Folk Songs were originally written for solo voice and chamber ensemble. Later, Luciano Berio himself highlighted and expanded the instrumental parts into an orchestral format. At their core, these are transcriptions of melodies with very diverse origins: the United States of America, Armenia, France, Sicily, Sardinia, Azerbaijan, and Italy. In the Italian case, these are traditional-style melodies written in 1949 by the composer himself for his future wife. In fact, all these songs were conceived for the voice of Cathy Berberian.
Black is the Colour and I Wonder as I Wander are North American themes. The latter was composed by John Jacob Niles, one of the most important revivalists of traditional music in that country in the 20th century. Loosin Yelav speaks of the movement of the moon and is a theme from Armenia, the country where Cathy Berberian’s parents were born. Rossignolet du bois is a French-origin theme where a man in love asks a nightingale about love. A la femminisca comes from Sicily and refers to women’s prayers for the safe return of their husbands, fishermen, from the sea. La donna ideale is an original melody by Berio inspired by an old Genoese poem. Ballo, also by Berio, speaks about the power of love. Meanwhile, Motettu de Tristura is from Sardinia; here, the nightingale is asked to sing about the death of a loved one. Two other songs also come from France, specifically from the Auvergne region: Malurous qu’o une fenno and Lo fiolaire. These have a humorous tone, lamenting on one side those men who would like to have a woman but do not, and on the other those who have one and wish they did not. Finally, there is a love song from Azerbaijan transcribed by Cathy Berberian herself from a recording.
Rui Campos Leitão
Imagem: Luciano Berio em 1970 / Fonte: Wikimedia Commons