20th Century Classics 2

Classic works for instruments and electronics from Edgard Varèse, Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Varèse’s Poème Electronique is a classic example of what he called ‘organised sound’ – a new way of thinking about music that takes us beyond pitch and rhythm.

Stockhausen’s Pole for two players is one of his classic ‘process’ pieces that pointed a way forward for live performance with electronics.

Berio’s Naturale, based on Sicilian folk songs, has a ‘singer’ on tape thus playing with the idea of ‘natural’ – a natural space becomes almost virtual with the singer located elsewhere, the natural sound of the singer being transformed through recording.

This concert will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast on Hear and Now on 14 November 2009.