Choreographic trajectories of Luciano Berio’s creativity

Abstract

This article explores the collaborations between Italian composer Luciano Berio and choreographers on two of his works – a theatrical composition with choreography entitled Exposition (Esposizione) (1963) and the ballet The Triumphs of Petrarch (1974). During the creation of these two works, the composer had a complex experience collaborating with outstanding choreographers who represented radically different aesthetic and conceptual positions: postmodern dance practitioner Anna Halprin and one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, Maurice Béjart. The results of these efforts also varied: in one case, dissatisfaction with the compositional inconsistency of the elements served as the basis for the composer's rejection of the idea of publishing the score; in the other, an original contemporary ballet was produced, which was repeatedly performed and transferred to the stage of La Scala. The conclusion of the procedural study is the thesis about the initial choreographic nature of Berio's music, focused on the nature of the performing gesture, connected with the historical instrumental context and articulation in the verbal component of the composition.