Luciano Berio
Concerto II
Short instrumentation: group A: 3 2 4 3 - 2 2 2 1 - t.sax, cel, vla(3), vc(3), cb(3); group B: 1 1 1 0 - 3 2 1 0 - alto sax, e.org, vln(20), vla(6), vc(4), cb(4)
Duration: 25'
Dedication: à Daniel Barenboim
Solos:
piano
Instrumentation details:
group A: 1st flute
2nd flute
3rd flute
oboe
cor anglais
1st clarinet in Bb
2nd clarinet in Bb
3rd clarinet in Bb
bass clarinet in Bb
tenor saxophone in Bb (+alto sax(Eb))
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
contrabassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
1st trombone
2nd trombone
bass tuba
celesta
viola(3)
violoncello(3)
contrabass(3) group B: piccolo
oboe
clarinet in Eb
alto saxophone in Eb
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
piccolo trumpet in D
trumpet in C
trombone
electric organ
violin(20)
viola(6)
violoncello(4)
contrabass(4)
Berio - Concerto II for piano and 2 instrumental groups
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Luciano Berio
Berio: Concerto II (Echoing Curves) for piano and 2 instrumental groupsOrchestration: piano
Type: Stimme
Luciano Berio
Berio: Concerto II (Echoing Curves) for piano and 2 instrumental groupsOrchestration: for piano and 2 instrumental groups
Type: Partitur
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Work introduction
This piece is a typical example of Berio’s way of thinking as a composer; it is related to the Sequenze and their reworking into the Chemins. Its basis is "points on the curve to find …" (1974) for piano and 22 instruments, which Berio incorporated 15 years later in Concerto II in a broadened scope, thus realising a plan he had already had in mind when working on the earlier piece.
Although the work centres on the piano, it is not is not juxtaposed with the two ensembles; instead, it joins in a chamber-music relationship with them, playing together with soloists in both groups and mixing amongst instrumental layers.