Luciano Berio's Folk Songs cycle was commissioned by Mills College in California and first performed there on November 30, 1963, by Cathy Berberian, the dedicatee.
Composition History
Maurice Ravel, a French composer, provided piano accompaniments for his 5 Mélodies populaires grecques at very short notice for a lecture on Greek folk songs at the Sorbonne in 1904.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, Prague, with sessions taking place in June 2020, November 2022, and February 2023.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Luciano Berio, an Italian composer, explained that he wrote his Folk Songs as a tribute to the artistry and vocal intelligence of Cathy Berberian, an American mezzo-soprano and his muse.
Composer Biography
Xavier Montsalvatge, a Catalan composer, was influenced by Catalan culture, European modernism, and the music of Cuba and the West Indies, which he called the Antillean style.
Composition History
Béla Bartók's Hungarian Folksongs, Sz101, were composed for the eightieth anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society and premiered on October 23, 1933.
Compositional Technique
Béla Bartók, a Hungarian composer, considered the folk melody in his Hungarian Folksongs as a 'motto,' with the orchestral accompaniment weaving new and surprising ideas around them.
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