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Cathy Berberian was a unique artist who spent her entire life shaking up the conventions of classical music. With her supple, expressive voice, the American mezzo-soprano pushed vocal boundaries and was an inspiration to some of the greatest composers of the twentieth century: John Cage, Igor Stravinsky and, first and foremost, her then husband Luciano Berio. In 2025, these two giants would have turned 100: the perfect occasion for a tribute to this power couple of the avant-garde!
The starting point is Berio’s eccentric Recital I (for Cathy), in which a singer takes the stage for a lied programme, only to find that her pianist hasn’t arrived! This is the start of a brilliant musical collage in tragicomic style with quotes and paraphrases from, among others, Claudio Monteverdi, Richard Wagner and Arnold Schoenberg. Sarah Aristidou, a rising star in the firmament of contemporary opera, will perform this work with the musicians of the Spectra Ensemble – if they show up, that is – and delve further into the oeuvre of Berio and Berberian, including the Folk Songs and the funny Stripsody, based on the typical onomatopoeia from comics.
Create your own flexible Vocalissimo subscription with your five favourite recitals (or more) and you enjoy a 25 % discount in addition to a host of benefits. On sale from 29 May.