thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you. I actually prefer this 4-mvt version. He added a 5th mvt about a year later, which is probably one reason this recording hasn't been reissued. The 5th mvt revisits the four previous movements, which makes the whole thing a bit overstuffed.
ReplyDeleteBut what an amazing composer! He deserves to be remembered and celebrated.
At last! Someone else who agrees that the fifth movement was not an improvement.
DeleteMany years ago the BBC broadcast a performance of Laborintus II that I recorded on reel-to-reel (long lost alas).
When Berio's RCA recording appeared I recall being disappointed by comparison.
If anyone has a copy of that earlier performance......