Playing on Words

Luciano Berio''s Sinfonia (1968) marked a return by the composer to orchestral writing after a gap of six years. This in-depth study demonstrates the central position the work occupies in Berio''s output. David Osmond-Smith discusses the way in which Berio used the Bororo myth described in Levi-Strauss''s Le cru et le cuit as a framework for Sinfonia. This is one of many influences in the work, wh...