Cradle Will Rock

Friday, January 30, 2009

We hear selections from David Robbins' 1999 film score for his brother Tim's movie "Cradle Will Rock." Also, tracks featuring the original 1938 cast from Marc Blitzstein's revolutionary musical by the same name, which inspired the film. Additional highlights include avant-guard composer John Zorn's 2008 "Filmworks" album The Rain Horse (featuring progressive indie cellist Erik Friedlander), and some vintage tracks from pioneer jazz violinist Joe Venuti.

Curiously Strong Winds

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Winds as in instruments, that is. We hear the cleverly named (and progressively-slanted) ensemble Curiously Strong Winds perform Harold Shapero's "Six for Five," a series of dance-like settings originally written for members of his own extended family. Also, another group with an interesting name (the Lyric Quartet) performs an intermezzo by Zoltan Kodaly, and we sample chamber music by Manuel De Falla,, Sebastian Yradier, and Francis Poulenc.

Also featured Tonight:

Ravi Shankar / Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra No 2, "Raga-Mala"
Jean Sibelius / "Puhjola's Daughter"
Gyorgy Kurtag / Bach-Transkriptionen
Einojuhani Rautavaara / Piano Concerto No. 2
Esa-Pekka Salonen / Dichotomie

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

Min Xiao-Fen

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Master of the pipa (Chinese lute), Min Xiao-Fen has famously reinterpreted the music of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis through her instrument. She also improvises and composes her own music for pipa; we hear an original track inspired by poems from the Tang Dynasty. Also, in anticipation of Saturday's Orpheus Chamber Orchestra broadcast from Carnegie Hall, we hear Ravi Shankar's "Swara-Kakali" (Shankar is premiering a new Sitar concerto with the orchestra, featuring his daughter Anushka).

Also Featured Tonight:

Andrew McKenna Lee / Scordatura Suite: Arabescata
Henry Cowell / Suite for Violin and Piano
Bedrich Smetana / Souvenirs de Boheme en forme de polka, Op. 13
Paul Cooper / Symphony No. 4, "Landscape"
John Ireland / These things shall be
Peteris Vasks / Quartet
David Chesky / Psalm I

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

Brooklyn Philharmonic: Nuevo Latino Festival

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Brooklyn Philharmonic's 2009 season kicks off this week with the Nuevo Latino Festival. In addition to The Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Philharmonic takes the festival to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple and Galapagos Art Space, joining forces with other composer/performers including Grammy nominee Gonzalo Grau and Venezuelan composer/cellist Paul Desenne. Music Director Michael Christie joins us in the studio to talk about the new voices emerging from Central and South America that are often underrepresented in the concert halls of New York City and the United States.

Brooklyn Philharmonic's Nuevo Latino Festival

Sub Rosa

Monday, January 26, 2009

We hear Gavin Bryars' airy and distant "Sub Rosa," which has its roots in a piece by Bill Frisell that Bryars often used to overcome his fear of flying. Also, John Adams' sparkling "China Gates" for piano, and works by Leonard Bernstein (including his second symphony, "The Age of Anxiety").

Also Featured Tonight:

Ludovic Lamothe / La Dangereuse
Laurie Anderson / Hiawatha
John Musto / Shadow of the Blues
Arvo Part / Spiegel im Spiegel
Duke Ellington / The Queen's Suite
Herbert Howells / Mass in the Dorian Mode
Vladimir Ussachevsky / Missa Brevis

Private Songs

Sunday, January 25, 2009

In response to pressure from the authorities during the 1970's, Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov went into seclusion, composing his song cycle "Silent Songs" for private performance only. We hear selections from that work, juxtaposed with songs from Franz Schubert's darkest and most psychologically probing work, "Die Winterreise" ("The Winter Journey") — also written for "private" consumption, in the form of Schubert's small circle of friends.

Orion

Saturday, January 24, 2009

We hear a portion of Philip Glass's cross-cultural chamber work "Orion," composed in tandem with Ravi Shankar and others for the Cultural Olympiad 2004. Also, Malian kora player Toumani Diabaté's "Si naani" — an exploration of traditional Peul music from his "Mandé Variations." Other featured works include more for the kora from Gambian musician Foday Musa Suso, and Silk Road Ensemble member Kayhan Kalhor's tribute to the Kurdish people, "The Silent City."

Dark Age Machinery

Friday, January 23, 2009

We hear music inspired by (and sometimes played by) machines, including Marc Mellits'lilting guitar riff "Dark Age Machinery." Other "mechanized" works on the bill include music for disklavier by Kyle Gann, an historical recording of Alexander Mossolov's frenetic "Symphony of Machines," and selections from Josh Schmidt's darkly comedic musical "Adding Machine."

Also Featured Tonight:

Samuel Barber / Mutations from Bach
Adam Unsworth / all i need
Manuel Ponce / Balada mexicana
Igor Stravinsky / "Vom Himmel Hoch" (Chorale and Variations)
Annie Gosfield / "The Manufacture of Tangled Ivory"

Once Removed

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Composer John Fitz Rogers likes to explore the "nooks and crannies" of music that seduce the ear. We hear the compelling title track from his recent CD Once Removed, for marimba duo. Also, the fleet fingers of pianist Alpin Hong take on Scarlatti and Stravinsky, and Terry Riley brings an eerie saloon-hall feel to his own "Circle of Wolves," written for piano in "just" intonation.

Also Featured Tonight:

Belinda Reynolds / Circa
Christian Amigo / "Kingdom of Jones"
Jacob Ter Veldhuis (Jacob TV) / Tallahatchie Concerto
Jean-Philippe Rameau / Quam Dilecta
Gabriel Faure / String Quartet in E Minor
Frank Martin / Ballade for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra
Cyrillus Kreek / Requiem

Folk Music

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

We hear from one of the bright lights among young composers, Judd Greenstein, with his "Folk Music" for the NOW Ensemble. Also, a Philip Glass gem for piano commissioned by WNYC, chamber music from American composer Caroline Newman, and a track from progressive chamber ensemble QQQ's debut album.

Also featured Tonight:

Harold Shapero / Six for Five Wind Quintet
Francis Poulenc / Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon
William Bolcom / Violin Sonata No. 2
Gustav Holst / "St. Paul's Suite," Op. 29/2
Igor Stravinsky / Piano Sonata in F sharp minor
Chinary Ung / "Inner Voices"
Lisa Bielawa / "The Trojan Women"

Live From Washington

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Terrance McKnight brings you Evening Music live from Washington, DC, where he's been following the inaugural festivities since Saturday. We hear his personal observations, as well as a wide range of music inspired by today's historic events (including President Obama's own favorite music). Then, stay tuned for a special rebroadcast of "A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood: A Musical Journey in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr." at 10PM on 93.9FM.

A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood: A Musical Journey in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Airs Monday, January 19 at 7PM on 93.9FM
Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up listening to and singing church songs, and saw gospel and folk music as natural tools to further the civil rights movement. In this hour long special from WNYC, host Terrance McKnight interweaves musical examples with Dr. King's own speeches and sermons to illustrate the powerful place that music held in his work — and to examine how the musical community responded to and participated in Dr. King's cause.

This program also airs on Saturday, January 17 at 8PM and Tuesday, January 20 at 10PM on 93.9FM

About the Host

As host of the weeknight edition of Evening Music, Terrance McKnight brings to the position wide and varied musical experience that includes performance, teaching and radio broadcast. An accomplished pianist, McKnight was also a member of the Morehouse College faculty, where he taught music appreciation and applied piano since 1998.

Read Terrance's full bio
Visit Terrance's Evening Music blog
 

Fordlândia

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Icelandic-born composer/performer/producer Jóhann Jóhannsson looks to unusual subjects around which to frame his musical constructs. We hear from his recent album Fordlândia, which develops the idea of "failed utopia," as represented by Henry Ford's infamous attempt to create an idealized American town in the middle of the Amazon jungle during the 1920s. Also, other works which deal with the idea of utopia from Fauré, Wagner, Messiaen, Gershwin — and even Led Zepplin.

Nuove Musiche

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Norwegian guitarist Rolf Lislevand titled his 2006 ECM release "Nuove Musiche" (New Music) as a signifier of what lies within. Remixing very old tunes with jazz instruments and early music oddities like the theorbo and tnyckelharpa (plus modern vocals), Lislevand turns the "old" into the "new" with improvisational flair.

Also Featured Tonight:

Astor Piazzolla / Histoire du tango
Manuel Ponce / Concierto del sur
Harry Partch / The Dreamer That Remains -- A Study In Loving
Easley Blackwood / Microtonal Etudes (selections)

Evening Music will begin at 9PM tonight, right after the WNYC special "A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood: A Musical Journey in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr." which airs at 8PM.

A Man in a Room, Gambling

Friday, January 16, 2009

With roots in improvisational jazz, English cellist/composer Gavin Bryars writes unpredictable yet extremely evocative works. We hear tracks from his 1992 sound collaboration with the late sculptor Juan Munoz, "A Man in a Room, Gambling." Also, we feature the music of Ohio-based "avocational" composer Rick Sowash, who celebrates his 59th birthday today.

Also Featured Tonight:

Francois Couperin / Concert Royaux No. 2
Maurice Ravel / Piano Concerto in G
Sylvain Chauveau / Nocturne Impalpable
Johann Sebastian Bach / Violin Sonata No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1014

That Doo-Wah Thing

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Duke Ellington's big band music has always translated well into the classic orchestral genre, especially in the hands of his life-long collaborator and arranger, Luther Henderson. We hear Henderson's "That Doo-Wah Thing," a snazzy orchestral arrangement of one of Ellington's hottest tunes, "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." Also, The Sultans of Swing deliver an Ellington/Strayhorn take on Tchaikovsky, "Sugar Rum Cherry," and a rock classic undergoes a metamorphosis in the hands of the Kronos Quartet, as we hear their psychedelic rendition of Jimmy Hendrick's "Purple Haze."

Also Featured Tonight:

Alfred Schnittke / "Three Sacred Hymns"
Howard Hanson / Pastorale for Oboe, Harp and Strings, Op.38
Agathe Backer Grondahl / Three Norwegian Songs
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi / Salve Regina
Ben Johnston / String Quartet No.4 (Amazing Grace)
Howard Hanson / Piano Concerto in G major, Op.36
Tobias Picker / Keys to the City

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

QQQ: Unpacking the Trailer

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The folk traditions of Norway and America come together in cutting-edge fashion via chamber ensemble QQQ. We sample a track from their upcoming CD release, Unpacking the Trailer. Also, blues improv from the father of Harlem stride piano, James P. Johnson, and pianist Marc-André Hamelin flavors his own witty work for two player pianos with a bluesy flair in "Circus Galop."

Also Featured Tonight:

Valentin Silvestrov / Der Bote
Vijay Iyer / "Composites"
Bohuslav Martinu / Nonet
Johann Sebastian Bach / Italian Concerto
Gunther Schuller / Journey into Jazz
Benjamin Britten / "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," Op. 34
Felix Mendelssohn / Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

The Misadventures of Soup

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Composer Marc Mellits has been branded a "witty post-minimalist" for his smart, catchy chamber music. We hear an example with his gastronomically charged ballad, "The Misadventures of Soup." Also, music by the two Monks, Thelonious and Meredith.

Also Featured Tonight:

Walter Piston: Sinfonietta
Duke Ellington: Three Black Kings
Leonard Bernstein: Mass: Three Meditations
R. Luke DuBois: Convolution

Music Playlists

View WNYC's music playlists dating back to 2001 (full playlists are generally posted the day after broadcast). For playlist inquiries, please contact Listener Services via email or at 646-829-4000.

Ethnic Paganini Variations

Monday, January 12, 2009

Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin has been covered by composers from Brahms to Rachmaninoff. We hear a jazzed-up version in David Nathaniel Baker, Jr.'s 1976 remake, "Ethnic Variations on a Theme of Paganini." Also, a rare piano piece from John Tavener, and music for the modern guitar by New York-based composer Andrew McKenna Lee.

Also Featured Tonight:

Turio Tulev: "And then in silence there with me be only You"
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 4
Paul Schoenfield: Four Parables for Piano and Orchestra
John Corigliano: Chiaroscuro

Fantasía Corelliana

Sunday, January 11, 2009

We hear a modern tribute to Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli in Roberto Sierra's work for two guitars and string Orchestra, "Fantasía Corelliana." Also, music by the master himself, with a Corelli "Ciacona" courtesy of Musica Antiqua Köln.

Also Featured Tonight:

David Baker / "Refractions"
Ferde Grofe / "Three Shades of Blue"
George Gershwin / "Rhapsody in Blue"
Franz Reizenstein / Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano in A, Op. 25
David Amram / "Triple Concerto a tre"

Ear to Ear: Okkyung Lee

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Born in Korea, cellist, composer and improviser Okkyung Lee is a regular presence in the New York downtown experimental music scene. Uniting noise and nostalgia in virtuosic fashion, Lee performs worldwide with numerous other artists, including Laurie Anderson and John Zorn.

Okkyung Lee on MySpace
Buy Okkyung Lee's music at amazon.com
Download Okkyung Lee tracks with iTunes

In Memoriam Lars Hollmer

Friday, January 09, 2009

We offer a musical tribute to Swedish accordionist, keyboardist and composer Lars Hollmer, who passed away on Christmas day. Also, music for the Trautonium — an early electronic instrument used prominently by Alfred Hitchcock in his movie "The Birds."

Also Featured Tonight:

Maurice Ravel / Quatour A Cordes in F
John Corigliano / "Snapshot: Circa 1909"
Edvard Grieg / Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 66
Olivier Messiaen / Fete Des Belles Eaux

Circlesongs

Thursday, January 08, 2009

We hear a sample from Bobby McFerrin's album of chant-like vocalisms, "Circlesongs." Also, waltzes from Columbia University-based composer Fred Lerdahl, as well as music from Swede Lars-Erik Larsson and Finnish symphonist Harri Vuori.

Before Sleep and Dreams

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

American composer Aaron Jay Kernis writes eclectic music that evokes everything from Latin American jazz to medieval chant. We hear his probing piano suite from 1990, "Before Sleep and Dreams." Also, sacred choral music from British contemporary composer Tarik O'Regan, and string-flavored works from Charles Ives and Igor Stravinsky.

Cool Fire

Monday, January 05, 2009

Composer Paul Moravec tempers romantic flair with subdued modernity in his chamber symphony "Cool Fire." Also, music from American composer Robert Evett and composer/conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.

for Lou Harrison

Sunday, January 04, 2009

We feature John Luther Adams's large-scale work "for Lou Harrison," written, as Adams says, "in response to the death of one of the most important figures in my life." Also tonight, choral music from 16th century England in Thomas Tallis's "Spem in alium," and a Judd Greenstein track from the New York-based NOW Ensemble.

Ear to Ear: Phil Kline

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Phil Kline marries modern technology to traditional acoustics with a flair, creating sound sculptures like the cult holiday tradition for multiple boomboxes, "Unsilent Night." The composer's 2004 release for the Cantaloupe label, "Zippo Songs," received international praise for its frank treatment of texts by Vietnam veterans — juxtaposed with the "Rumsfeld Songs," a wry setting of quotes from the former Defense Secretary.

Phil Kline's website
Phil Kline on MySpace

Sentieri Selvaggi

Friday, January 02, 2009

We feature a new release from Italian new music ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi, featuring music by Gavin Bryars and Philip Glass. Also, music from The Rose Ensemble's new album of Country Dances and Shaker Hymns, And Glory Shone Around.

Also Featured Tonight:

Alessandro Stradella / Sonata in D for Eight Viols and One Trumpet
Lou Harrison / Main Bersama-Sama
Claude Debussy / Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra
Rachel Matthews / Voices of Trees