Luciano Berio - Chemins III

Chemins III | (su Chemins II), for viola and orchestra (1968-1973) Walter Trampler, viola London Symphony Orchestra Luciano Berio “Rien de ce que l'on fait n'est jamais fini,“ wrote Berio for the premiere performance of this work: “Nothing one does is ever finished.“ Sequenza VI is a good example; initially, Berio discovered the possibilities of a work for viola and ensemble (Chemins II), further developing it later on into an orchestral work (Chemins IIb). In Chemins IIc it became a concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra and ultimately, in Chemins III, a viola concerto. Like all the other versions, this work is a tour de force for the soloist, as the instrument tries to prevail over hostile forces -- the orchestra -- in the course of the concerto. At the end, the viola stands alone, victorious but exhausted; it has strength enough for one short tremolo, otherwise wearily playing isolated notes until the music abates entirely. []