Luciano Berio, Sequenza XI for solo guitar | Pierre Bibault

Live from an Urbex unknown place, recorded on June 27th, 2024

Since 1958, Luciano Berio's 'Sequenze' have been key works, representing 'duos' between instrument and performer that generate new musical events. These pieces explore the relationships between thought, material, contemporary creation, and music history, with each Sequenza serving as a portrait of the instrument and its player. Berio embraces the theatricality of the soloist-instrument relationship, often making it explicit, while pushing the instrument’s techniques to their limits. The required virtuosity emerges from the tension between performer and instrument. "Composing for a virtuoso worthy of the name today is only valid if it consecrates a special bond between the composer and the performer, and also as a testimony of a human relationship." - (Source: brahms.ircam.fr).

Sequenza XI is both a tribute to tradition and a step forward, a deep reflection on the role of the guitar in contemporary music. The piece highlights the virtuosity and boldness of the instrument, where the limits of technique and musical expression are constantly pushed. Between complex polyphony and dramatic intensity, Sequenza XI illustrates a sonic journey where the guitar becomes a theater of exploration.

In this performance, Pierre Bibault delves into the extreme dynamics of the piece: striking contrasts, subtle timbral variations, and fragmented structures that constantly reshape themselves. Rooted in the guitar's history, Sequenza XI projects itself forward, questioning our perception of the instrument and its virtuosity.

This video was made possible through the generous support of the Mass Cultural Council, USA, as part of the "Grant for Creative Individuals" awarded to Pierre Bibault in April 2024.

Special thanks to: Eliot Fisk, Mass Cultural Council team, Julien Hanck (arpeggio films) and his team, Serge Lemouton (Ircam)

Produced by A Bolt from the Blue Productions

Directed by Julien Hanck, arpeggio films

© A Bolt from the Blue, arpeggio films, 2024, all rights reserved, tous droits réservés