Composer

:

Luciano Berio

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1985 - 1986

Average_duration

:

20:27

Naturale is a composition for viola, percussion, and tape, composed by Italian composer Luciano Berio in 1985. The piece was premiered on October 17, 1985, at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy, by violist Serge Collot and percussionist Jean-Pierre Drouet. The composition is divided into four movements, each of which explores different aspects of the relationship between the natural world and human culture. The first movement, titled "Wasserklavier," features the viola playing a series of fragmented melodies over a tape of water sounds, including dripping, splashing, and flowing water. The percussionist plays a variety of instruments, including marimba, vibraphone, and glockenspiel, creating a shimmering, watery texture. The second movement, "Luftklavier," explores the sounds of the air, with the viola playing long, sustained notes over a tape of wind sounds, including whistling, rustling, and howling. The percussionist plays a variety of instruments, including cymbals, tam-tam, and bass drum, creating a sense of turbulence and movement. The third movement, "Erdenklavier," focuses on the sounds of the earth, with the viola playing a series of earthy, rhythmic figures over a tape of natural sounds, including birdsong, animal calls, and rustling leaves. The percussionist plays a variety of instruments, including wood blocks, cowbells, and rainsticks, creating a sense of organic, pulsing energy. The final movement, "Feuerklavier," explores the sounds of fire, with the viola playing a series of fiery, virtuosic passages over a tape of crackling flames and burning wood. The percussionist plays a variety of instruments, including snare drum, tom-toms, and metal percussion, creating a sense of heat and intensity. Overall, Naturale is a highly evocative and atmospheric composition that explores the relationship between human culture and the natural world. Berio's use of tape and percussion creates a rich, layered texture that complements the viola's expressive melodies, resulting in a work that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.

More....