The Development of Luciano Berio's Sequenza IX and Its Implications for Performance Practice

ABSTRACT

Luciano Berio’s Sequenza IX continues to be a bifurcated work filled with incongruities between its clarinet (IXa) and alto saxophone (IXb) versions. Dozens of unexplained discrepancies exist between these two versions, such as differences in pitch, rhythm and temporal duration, missing material, and expressive markings. It also appears that many technical concessions were made in regard to the saxophone version’s octave registration, low register articulations, and cut passages. Furthermore, some practical problems are associated with the saxophone version of Sequenza IX, such as unreliable multiphonic fingerings and difficult page turns. This study addresses these heretofore unresolved issues by interviewing musicians who collaborated with Luciano Berio in creating and performing Sequenza IXb, including Iwan Roth, John Harle, and Claude Delangle. This study also engages in comparative analysis of all published editions and examines Berio’s primary documents, manuscripts, and correspondence archived at the Paul Sacher Stiftung in Basel, Switzerland. The genesis, development, and evolution of Sequenza IXb are illustrated through establishing a new oral chronology. An exhaustive catalogue of every observed discrepancy and change between each manuscript and edition of Sequenza IXb is created, as well. Finally, this study synthesizes the aforementioned findings to produce practical recommendations for saxophonists, including suggested changes to the score, revised program note material, alternative options for multiphonic fingerings, suggestions for navigating the problematic page turns, and performance practice considerations. The findings from this study will allow saxophonists to achieve more authentic performances and teaching of Luciano Berio’s cornerstone unaccompanied saxophone work, Sequenza IXb.

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YEAR AND DEGREE

2023, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Bowling Green State University, Contemporary Music.

COMMITTEE

John Sampen, D.M.A. (Committee Chair)
Hyeyoung Bang, Ph.D (Other)
Ryan Ebright, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Marilyn Shrude, D.M.A. (Committee Member)

PAGES

139 p.

CITATIONS

Heaney, J. (2023). The Development of Luciano Berio's Sequenza IX and Its Implications for Performance Practice [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1683814666450399
APA Style (7th edition)

Heaney, Joshua. The Development of Luciano Berio's Sequenza IX and Its Implications for Performance Practice. 2023. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1683814666450399.
MLA Style (8th edition)

Heaney, Joshua. "The Development of Luciano Berio's Sequenza IX and Its Implications for Performance Practice." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1683814666450399
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

Source: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num...