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Vocal work

There is no tune

There is no tune
for chamber chorus
Year of composition: 
1994
Year composition ended: 
1994
Text: 

Talia Pecker Berio

Scored for: 
choir a cappella
Duration: 
2'
First performance: 
London, St. Johns Smith Square, 14 September 1994; BBC Singers, dir. Simon Joly
Publisher: 
Casa Ricordi, Milan
Edition number: 
136671

Surabaya Johnny

Kurt Weill – Luciano Berio
Surabaya Johnny
Weill – Berio
Year of composition: 
1972
Year composition ended: 
1972
Language: 
German
Text sources: 
Bertold Brecht, Dorothy Lane
Scored for: 
mezzo-soprano and ensemble
Duration: 
5'
Annotations: 

From Happy End by Kurt Weill (1929)

Instrumentation: fl, cl, tpt, perc, guit, vln, vla, vc, cb

First performance: 
1967, Venice. Cathy Berberian
Publisher: 
Universal Edition

Stanze

Stanze
Year of composition: 
2003
Year composition ended: 
2003
Text: 

Text sources:
Paul Celan, Tenebrae
Giorgio Caproni, Congedo del viaggiatore cerimonioso
Edoardo Sanguineti, e rispondendo ho parlato da un turbine...
Alfred Brendel, The News That...
Dan Pagis, Die Schacht (The Battle, German translation from the original Hebrew by Anne Birkenhauer)

Translations by David Osmond-Smith (english), Talia Pecker Berio (english)

Language: 
German, Italian, English
Text sources: 
Paul Celan, Giorgio Caproni, Edoardo Sanguineti, Alfred Brendel, Dan Pagis,
Scored for: 
baritone, 3 male-voices choirs and orchestra
Dedication: 

Renzo Piano

Commissioned by: 
Orchestre de Paris
Duration: 
25'
Annotations: 

Choir: TTTBBB (minimum 12 + 12 + 12)
Instrumentation: 4 3 5 3 - 4 4 3 1 - 3 perc, glock, pno, 2 alto sax, t.sax, str (12 12 12 8 8)

First performance: 
22/01/2004, Paris. Dietrich Henschel, Choeur de l'Armée Française, Orchestre de Paris, Christoph Eschenbach
Publisher: 
Universal Edition
Edition number: 
32653
Program notes: 

Author's note: Italian

Author's note: English

Shofar

Shofar
(part of the third cycle of "Outis")
Year of composition: 
1995
Year composition ended: 
1995
Text sources: 
"Die Pausanenstelle" by Paul Celan
Scored for: 
choir and orchestra
Duration: 
8'
First performance: 
1995, London. BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Mackerras
Publisher: 
Casa Ricordi, Milan

O King

O King
Year of composition: 
1968
Year composition ended: 
1968
Text: 

O Martin Luther King

Language: 
English
Scored for: 
mezzo-soprano and 5 players
Commissioned by: 
Aeolian Chamber Players
Duration: 
5'
First performance: 
04/05/1968, Bowdoin College, Maine. Aeolian Chamber Players
Publisher: 
Universal Edition
Edition number: 
13781
Program notes: 

Author's note: Italian

Author's note: English

Author's note: French

Le Grand Lustucru

Kurt Weill – Luciano Berio
Le Grand Lustucru
Weill – Berio
Year of composition: 
1972
Year composition ended: 
1972
Text: 

Jacques Déval

Language: 
German
Scored for: 
mezzo-soprano and ensemble (original key)
Duration: 
3'
Annotations: 

From Marie Galante by Kurt Weill (1934)

Instrumentation: 2 1 3 1 - 0 1 0 0 - perc, vln, vla, vc, cb

First performance: 
1967, Venice. Cathy Berberian
Publisher: 
Universal Edition

Magnificat

Magnificat
Year of composition: 
1949
Year composition ended: 
1949
Language: 
Latin
Scored for: 
2 sopranos, mixed choir, 2 pianos and instruments
Duration: 
13'
Annotations: 

Instrumentation: fl, ob, cl, 2 cor, 2 trp, 2 trb, cb, perc)

First performance: 
1971, Turin
Publisher: 
Belwin Mills Publishing
Program notes: 

Author's note: Italian

Author's note: English

Author's note: French

Laborintus II

Laborintus II
Year of composition: 
1965
Year composition ended: 
1965
Text: 

Edoardo Sanguineti

Language: 
Italian, English, Latin
Scored for: 
voices, instruments and tape
Cast: 

3 female voices, 1 speaker (Speaker: Italian or English (translation by David Osmond Smith)

Commissioned by: 
O.R.T.F. Paris
Duration: 
35'
Annotations: 

Choir: SATB (8 actors)
Instrumentation: 1 0 3 0 - 0 3 3 0 - perc(2), hp(2), vc(2), cb(1)
Instrumentation details: flute; 1st clarinet in Bb; 2nd clarinet in Bb; 3rd clarinet in Bb (+bass cl(Bb)); 1st trumpet in C; 2nd trumpet in C; 3rd trumpet in C; 1st trombone; 2nd trombone; 3rd trombone; 1st percussion: traps drums, vibraphone, wood blocks, 2 tam-tams, springcoils, guiro, sleigh bells; 2nd percussion: traps drums, wood blocks, guiro, springcoils, maracas, claves, sleigh bells, tam-tam; 1st harp; 2nd harp; 1st violoncello; 2nd violoncello; contrabass

First performance: 
26/09/1965, Paris. ORTF, Luciano Berio
Publisher: 
Universal Edition
Edition number: 
13792
Program notes: 

Author's note: Italian

Author's note: English

Author's note: French

Folk Songs

Folk Songs
Year of composition: 
1964
Year composition ended: 
1964
Year of revision: 
1973
Text: 

Black is the colour (USA)
I wonder as I wander (USA)
Loosin yelav (Armenia)
Rossignolet du bois (France)
A la femminisca (Sicily)
La donna ideale (Italy)
Ballo (Italy)
Motettu de Tristura (Sardinia)
Malorous qu'o un fenno (Auvergne [France])
Lo fiolaire (Auvergne [France])
Azerbaijan love song (Aserbaijan)

Language: 
English, Armenian, French, Italian, Azeri
Scored for: 
mezzo-soprano and orchestra
Duration: 
23'
Annotations: 

Instrumentation: 2 1 3 1 - 1 1 1 0 - perc(2), hp, str
Instrumentation details: 1st flute; 2nd flute (+picc); oboe; 1st clarinet in Bb; 2nd clarinet in Bb; bass clarinet in Bb; bassoon; horn in F; trumpet in C; trombone; percussion(2); harp; violin I; violin II; viola; violoncello; contrabass

First performance: 
1973, Zurich. Cathy Berberian, Collegium Musicum Zürich, Luciano Berio
Publisher: 
Universal Edition
Edition number: 
13763
Program notes: 

Author's note: Italian

Author's note: English

Author's note: French

Hör

Hör
Prologue from "Requiem der Versöhnung"
Year of composition: 
1995
Year composition ended: 
1995
Language: 
German
Text sources: 
"Die Posaunenstelle" by Paul Celan
Scored for: 
choir and orchestra
Commissioned by: 
Internationalen Bachakademie Stuttgart
Duration: 
5'
Annotations: 

Choir: SATB
Instrumentation: 4 2 5 2 - 3 4 3 1 - 2 perc, hp, cel, acc, pno, e.org, alto sax, t.sax, str
Instrumentation details: piccolo; 1st flute; 2nd flute; alto flute; oboe; cor anglais; clarinet in Eb; 1st clarinet in Bb; 2nd clarinet in Bb; 3rd clarinet in Bb; bass clarinet in Bb; alto saxophone in Eb; tenor saxophone in Bb; bassoon; contrabassoon; 1st horn in F; 2nd horn in F; 3rd horn in F; 1st trumpet in C; 2nd trumpet in C; 3rd trumpet in C; 4th trumpet in C; 1st trombone; 2nd trombone; 3rd trombone; bass tuba; marimba; sonagli; harp; celesta; accordion; piano; electric organ; violin I; violin II; viola; violoncello; contrabass

First performance: 
15/08/1995, Stuttgart. Krakauer Kammerchor, Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Helmuth Rilling
Publisher: 
Universal Edition