CD Feature/ Luciano Berio: "Sequenzas I-XIV"

This could be an investment for life.

The work of Luciano Berio perfectly sums up the dilemma of the Avantgarde: Not knowing him means not knowing the music of the 20th century – but who on earth can name a single of his pieces? Apart maybe from those who closely followed the slow evolution of modernity from Stravinksy’s demonstrativ debut to a niche-genre for academics. Which is unfair. For, as the compositions collected on this release show, he was a man of the people.

He also was a man of constancy. His “Sequenzas” started in 1958 and Berio continued writing additions to the series until 2002, one year before his death. Even though the 60s were especially fruitful, there was more than enough new material in the 80s and 90s to make this a perfect documentation of his progress over the years, while at all times keeping an inward consistency. At the same time, it seems a monumental effort to sit this through: Three CDs packed to the brim with over three hours of music, featuring exclusively compositions for solo instruments should be enough to satisfy even the most die-hard fan for a few weeks at least. Still, for those with a little stamina, this could be an investment for life. Every single Sequenza moves in its own world, following its personal set of ideas and thanks to the different characteristica of the various instruments, they open up vast and plentiful spaces of sound. From the resolute yet mellow flute excusions to the deep craters of the piano portrait and from the positively pointed Trumpet-arrows to the almost ambiant-like surface areas of the bassoon, there is not a single moment of repetition nor the slightest bias towards l’art pour l’art. It makes perfect sense that Berio started his career with a recitation (courtesy of his then wife Cathy Berberian) of “Ulysses” – because, just like Joyce, his radical ideas were always presented by an unmatched talent for great story-telling.

You can expect to like parts of these discs right away and the rest to grow on you, but you’re better off not expecting anything at all. Calling this “Avantgarde” may already send your focus in the wrong direction. Simply put, this is music that could change your life. And you’ll never be in awe naming a piece by Berio ever again.

By Tobias Fischer

Homepage: Naxos Records