PREFACE
Sequenza IX is a contemporary work by Italian composer Luciano Berio written for solo clarinet (version “IXa”) or solo saxophone (version “IXb”). Since its creation, Sequenza IX has proven itself to be an enduring staple of the contemporary clarinet and saxophone repertoire. Framing and analysis of this work reveals factors that explain why this work has maintained such lasting appeal with both performers and listeners over the course of four decades. First, one must frame the work through contextualizing the background of the composition and composer as well as surveying existing theoretical literature. Then, one may begin analysis first from a birds-eye perspective of the whole work, then by means of a detailed analysis of the first section of the work. Approaching the analysis of Sequenza IX in this manner provides insights into how the piece functions as well as broader theories concerning how the work balances chaos and control to facilitate enticing the listener.
BODY
Luciano Berio initiated his Sequenza series in 1958 with Sequenza I for solo flute. The series, which encompasses fourteen virtuosic works written for flute, harp, female voice, piano, trombone, viola, oboe/saxophone, violin, clarinet/saxophone, trumpet, guitar, bassoon, accordion, and cello, sought to explore the potential colors, extended techniques, and technical limitations of each instrument while remaining idiomatic in nature. In addition to exploring the limitations of idiomatic technique, the works also intended to explore the limitations of melodic writing, thematic abstraction, and “horizontal” listening. Regarding themes within his Sequenzas, Berio wrote in 2006, “The theme in itself [sic] has disappeared; it has become fragmented, hidden, though it pervades all the textures, coloring them with its colors: it is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.”[1]
Published in 1982 but backdated to 1980, Sequenza IX was adapted from material composed in a preexisting work, Chemins V, which was originally written in 1979 for Clarinet and “Digital Filters”. These digital filters were intended to imitate vowel phonates, provide a sort of “shadow” performer, and were made possible by the IRCAM 4C digital processor invented by Italian physicist Giuseppe Di Giugno. Chemins V was premiered on a concert of Berio’s music by Michel Arrignon on April 26, 1980 at the Théâtre d'Orsay in Paris, France. Unfortunately, the premiere proved unsuccessful due to the computer failing during the performance. Even when the computer functioned properly, Berio still felt unsatisfied by the resulting product and decided to rework the existing material into a new work for solo clarinet.[2]The work, now retitled Chemins “ex” V, was expunged from the composer’s catalogue while the title Chemins V was repurposed for a different work for guitar and chamber orchestra. Curiously, Pierre Boulez’s Dialogue de l'ombre double,written in 1985 for solo clarinet and spatialized prerecorded clarinet, explores similar “shadow” concepts as the failed Chemins “ex” V and was devoted to Luciano Berio for his 60th birthday; it is possible that this work was inspired by the failure of Chemins “ex” V and sought to reexamine Berio’s ideas in a different manner.
Luciano Berio revised the Chemins “ex” V solo clarinet part with Michel Arrignon, while saxophonists John Harle and Iwan Roth independently created differing transcriptions of the part for alto saxophone. Apart from removing improvisatory sections meant to interact with the electronics and adding multiphonics, Sequenza IX, is largely identical to the solo part from Chemins “ex” V.[3] The work is demanding for the performer by virtue of its disjunct intervallic style, use of extended techniques such as quarter tones, multiphonics, rapid articulation, and altissimo, rhythmic precision, and obligatory agility. It is the only member of the Sequenza series to derive its material from a Chemins series work. Berio provides the following program note:
Sequenza IX for clarinet (I also transcribed it for contralto saxophone) is essentially a long melody implying - like almost every melody - redundancy, symmetries, transformations and returns. Sequenza IX is also a “sequence” of instrumental gestures developing a constant transformation between two different harmonic fields: a seven-note one (F sharp, C, C sharp, E, G, B flat and B natural) [provided in clarinet pitch] appearing always in the same register, and a five-note one appearing in ever-different registers. The latter penetrates, modifies and comments on the harmonic functions of the first seven-note field.”[4]
The work is also accompanied by a poem, written by Italian author Edoardo Sanguineti in 1994:
“You are unstable and immobile, my fragile fractal.
It is you, this fractured form of mine that trembles”[5]
Prior analyses of Sequenza IX exist but are limited in number. First, American saxophonist Jonathan Helton analyzed the work as part of his 1996 DMA dissertation, “An Essay on the Performance of Serial Music, with analyses and commentary on works for saxophone by Luciano Berio, Edison Denisov and Guy Lacour.” He also wrote an article, “Historical and Analytical Perspectives for the Performer on Luciano Berio’s Sequenza IXb,” for The Saxophone Symposium, volume 22 in 1998. The 1998 article is essentially a revised extract from the 1996 DMA dissertation and both documents provide very similar material. Helton writes from the performer’s perspective to provide a performance guide for Sequenza IX. His articles include a brief history of the work, analysis of large form, track pitch manipulation techniques, illuminate rhythmic transformations, provide performance suggestions, and elucidate errata.[6]
Next, Italian musicologist and music theorist Andrea Cremaschi wrote about the work in his 2007 essay, “Sequenza IX for Clarinet: Text, Pre-Text, Con-Text.” This essay was featured as a chapter in a larger book, “Berio’s Sequenzas,” published in 2007 by Routledge and edited by Janet K. Halfyard. Cremaschi’s essay similarly provides historic context for the work as well as deeper information about Chemins “ex” V and its minor differences compared to Sequenza IX. Additionally, the composer analyzes the work using similar techniques as Helton, and describes procedural pitch manipulation deriving from two rows, cycles of rhythmic cells, and a depiction of overall large form. Cremaschi goes further by relating his findings to similar material found in Berio’s 1984 opera, La Vera Storia, and illustrates a clear evolution between the three works. [7]
Finally, American composer Marilyn Shrude has delivered several lectures on Sequenza IX over the span of her career. The presenter’s notes from these lectures are from two presentations that took place at the Studio Arts College International in 2005 and 2011. Both sets of notes are generally similar and cover similar topics to Helton and Cremaschi. In addition, Shrude discusses phrasing structure, impact of registration, possibilities of pitch centers and diads, and slightly different rhythmic cell possibilities. Helton’s, Cremaschi’s, and Shrude’s contributions on this topic were enormously helpful to forming my own analysis and provided an excellent platform from which my own work can diverge.[8]
This author’s analysis uses the saxophone version and begins with a broad overview of the larger form of Sequenza IX. The work is approximately 14 minutes long and can be divided into three large sections. These three large sections are divided based on meta-level changes in compositional process. Section 1 begins on Page 1 and ends at the end of Page 3. This section is defined by procedural manipulation of pitch material through recurrent cycles. Additionally, rhythmic material is procedurally manipulated through use of cycling of rhythmic cells. The pitch material in Section 1 derives from 5- and 7-note pitch collections and heavily employs select trichordal subsets. As a whole, Section 1 outlines the broader form of the piece, serves as a microcosm for compositional elements found within the rest of work, and essentially outlines the entirety of the work in miniature.
Section 2 begins on Page 4 and concludes at the top of page 8 at letter R. This section is defined by a departure from procedural manipulation. Berio instead ventures into manipulation of timbre by means of articulations, flutter tongue, quartertones, timbre trills, and multiphonics. Pitch material likewise warps away from the original 5- and 7-note pitch collections from Section 1 through gradual introduction of additional pitches. The section can be described as an “abstraction” or “fracturing” of material from Section 1 through the lens of timbral exploration.
Section 3 begins on Page 8 at letter R and concludes with the piece. This section establishes two opposing voices and implied polyphony through distinct registration of various material. Dynamics are alternately terraced between these two voices to enhance the conveyance of the implied polyphony. Additionally, Section 3 marks a return to the pitch material found from Section 1 and intersperses gestures from earlier sections. The work concludes on a B pedal tone, which was also introduced in Section 1 (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Chart of the form of Sequenza IX
Detailed analysis of Section 1 provides greater specifics regarding Berio’s procedural pitch and rhythm manipulation techniques, illuminates large-form pedal tone relationships, and demonstrates how this particular section is extrapolated to explain the work’s engaging qualities. First, Berio clearly establishes two pedal tones, B and A during the introduction of the work (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Pedal tones in intro section, page 1. B pedal tones are red, while A pedal tones are blue. Passing or foreshadowing tones are otherwise marked.
These pedal tones provide the basis for a thru-narrative for the listener to track beneath the complex manipulations and ample material that surrounds these simple tones. The competing B and A pedal tones return both later in Section 1 at Letter C through the Section’s conclusion as well at the end of the work. As mentioned before, the work concludes on a fermata B pedal tone, which demonstrates a “victory” of B over A (see Figure 3).
Figure 3a: End of Section 1
Figure 3b. End of Section 3. B pedal tones at the end of end of Section 1 compared with B pedal tones used end of the work
In Section 1, Berio employs clear use of 7- and 5-note pitch collections as the basis for the written material. The 7-note set, which is provided in written saxophone pitch, is D#, A, A#, C#, E, G, G#. This set is the primary pitch material for the work and is very visible on the surface of the music. It is stated verbatim in the grace-note figure on the beginning of the third system of page 1 (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. Grace-note figure with 7-note row, Page 1
The related 5-note set consists of the remaining pitches not used in the 7-note set, which are F, F#, B, C, and D. This second set is used primarily to “pervert” the material from the primary set through gradual selective inclusion. In Section 1, these “perversions” occur at part (b), which begins on the 2nd page and concludes at letter C, as well as in the closing which begins at on the 3rd system of page 3 through the rest of the page. As such, this pitch collection is not quite as important as the 7-note set and is generally employed in a manner that is implied rather than directly on the surface. In addition to pitch collections, Berio employs rhythmic cells in Section 1. These cells are introduced immediately on page 1 at but are most apparent at letter A. Four cells are provided: 8th-note triplet, dotted 8th+32nd, 8th+8th, and dotted 16th+32nd+8th. These cells well be henceforth referred to as RC1, RC2, RC3, and RC4 (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Rhythmic Cells employed in Sequenza IX
Having established two pitch collections and four rhythmic cells, Berio employs systematic procedural manipulation to engage the listener and create ongoing variation. This manipulation is most clearly displayed at letter A. Pitch manipulation is achieved via a mod-11 pitch sequence, D#, C#, A, E, A#, G#, D, G, E, F, A, combined with a mod-12 pitch count per phrase. The consequence of this discrepancy is a current cycling of pitches per phrase. Phrase 1 begins on Pitch 1 of the cycle, Phrase 2 begins on Pitch 2, Phrase 3 begins on Pitch 3, and Phrase 4 begins on Pitch 4. Meanwhile, a similar effect is achieved through cycling the mod-4 rhythmic cell collection. As a result, Phrase 1 begins on RC1, Phrase 2 begins on RC2, Phrase 3, begins on RC3, and Phrase 4 begins on RC4 (see Figure 6).
Figure 6. Cycling of rhythmic cells and pitch collections at letter A, resulting in "procedural variation"
This concurrent systematic cycling of the pitch sequence and rhythmic cells results in ongoing “procedural variation”. This variation ends with a G-C#-A# pianissimo echo, found at the end of page 1. This echo circles and implies a B, which is the final pedal tone found at the conclusion of the piece (see Figure 7).
Figure 7. Echo at the end of Page 1
Another sequence of “procedural variation” occurs at part (b), which occurs from beginning of page 2 through system 5 of said page. Unlike the prior sequence, precisely structured rules are not evident due to the presence of “false starts” and echoes throughout the section which routinely break the rules. This second sequence also introduces timbral variation in the form of quarter tone fingerings found at the end of the third system, which foreshadows Section 2 of the work. Finally, the use of A# as a pedal tone throughout part (b) and the subsequent transition implies that these sequences are fractured adjuncts of the prior material and introduces ideas to be more fully realized in Section 2 (see Figure 8).
Figure 8. False starts, echoes, and other perversions found in part (b)
Part (c), which occurs on system 6 of page 2 through system 1 of page 3, introduces a new 6-note pitch sequence, B, G, C, F, F#, D (see Figure 9).
Figure 9. Recurring cycle at part (c)
Most of these notes, apart from the G, are taken from the aforementioned 5-note pitch collection with a “perverting” quality. This 6-note sequence is varied by using the same rhythmic cell cycle from letter A, but in reverse order (RC4, RC3, RC2, RC1). Additionally, the pedal point of B returns through its use in primarily high or low registers, which lends aural prominence. At the 11th repetition of the cycle, the sequence becomes “perverted” by gradual inclusion of notes outside of the 6-note pitch sequence. Furthermore, the pedal point shifts to A (see Figure 10).
Figure 10. 11th repetition of the cycle at (c) and the change to an A pedal tone
After reputation 18 of the cycle, the “procedural variation” ultimately spins off into the closing section, which begins on the 3rd system of page 3. This closing section briefly introduces a new pedal point, D#. Being the tritone of the prior pedal point, A, and the medient of next pedal point, B, this new pitch allows for smooth resumption of the B vs. A conflict from page 1. This second round of conflicting B and A pedal tones begins on the fifth system of page 3 and ultimately resolves at the end of page 3 with the dominance of B. This dominance of the B pedal tone at the end of Section 1 corresponds with a similar dominance of the B pedal tone at the conclusion of the piece (see Figure 11).
Figure 11. Closing "spinning-off" section with pedal alternation.
In addition to “procedural variation” based on concurrent cycles, Berio also employs use of select trichordal subsets inherent to the pitch material. The most prominent trichords include frequent alternation between (016) and (026), while (036) is also used sparingly in moments of transition. Alternation between (016) and (026) is most consistently used in the most organized and procedural sections, such as part (a) and part (c). Part (b) begins with using this alternation but ultimately abandons it on the fourth, fifth, and sixth systems of page 2 during the transition to part (c). Alternation between (016) and (036) is closely associated with presence of the B pedal tone and completely absent from any sections that employ A or D# pedal tones. Through alternation of these trichords combined with alternation between B and A pedal tones, Berio creates a sense of conflict within conflict as well as emphasizes stronger contrasts between competing material. Finally, the presence of the primary (016) and (036) tritones exclusively over B pedal points creates a sense of home and desired structure to these pedal points, which guides the listener to desiring B as the resolving tone.
CONCLUSION
Section 1 of Sequenza IX depicts a dichotomy between control and abstraction. Outside of the music, this dichotomy is described by Berio’s polemic on themes being hidden as well as Sanguineti’s poem on fragile fractal relationships. Within the music, the dichotomy is realized through the contrast of “procedural variation” sections at letters A and C with freer “perverted” sections in between. It is also embodied when spinning-off at the end of Section 1 as the Berio begins to explore non-procedural timbral development in Section 2. The listener can track the concurrent cycles of pitch or rhythmic cells as well as the underlying alternation between the B and A pedal points, which in themselves embody conflict. Sections associated over the B pedal point rely upon previously described “procedural variation,” and represent control; conversely, sections over the A pedal point eschew these procedures in favor of rule-breaking and perversions and embody chaos. The pedal B ultimately resolves Section 1 but is entirely abandoned in the amorphous Section 2, only for it to return at the conclusion of the work at the end of Section 3. Control survives the implied conflict despite an ongoing and seemingly equal presence of chaos throughout the piece. This delicate balance of control and chaos results in an engrossing work, entices the listener with multiple avenues to understanding and engaging with the music, and ensures continued variety and invention of material. Ultimately, these factors provide insights into how the piece functions, demonstrates how the work balances chaos and control, and may explain how Sequenza IX continues to entice listeners and performers alike after 40 years.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Luciano Berio, Remembering the Future (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006), 140.
[2] Albert R. Rice, “Luciano Berio, Sequenza IXa for Clarinet Solo,” in Notes for Clarinetists: A Guide to the Repertoire(New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 14.
[3] Andrea Cremaschi, “Sequenza IX for clarinet: Text, Pre-Text, Con-Text” in Berio’s Sequenzas (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2007), 153-170.
[4] Luciano Berio, “Sequenza IX (Program Note),” Centro Studi Luciano Berio, http://www.lucianoberio.org.
[5] Jérémy Joley. “Here Begins the Sequence of Sequences - Sanguineti Verses to Berio's Sequenzas.” Seattle Modern Orchestra, http://www.seattlemodernorchestra.org/2020/02/01/here-begins-the-sequence-of-sequences-sanguinetti-verses-to-berios-sequenzas/.
[6] Jonathan Helton, “Historical and Analytical Perspectives for the Performer on Luciano Berio’s Sequenza IXb,” Saxophone Symposium, no. 22 (1997).
[7] Andrea Cremaschi, “Sequenza IX for clarinet: Text, Pre-Text, Con-Text” in Berio’s Sequenzas (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2007), 153-170.
[8] Marilyn Shrude, “Lecture notes from presentation at SACI. (Studio Arts College International, Florence, Italy, 2005/2011).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berio, Luciano. Remembering the Future. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2006.
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“Chemins 'Ex' V (1980).” IRCAM B.R.A.H.M.S. Accessed November 20, 2019. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/6770/.
Halfyard, Janet K, ed. Berios Sequenzas: "Essays on Performance, Composition and Analysis ". Blurlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2007.
Helton, Jonathan. “An Essay on the Performance of Serial Music, with Analyses and
Commentary on Works for Saxophone by Luciano Berio, Edison Denisov and Guy Lacour,” DMA diss., Northwestern University, 1996
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Jolley, Jérémy. “Here Begins the Sequence of Sequences - Sanguineti Verses to Berio's Sequenzas.” Seattle Modern Orchestra, February 15, 2020. April 04, 2021. http://www.seattlemodernorchestra.org/2020/02/01/here-begins-the-sequence-of-sequences-sanguinetti-verses-to-berios-sequenzas/.
Rice, Albert R. Notes for Clarinetists: A Guide to the Repertoire. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.
“Squenza IXa (1980): pour clarinette, d’aprés Chemins ex V.” IRCAM B.R.A.H.M.S. Accessed April 04, 2021. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/6870/.
“Sequenza IXb (1980): transcription de Sequenza IXa, pour saxophone alto.” IRCAM B.R.A.H.M.S. Accessed April 04, 2021. http://brahms.ircam.fr/works/work/6871/.
Shrude, Marilyn. Lecture notes. “Lecture notes from presentation at SACI.” (Studio Arts College International, Florence, Italy, 2005).
Shrude, Marilyn. Lecture notes. “Lecture notes from presentation at SACI.” (Studio Arts College International, Florence, Italy, 2011).