Concerted times of Luciano Berio: a case of intertextual origins

Luciano Berio's production represents a problematic case in the area of philological studies relative to the music of the 20th century. With few exceptions, the limited quantity of autograph material that is available today and its typology have impeded a meticulous study of the origin of many of Berio's works. In some cases reconstructing the steps of the process that form the base of a musical work requires turning to material that is not necessarily compositional, for example Berio's writings and especially his correspondence; in this regard, Tempi concertati (1958-1960) can be offered as an example. Berio's correspondence with Gazzelloni and Pousseur confirms how the initial project of the work was inter-related to other Berio works written in the same period (Serenata, Sequenza I). Additionally, Berio's letters demonstrate how his decision to subdivide the orchestra of Tempi concertati into four groups was influenced by Scambi by Pousseur and by Gruppenkomposition codified by Stockhausen. The article illustrates the initial phases of the genesis of Tempi concertati, which demonstrate the network of intertextual relationships that influenced the origins of the work and the choice of some its constitutive elements.