The New Americans

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Conductor Robert Spano talks with composer Osvaldo Golijov about the music of newly-naturalized Americans, and how modern American music is influenced by other cultures. Also, highlights from Björk's recent sold-out concert at the United Palace.

The 2007 American Music Festival on WNYC

American Voices

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Guest host Helga Davis joins Brad Cresswell for a ramble through some iconic American female voices, and we hear the exclusive broadcast of the sixth Transient Glory Concert from the Young People’s Chorus, hosted by John Schaefer.

The 2007 American Music Festival on WNYC

Plugging In

Monday, May 28, 2007

The American Music Festival continues on WNYC as John Schaefer and Mark Stewart examine how contemporary composers raised on a steady diet of Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Frank Zappa are moving the electric guitar from the concert stage into the concert hall.

The 2007 American Music Festival on WNYC

American Archives

Sunday, May 27, 2007

The American Music Festival continues on WNYC as David Garland dips into the archives to bring us some rarely heard gems from past festivals. Selections include performances by Jimmy Guiffre, Ned Rorem, Thelonius Monk, and Peggy Glanville-Hicks.

The 2007 American Music Festival on WNYC

American Music Festival Kickoff

Saturday, May 26, 2007

The 2007 American Music Festival officially kicks off tonight with an assessment of the American musical scene from artistic consultant Robert Spano. Also, David Garland presents an introduction to some of the music that will be talked about and heard in depth during the coming week.

The 2007 American Music Festival on WNYC

Pushing The Limits

Friday, May 25, 2007

Jewish composer Erwin Schulhoff was one of the bright stars of the European classical music scene until his career (and then life) were cut short by the Nazis in the 1940's. A student of Claude Debussy, Schulhoff wrote music that pushed the limits—even anticipating John Cage's famous silent work for piano, 4'33", by over 30 years.

Seminal Minimalist

Thursday, May 24, 2007

The minimalist movement in classical music owes a big debt to composer Terry Riley, who brought it into the mainstream with his semi-improvisational piece In C, written in 1967. A disciple of Indian music, Riley also drew heavily on the ideas of La Monte Young—whom the composer famously described as "the freakiest guy I have ever met in my life."

Catulli Carmina

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Carl Orff became famous for his 1937 secular cantata Carmina Burana, which still pops up today in movie soundtracks and on the concert stage. That's only the middle part of a larger trilogy, however; tonight we hear the first part, called Catulli Carmina.

P.D.Q. Bach

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

You know it's going to be a fun night when P.D.Q. Bach is on the menu. The black sheep of the Bach family, P.D.Q (1807-1742) was first unearthed in 1954 (or his music was, at least) by the renowned music historian Professor Peter Schickele (and the world of classical music has never been the same since).

The Physical Composer

Monday, May 21, 2007

Before Esa-Pekka Salonen was a world-famous conductor, he was (and still is) known as an innovative young composer. For Salonen, writing music is all about physical processes: "Musical expression is bodily expression, there is no abstract cerebral expression in my opinion. It all comes out of the body."

Log Cabin Composer

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Born in a log cabin on an Oklahoma farm in 1898, Roy Harris grew up in near isolation, surrounded by the sounds of nature and the folksongs of his family. Years later he would draw on those early experiences to create an indigenous style of music that reflected the broad landscape of the American west.

The Actuary Composer

Saturday, May 19, 2007

American composer Charles Ives, having had no desire for his family to "starve on his dissonances," owned a successful insurance agency and composed only on evenings and weekends. The choice evidently suited him; he composed some of the most enduring works of the 20th century.

Sergio Assad

Friday, May 18, 2007

Brazilian composer and guitarist Sergio Assad has scored Japanese films and arranged "everything from Bach to Charlie Chaplin." Frequently collaborating with his brother Odair, Sergio has established himself as a genre-crossing musical luminary, active for over 25 years.

Les Six

Thursday, May 17, 2007

When Balakirev and his composing buddies were given the title of "The Mighty Five" by the Russian press, the French did them one better with their own group of modernist composers, dubbed "Les Six" (the Six). Tonight we hear music from one of the more prominent members of that group, Francis Poulenc.

Frederic Rzewski

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Frederic Rzewski gained recognition as an electronic music pioneer in the mid-sixties, with his Musica Elettronica Viva group in Rome. He also brought elements of avant-guard jazz into the realm of classical music, using improvisation to turn his works into a "spontaneous collective process."

Rostropovich - A Tribute

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

When Mstislav Rostropovich died last month at the age of 80, he was not only one of the world's greatest cellists—but a cultural icon whose life touched nearly every important musician of the 20th century.

Icelandic Vein

Monday, May 14, 2007

Stick around after tonight's Björk concert for an evening of music in the Icelandic vein. Also, works from musicians who share some "Björkian" sensibilities—including performance artist Meredith Monk.

Music Maker

Sunday, May 13, 2007

The list of contributions that composer John Cage made to contemporary music is nearly endless. From the uncomfortable silence of a concert hall to the cacophonous noise of everyday objects, Cage could—and did—make music out of just about everything.

Music by Moonlight

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Abel Decaux was one of the great organists of the early twentieth century; when he relocated to Rochester, New York in 1926, he became known as "The French Schoenberg" for his wild improvisational style. He also had a reputation as a promising composer—despite the fact that he left behind only one known work, "Clairs de lune" (Moonlights).

The Modern Mandolin

Friday, May 11, 2007

The early twentieth century gave rise to a mandolin renaissance, especially in the United States where it was popularly heard in bluegrass, jazz, and of course, classical music. Since 1985, the Modern Mandolin Quartet has been pushing the instrument into the next millennium, by giving new voice to older works and commissioning new ones.

Free Spirit

Thursday, May 10, 2007

A child of the Mexican revolution, composer Silvestre Revueltas often mirrored the restless nature of his early life in his colorful, rhythmic orchestrations—earning him the title of the "great free spirit of Mexican music."

Street Smarts

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Aaron Jay Kernis has a reputation as a "street smart" composer: partly self-taught, his musical language draws on everything from rough-hewn rap to translucent impressionism. Instead of combining these elements, however, Kernis references them in a componential way, leading to spurts of vivid energy that alternate with passages of calm serenity.

Building Bridges

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Composer Lou Harrison (1917-2003) specialized in the cross-pollination of Western and Asian musical styles long before that approach came into vogue. By mixing instruments and tuning systems—and especially through emphasizing rhythm—Harrison created works that not only sounded different and contemporary, but also startlingly beautiful.

So Percussion

Monday, May 07, 2007

In the words of co-founder Jason Treuting, the Brooklyn-based ensemble So Percussion was created to give fresh voice to "funky contemporary music." By cutting a swath across classical boundaries, the group has found an audience comprised of what The Boston Globe calls "both kinds of blue hair" — from "elderly matron" to "arty punk."

Elizabethan Lute

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Tonight we focus on the musical charms of Elizabethan composer Anthony Holborne, including some of his many pavans and galliards written for the lute.

We also hear several pieces by French Baroque composer Etienne Moulinie, Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto, an Etude by Gyorgy Ligeti, and works by Gary Schocker, Giovanni Battista Fontana, and Pavel Josef Vejvanovsky.

Viva la France

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Tonight, French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard interprets works by two of his countrymen, Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen. Among the works on the program are selections from Sets I and II of Debussy's "Images" and Messiaen's "Turangalila-symphonie."

The Visual Mystery

Friday, May 04, 2007

How do you create a stage production for a five-hour opera that's long on monologues but short on action? In the final installment of The Tristan Mysteries, Amy O'Leary gets the backstory on the latest incarnation of Wagner's opera. Also, George Preston chats with soprano Christine Brewer, who sings the role of Isolde in The Tristan Project.

Contributors to The Visual Mystery include:

• Peter Sellars, Director, The Tristan Project
• Bill Viola, Video Artist, The Tristan Project
• Adam Weinberg, Director, Whitney Museum
• Audience Members from a recent Tristan Production

Executive Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Limor Tomer
Producer/Host, The Visual Mystery: Amy O'Leary
Producer/Host, Equal Time: George Preston
Web Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Brad Cresswell

The Sexual Mystery

Thursday, May 03, 2007

It's a well known fact that music can arouse more than just the ears. On this installment of The Tristan Mysteries, Amy O'Leary uncovers the aphrodisiac qualities of Wagner's opera. Also, George Preston examines the sex-appeal of Tristan from the clinical—and decidedly non-clinical—point of view, with anthropologist Helen Fisher and adult film star/"Vivid Girl" Savanna Samson.

Contributors to The Sexual Mystery include:

• Terrance McNally, Playwright & Librettist
• Colin Levin, an opera student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
• A Soprano who wishes to remain anonymous

Executive Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Limor Tomer
Producer/Host, The Sexual Mystery: Amy O'Leary
Producer/Host, Blue Wagner: George Preston
Web Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Brad Cresswell

The Five Hour Mystery

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Wagner's operas are almost as famous for their length as they are for their music. In the third installment of The Tristan Mysteries, Amy O'Leary examines the somnolence of Wagner's music—and shows us that falling asleep at the opera might not be such a bad thing after all.

Contributors to The Five Hour Mystery include:

• Mark Morris, Choreographer
• Ben Heppner, Tenor
• Dr. John Forrest, Head of Anthropology, SUNY, Purchase College
• Joe Horowitz, Author of the book "Wagner Nights"
• Meg Kinney, Marketing Consultant, Los Angeles
• Christopher Mika, Metal Guitarist and part-time Waiter, San Francisco

Executive Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Limor Tomer
Producer/Host, The Five Hour Mystery: Amy O'Leary
Producer/Host, Evening Music: George Preston
Web Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Brad Cresswell

The Sonic Mystery

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Tristan und Isolde is essentially the longest unresolved chord in history (all five hours of it). In this episode of The Tristan Mysteries, Amy O'Leary takes us on a magical mystery tour of Wagner's expansive musical language—and shows us how a few simple measures of music affected entire generations of composers. Also, composer Jed Distler joins George Preston in the studio for an expansive survey of Tristan's musical legacy.

Contributors to The Sonic Mystery include:

• Danny Felsenfeld, Composer & Critic
• Andy Laster, Composer & Jazz Saxophonist
• Bill Viola, Video Artist, The Tristan Project
• Sean McCaul, Vibraphonist and Marimba Player
• Jaime Fatas, Saxophonist

Executive Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Limor Tomer
Producer/Host, The Sonic Mystery: Amy O'Leary
Producer/Host, Tristan's Legacy: George Preston
Web Producer, The Tristan Mysteries: Brad Cresswell