Luciano Berio (1925-2003)

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Introduction
Luciano Berio was an Italian composer noted primarily for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music. He studied at the Milan Conservatory after the war and attended the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music during the 50’s where he met Boulez, Stockhausen, and Ligeti.



Work Analysis
O King (1967-1968) - Berio composed two versions of this piece: one being a chamber version for voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, and the other being a symphonic version for 8 voices and a full orchestra. The symphonic version became the second movement of his Sinfonia (1968). Berio was teaching at the Juilliard School in New York when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated and he was greatly impacted by the civil rights leader's death. The music itself is slow and mournful, and it provides an interesting blend or interaction between the voices and the instruments. It is also constructed based on two whole-tone scales which makes for a very distinct harmonic texture. Throughout the piece, the name "Martin Luther King" is gradually vocalized as the voices begin just with its vowels and slowly adds consonants until the full name is pronounced toward the ending.

Comparisons
After learning that Berio dedicated the piece to a great influence of his, I was instantly reminded of Charles Ives and his several works dedicated to some of the most influential transcendalists of his time. More specifically, and as it relates to their music, I was able to draw some comparisons between their use of harmony and the human voice as seen through various other vocal works. The way in which Berio layered and made gradual changes in the voices was also similar to how Ligeti did this in ''The Alphabet. ''

Observations
The works of Luciano Berio are very interesting. I listened to a few pieces which are shorter in duration but his longer pieces had me "on edge" in some sense - in a good way, however, that wanted me to hear what was coming next from moment to moment. Most of his music that I listened to, both short and longer pieces, brought me joy in one way or another, and I suspect it generally had to do with its unpredictable nature.