Opus (Dec 2012)
Resonance as a Polyphonic Resource: An Analysis of <i>Erdenklavier</i> by Luciano Berio
Abstract
The objective of this article is to share a reading of a piece for solo piano, Erdenklavier (1969), that is part of a cycle of miniatures called 6 Encores written by Luciano Berio, which, in a condensed form, interrelates two recurring principles of composition from Berio’s poetics: implicit polyphony over a single melodic line and resonance for potential amplification and development of statements. Therefore, the first part of this article is dedicated to introducing examples where a suggestion of resonance appears in three of Berio’s works–Chemins IV (1975), Il Ritorno degli Snovidenia (1976) and Leaf (1990)–to illustrate composing strategies related to the scope of this principle. Aswemovetowardspianopart,theanalysisgainsgreaterdetailinthattheelaborationof resonance for the instrument allows one to approach compositional aspects that lie precisely within the relationship between notions of resonance and latent polyphony.
