Activities & Projects

Publication of the proceedings of the symposium Luciano Berio. Nuove prospettive / New Perspectives

Luciano Berio. Nuove prospettive / New Perspectives, was published at the end of April by Olschki, Firenze, presenting the proceedings of the conference held at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena in 2008. The volume, edited by Angela Ida De Benedictis, includes essays by, among others, Umberto Eco, Edoardo Sanguineti, Giorgio Pestelli and Jean-Jacques Nattiez (for an outline of the contents click here).
The volume waspresented in Milan on 11 September as part of the Festival MiTo 2012.

Luciano Berio’s Musical Theater

The project Luciano Berio’s Musical Theater has been organized as a series of seminars scheduled to take place from 2010 to 2013; it is the result of a collaboration between the D.M.C.E. (Dramaturgie Musicale Contemporaine en Europe) of the University of Paris VIII, Centro Studi Luciano Berio and the Fondazione Giorgio Cini of Venice. Its intent is to develop over time an in-depth study of the composer’s theatrical works, of his aesthetics and creative process. Each of the six seminars is dedicated to one work of music theatre: Passaggio, Opera, La vera storia, Un re in ascolto, Outis, and Cronaca del Luogo. The contributions to seminars are available on the D.M.C.E. website: http://www2.univ-paris8.fr/DMCE/page.php?page=9 (it is necessary to register in order to download the texts). The publication of the definitive hard copy proceedings is scheduled for 2015.
So far, four of the six meetings have taken place: Passaggio (Venice, 25 September 2010); Opera and La vera storia (17-18 November 2011, Paris); Un re in ascolto (September 28 2012, Venice); Outis (8 November 2012, Paris).
The project reached its final stage with two meetings on the 28th and 29th of September 2013: the first study day focused on Cronaca del Luogo, with the participation of Michal Grover Friedlander, Francesco Giomi, Massimiliano Locanto, Ulrich Mosch, Talia Pecker Berio, Alessandro Roccatagliati; the next day Gianmario Borio, Giordano Ferrari, Talia Pecker Berio, Angela Ida De Benedictis and Gianfranco Vinay presented a conclusive panel and drawn a summary of the entire project.

Giordano Ferrari, Talia Pecker Berio.

Angela Ida De Benedictis, Gianfranco Vinay, Gianmario Borio.

Publication of Luciano Berio’s radio work Diario immaginario

In 1975 Berio won the prestigious Prix Italia with Diario immaginario, a ground-breaking radio work made in the Studio di Fonologia della RAI in Milan in collaboration with Vittorio Sermonti (author of the text, after Molière) and Giorgio Pressburger (producer). After more than 35 years Diario immaginario has finally been issued in its original version (conserved in the RAI archives and never previously published) as part of the boxed set L’immaginazione in ascolto. Il Prix Italia e la sperimentazione radiofonica / Imagination at Play. The Prix Italia and radiophonic experimentation, edited by Angela Ida De Benedictis and Maddalena Novati for Rai-Trade/Die Schachtel (for information click here).

Cataloguing of the audio collection of Luciano Berio at Tempo Reale

This project involves monitoring and cataloguing the audio collection of Luciano Berio deposited with the center Tempo Reale in Florence. Work was begun on compiling a database in December 2011 under the direction of Dott. Gianluca Verlingieri for the benefit of those working at the center, and it will soon become accessible to the scientific community at large.

Funding from the Siemens Stiftung

In the frame of the Grants-in-Aid program of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Munich, the Centro Studi Luciano Berio will benefit in the years 2012-2014 from a co-funding of a multi-volume project covering the published and unpublished writings of, and interviews with, Luciano Berio. The volumes, to be published by Einaudi in 2012-2014, will form part of the series «Opere di Luciano Berio», edited by Talia Pecker Berio, which already features Un ricordo al futuro. Lezioni americane (Einaudi 2006). For more information click here.

Publication of the television series C’è musica e musica

A boxed set featuring the televison series C’è musica e musica made for the RAI in 1972 by Luciano Berio, with Vittoria Ottolenghi as curator and Gianfranco Mingozzi as producer, is currently in preparation with Feltrinelli publishers. Issued in the Real Cinema series, in collaboration with Rai-Trade and the Centro Studi Luciano Berio, the box makes the entire series available – comprising 12 instalments in color – together with a volume featuring contributions by Umberto Eco, Michele dall’Ongaro and Ulrich Mosch, writings by Luciano Berio when the series was in the making, a transcription of all the installments made by Federica Di Gasbarro, and a documentary section. The box set will be on sale from June 19, 2013.

Acquisition of printed, audio and video material of Luciano Berio conserved in other archives

As a result of the project to identify autograph, audio and video material of Luciano Berio initiated in 2010, contacts have been made with various institutions to obtain copies of such material for inclusion in the archives of the CSLB. During 2011 it has been possible to acquire copies of the entire audio and video collection of Teatro alla Scala relating to works composed, and also conducted, by Berio, including Un re in ascolto, Outis and La vera storia. The collection can currently also be viewed at the Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel.

Performance practice for electronic music: “The years of the Studio di Fonologia”

The CSLB has agreed to participate as official partner in the project Aufführungspraxis der elektronische Musik. Die “Studio di Fonologia” Jahre, conceived and promoted by ICSC (Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology) at the ZHdK (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste). The project will last three years (2012-2014) and feature four workshops devoted to issues relating to performance practice for electronic music. Various works by Berio are to be investigated during the workshops, including Thema (Omaggio a Joyce); Mutazioni; Momenti, Visage, Différences. The first workshop is to be held in Zurich on 9 and 10 October 2012 at the ICSC. Further information will soon be available on our web site.

“Pegaso” PhD

The CSLB has joined the “Pegaso” project for an inter-regional PhD in History of the Performing Arts, promoted and financed by Regione Toscana. This three-year project, originated in a collaboration between the universities of Florence, Siena and Pisa, will get under way in 2013.

Reprinting of «Incontri Musicali»

The re-publication of the four volumes of «Incontri Musicali», a series of journals on contemporary music conceived and edited by Luciano Berio and originally published by Edizioni Suvini Zerboni, Milano, between 1956 and 1960, is being planned.

Inventory and catalogue of Luciano Berio’s library

The Centro Studi is undertaking the task of inventorying, evaluating, cataloguing, and digitizing Luciano Berio’s library, currently housed in his private residence in Radicondoli, in the province of Siena. This archive comprises circa 7000 volumes both old and new, regarding different discliplines and subjects, including scores and other musical source material for works by Berio as well as those of other authors.

English publication of Omaggio a Joyce

A new English translation of the documentary Omaggio a Joyce: Documents on the onomatopeic quality of poetic language is currently being developed. Under the supervision of Umberto Eco and Talia Pecker Berio, this translation will incorporate the transcription of the documentary’s text, following dubbing procedures which will conserve the spirit of the documentary and the sonic dimensions of the original. The boxed set will include a booklet and two audio CDs and will be co-published by RAI-Trade and Die Schachtel.