The Intercontinental Composer
Donald Macleod discusses the life and music of Luciano Berio (1925-2003) in the company of Gillian Moore, focusing today on some of the composer's key works from the 1970s.
By the early 1970s Luciano Berio (1925-2003) was in demand in many parts of the world, and regularly travelling between Europe and the USA, and even Israel, where he would meet his third wife. Donald Macleod discusses this phase of his life with Gillian Moore - a period which sees Berio composing such a strange and yet captivating work as A-Ronne, and the vast canvas of Coro, using texts in various languages. It's a period which also finds the restless Berio settling down to purchase a private estate at Radicondoli, in Tuscany.
Erdenklavier
David Arden, pianist
Points on the Curve to Find' (1974)
Ensemble InterContemperain
Pierre Boulez, conductor
A Ronne (excerpt)
Swingle II
Cries of London
Swingle II
Coro (1975/6) (excerpt)
ORF-Symphonienorchester
Leif Segerstam, conductor.
Last on
Music Played
![]()
Luciano Berio
Erdenklavier
Performer: David Arden.- NEW ALBION : NA-089.
- NEW ALBION.
- 5.
![]()
Luciano Berio
Points on the Curve to Find
Performer: Ensemble intercontemporain. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.- Sony Classical CD45862.
- Sony Classical.
- 1.
![]()
Luciano Berio
A-Ronne (extract)
Ensemble: The Swingle Singers.- DECCA : 425-620-2.
- DECCA.
- 2.
![]()
Luciano Berio
Cries of London
Conductor: Luciano Berio. Ensemble: The Swingle Singers.- DECCA : 425-620-2.
- DECCA.
- 7.
![]()
Luciano Berio
Coro (extract)
Performer: Orf-Symphonienorchester. Conductor: Leif Segerstam.
Broadcast
- Thu 5 Jul 201812:00BBC Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.
