Composer

:

Luciano Berio

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1975

Average_duration

:

33:07

A-Ronne is a vocal work composed by Luciano Berio in 1974. It premiered on October 17, 1974, in Milan, Italy, performed by the Swingle Singers. The piece is divided into five movements, each with its own unique characteristics. The first movement, titled "A," is a collage of vocal sounds and fragments of text from various sources, including James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. The singers use a variety of extended vocal techniques, such as glissandi, whispers, and shouts, to create a dense and complex texture. The second movement, "Ronne," is based on a traditional Corsican chant. The singers alternate between singing the chant in unison and improvising around it, creating a hypnotic and trance-like effect. The third movement, "Chanson," is a setting of a poem by Tristan Tzara. The singers use a more traditional singing style, with clear melodic lines and harmonies, but the text is fragmented and distorted, creating a sense of disorientation. The fourth movement, "B," is another collage of vocal sounds and text fragments, this time drawn from various sources in different languages. The singers use a wide range of vocal techniques, including yodeling and throat singing, to create a kaleidoscopic and chaotic texture. The final movement, "A-Ronne," brings together elements from the previous movements in a grand finale. The singers alternate between singing the Corsican chant, fragments of the Tzara poem, and the vocal sounds and text fragments from the first and fourth movements. The result is a complex and multi-layered texture that gradually builds to a frenzied climax. Overall, A-Ronne is a challenging and innovative work that pushes the boundaries of vocal music. Berio's use of collage techniques and extended vocal techniques creates a rich and varied sonic landscape that is both disorienting and exhilarating.

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