Intolleranza 1960 was Nono's first work for the opera stage, and is a flaming protest against intolerance, oppression and the violation of human dignity. Premiered in 1961, the premiere night was interrupted by neo-facists shouting "Viva la polizia!" during the torture scene.

This disc of chamber works by Luigi Nono is most definitely not easy listening, and will not fade quietly into the background. It is, however, a fascinating collection of works which owe at least some debt to Anton Webern in the composition of their sound worlds. The titles evoke the most basic elements of Western music: polyphony, monody, rhythm, songs. Yet none of these appears in its traditional sense in the music--Nono is more interested here in suspended or fractured songs, rather than a style of sustained lyricism. 'Polifonica-Monodia-Ritmica' begins with echoes of unheard pitches which coalesce into undulating almost-harmonies before breaking into a halting movement forward.
Peter Hirsch and his Ensemble United Berlin have mastered this music and found Nono's broken and echoed melodies along with his polyphony, monody, and the rest. Whether a group of seven or of thirteen or of only two, they play with excellent ensemble. Soprano Angelika Luz gives the haunting, stratospheric 'Canciones a Guiomar' appropriate voice, giving beauty and life to "un-pretty" vocal writing.