Composed in 1958 and 1959, it is based on the interpretative reading of the poem "Sirens" from chapter 11 of the novel Ulysses by James Joyce by Cathy Berberian and on the elaboration of her recorded voice by technological means.
[2][3] The piece was originally composed to be part of a never broadcast radio program by Luciano Berio and Umberto Eco titled Omaggio a Joyce.
[2][3] The work resumes the linguistic studies the composer had been carrying on for some years in collaboration with Eco during the first stages of the Studio di fonologia in Milan; these studies were focused, on the one hand, on the sonorous relationships between many different European languages; on the other hand, on pure vocalism from several points of view: linguistic, phonetic, anthropological, and musical.
[6][7] Luciano Berio aimed to the synthesis of different fields to break down the borders of the artistic and scientific specializations between music, poetry and technology.
[9] The tonal colours were chosen in consideration of the phonetic sounds and their sonorous nature was then elaborated upon and mixed using the analogue technology of the Studio di Fonologia.