Berio: Sequenza VI for viola

Accustomed to singular journeys and daring propositions, Christophe Desjardins now offers us a veritable comprehensive survey devoted to his instrument. Viola/Multiples, a double-CD set, reflects a large portion of his activity as a performer: his fruitful collaboration with today’s leading composers and an ever-renewed desire to decompartmentalise genres and repertoires. The first disc, Solo, invites us to stroll through the 20th century, visiting masterpieces for solo viola, from Hindemith to Berio. The second disc, Multiples, uses contemporary works mixed with pieces of early music. Christophe Desjardins gives us a world première recording of Pierre Boulez’s Messagesquisse but also increasing his instrument in other ways, creating dialogues between Gilles Binchois and Jonathan Harvey, Carlo Gesualdo and Wolfgang Rihm.

Luciano Berio greatly enriched the repertoire for solo instruments and voice with his series of sixteen Sequenzas and works such as Psy, Gesti, Rounds and Fa-Si. Written between 1958 and 2002 and spanning almost five decades of Berio's creative career, these solo compositions reflect some of his most crucial aesthetic ideas and compositional techniques

The first COMPLETE recording of the Sequenazs: This set includes the world premiere recording of Sequenza XIV for solo cello, written for ex-Arditti Quartet cellist Rohan de Saram, who performs the Sequenza here.

The first COMPLETE recording of the alternate Sequenazs: At the request of many soloists, Berio arranged several of the Sequenzas for alternate instrumentation. This set compiles all of Berio's alternate Sequenzas for the first time, also with some first recordings.

Plus all of Berio's works for solo instruments: Also collected together for the first time, Berio's solo works and personal arrangements (with the exception of those for solo piano, which would be a full CD in itself) are included.

All Sequenzas are preceeded by verses of Edoardo Sanguineti performed by Enzo Salomone.