Music

WRITING options. In your writing you may include research, observations, interpretation,
your experience as a viewer-listener, what you found particularly striking, revealing about the
music, art and performances. You may describe ingredients, what you found memorable,
interesting or surprising, the music’s stylistic approach; include observations and insights on
the music, art, techniques, timbre, time, rhythm, contrast, communication, types of
expression, the performer, your observations, ideas, interpretations and insights.
Write about Berio’s Thema: Omaggio a Joyce (1958).
Write about about Ballet Mécanique (1924 the film version, and the concert version without
film (choose one concert version).
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Composer Luciano Berio’s COMMENTS about his work Thema: Omaggio a Joyce (1958)
http://www.lucianoberio.org/node/1503?948448529=1
The word imagery and expressive sonic qualities of James Joyce’s “Sirens” chapter
from his novel Ulysses novel (1918, published 1922) suggests ample possibilities for musical
setting. In Thema: Omaggio a Joyce composer Berio created his own sonic interpretation of
James Joyce’s text. Berio did not intend to explain, interpret what Joyce’s text actually meant.
Its meaning is a conundrum to many, as may have been Joyce’s intent.
James Joyce’s explained his writing approach: “I’ve put in so many enigmas and
puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and
that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.” (Joyce cited in Prof. Richard Ellmann’s
classic biography James Joyce)
Luciano Berio used Cathy Berberian’s voice reciting an excerpt from Ulysses as sound
source: it is recorded, transformed by tape editing and electronic modifications via tape
recorder speed changes (transposition up and down), mixed in layers into varying degrees of
complexity (densities). The physical tape manipulation and rearrangement of mic-recorded
sounds (musique concrète technique) is similar to the Dada artists’ photomontage assemblyrearrangement
manipulation of images (including works by Kurt Schwitters and Raoul
Hausmann).
Berio removed the individual words from their context and treats them as
independent “sound systems. He focuses on onomatopoeic words as “smack,” “chips,”
“trilling,” “hiss,” “clock clacked” and “Liszt’s rhapsodies”. Thema: Omaggio a Joyce begins
with Berberian’s unaltered reading of the text for about 1’53″followed by about 6 minutes of
various tape manipulations of the recorded reading,
Several minutes into the work, Berio removes the “bl” from “blooming” and splices a number
of “bl” segments producing a stuttering effect, one of the many word modifications in his
work.
ABOUT James Joyce, writer:
http://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Joyce
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)#Episode_11.2C_Sirens
ABOUT Luciano Berio, composer
http://www.lucianoberio.org/en/node/1154
ABOUT Cathy Berberian, mezzo-soprano
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Berberian
Text excerpt from “Sirens” chapter/episode from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce
read by Cathy Berberian. (Sirens, sea nymphs who lure sailors (to death on the shore rocks)
with beautiful singing. This ancient temptation myth/fable recurs in art, music and literature.
The Sirens myth: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ni-Pa/Odyssey-The.html
“Sirens” chapter from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce read by Cathy Berberian:
TEXT excerpt of “Sirens”
http://genius.com/Crystal-castles-air-war-lyrics
Cathy Berberian reading:

Luciano Berio’s music: Thema: Omaggio a Joyce (1958)

Film Sirènes (1961) by Emile Degelin.
Film interpretation of the Sirens myth using Berio’s music.
With some influences by director Federico Fellini.

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Ballet Mécanique (1924) was a mixed media project by the French filmmaker/artist Fernand
Léger and American composer George Antheil. Cinematography was by Man Ray, an American
artist who lived in Paris working as a Modernist, Dada-ist, Surrealist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_M%C3%A9canique
George Antheil was an avant-garde composer, author and inventor whose piano teacher
studied with piano virtuoso Franz Liszt. Antheil was an enthusiast of modernism, Dada, jazz,
experimental art.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Antheil
George Antheil in photo with bells and propellers for “Ballet mécanique” , New York, 1927
http://antheil.org/art/Antheil1.JPG
Fernand Léger, French artist and avant-garde filmmaker who developed his own
idiosyncratic Cubist style in painting, sculpture, film.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernand_L%C3%A9ger
George Antheil’s Ballet mécanique music had 16 player pianos plus percussion ensemble.
Antheil’s use of multiple automated-action mechanical pianos, propeller motors, fans, buzzers,
sirens,
mechanical whistles made it the first of its kind.
Player piano history:
http://www.pianola.com/pphist.htm
Piano roll, image, the perforations are read by the player piano mechanism.
http://wiscasset.net/artcraft/pleyel2.htm
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Ballet mécanique FILM+MUSIC Part 1

Ballet mécanique FILM+MUSIC Part 2

George Antheil created a concert version of Ballet Mécanique for four pianos, four
xylophones, two electric bells, two propellers, timpani, glockenspiel, and other percussion. It
became a performed concert piece, premiered by Antheil himself in Paris in 1926.
Ballet Mécanique Live concert version erformance by Ictus Ensemble, Brussels, Belgium, 2012:

Performance by robots of concert version of Ballet Mécanique at the National Gallery
of Art, Washington, D.C. Features new robotic instruments from
LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots. (http://lemurbots.org)

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Items below are for reference, information mentioned in class.
Ulysses, J.Joyce novel http://home.wlv.ac.uk/~fa1871/joynote.html#sire
Film director Federico Fellini https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Fellini
see films La Strada, 8½ (Otto e Mezzo), Amarcord, among others.

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