''Circles'' is a composition for female voice, harp and two percussionists by the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
composer Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled '' Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...
. Written in 1960 ''Circles'' is a setting of three poems by
E. E. Cummings
Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...
,
[''Circles'', Luciano Berio]
, by Jeffrey Oliver (Retrieved 4 May 2016) including the poems "Stinging", "Riverly Is a Flower", and "N(o)w".
Context of the composition
''Circles'' was written for Berio's wife, the American
mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian
Catherine Anahid Berberian (July 4, 1925 – March 6, 1983) was an American mezzo-soprano and composer based in Italy. She worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, including Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Henr ...
. The work followed by two years the landmark composition ''
Thema (Omaggio a Joyce)'' in which Berio deconstructed Berberian's voice through the use of innovative electronic manipulation.
[''Music Since 1945'' by Elliot Schwartz and Daniel Godfrey (1993), ()] Throughout ''Circles'' Berio explores similar sound textures while limiting himself exclusively to acoustic means. The work was commissioned by the Fromm Foundation, with a dedication in the score to Mrs Olga Koussevitsky.
Musical style and form
Berio follows an A-B-C-B-A
arch form in ''Circles'' (the text from the first two poems being repeated with a different setting).
In this way to form of the composition itself expresses a
circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is con ...
. Berio gives precise instructions in the score for the location of the performers and percussion instruments on stage. Throughout the course of the work the singer moves backwards as if receding into the ensemble. She is also required to perform on specific percussion instruments such as
finger cymbals
Zills or zils (from Turkish 'cymbals'), also called finger cymbals, are small metallic cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances. They are called () in Egypt. They are similar to Tibetan tingsha bells. In Western music, several pa ...
,
claves
Claves (; ) are a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of short, wooden sticks about 20–25 centimeters (8–10 inches) long and about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Although traditionally made of wood (typically rosewood, ebony o ...
, and various kinds of
chimes
Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
.
See also
*
List of compositions by Luciano Berio
References
{{Authority control
Compositions by Luciano Berio
1960 compositions
Chamber music compositions
E. E. Cummings