Luciano Berio's Sequenza I whithin the concept of postmodern music and the use of contemporary flute techniques

The 20th century witnessed many significant changes regarding the formal and conceptual understanding in music and the other arts in general. In order to comprehend postmodernism?s emergence in the second half of the 20th century as well as its reflection in music, we should first look closely into the concept of the modernism. Thus, this dissertation looks at the conceptual development of modernism and postmodernism with references to the ideas of the postmodernist philosophers F. Jameson, M. Faucault, J.F. Lyotard and J. Baudrillard. A comparison method is utilized to fathom the differences between modernism and postmodernism in a greater sense. Further discussion takes place about postmodernism in the visual and performing arts which directly collaborated with music during this period. In observing the developmental process of postmodernism in music, pioneer composers and their compositional techniques are introduced and explained by giving specific examples from their works. In the analysis of Berio?s ?Sequenza I? some elements have been ascertained to evoke postmodernism. The contemporary flute techniques which provide different timbral sonorities for the instrument have been viewed in two categories.The objective of this dissertation is to develop a different perspective for Berio?s ?Sequenza I? by examining it in regards to postmodern music concept. Both national and international literature have been consulted extensively and analytical procedures were followed in evaluating two different versions (1958 and 1992) of Berio?s ?Sequenza I?. The documents of several interviews with the composer were reviewed, as well as the listening to various performance recordings of the piece. As a result of this overall consideration, the final conclusions have been determined as follows: Although there are some features encountered in ?Sequenza I? which can be regarded as postmodern attitude, this piece might not be qualified as a postmodern work when it is compared with other works reflecting particular postmodern elements. Keywords: Music, Modernism, Postmodernism, Postmodern Technics, Luciano Berio, Sequenza I, Flute