Playful John Cage

Thursday, July 30, 2009

John Cage is most known for his unconventional use of musical instruments and his chance music, but he wrote some pieces that are very fun and accessible too. He once wrote a piece made up only of horizontal and vertical lines, leaving it to the performer to determine what he thinks the line is instructing. His most famous work, 4’33, is also perhaps his most unusual and controversial, as it is composed literally of silence. Learn more about WNYC’s John Cage festival here. Tonight we hear his Fads and Fancies in the Academy. Also, music from Henry Cowell and Charles Ives, as well as the next installment in our Mozart in Full Voice festival featuring excerpts from his concert arias.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

The Runaway

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Isaac Albeniz developed his talents extremely early as he first performed at age four and passed the Paris Conservatory’s entrance exam for piano at age seven, although he was denied admission because they thought he was too young. After many attempts to run away from home, he succeeded at age twelve and made his way abroad. By fifteen, he had already performed concerts worldwide from San Francisco to Leipzig. Tonight we hear his La vega (The plain). Also music from Jennifer Higdon and Georgs Pelecis, as well as the next installment in our Mozart in Full Voice festival featuring excerpts from two of his masses.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Cartoon Music

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

It’s probably safe to say that nearly everyone in the U.S. has heard Raymond Scott’s music at least once, whether they knew it or not. Although he never actually scored a cartoon soundtrack, his music has been adapted in over 120 classic cartoons including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck among other Warner Bros. animated features. His music has also made appearances in The Simpsons, Duckman, Animaniacs and several Ren & Stimpy episodes. Ironically, not only did he never write for a feature cartoon, he did not even watch them! Tonight, we hear his The Toy Trumpet. Also, music from Thelonious Monk and Nick Drake, as well as the next installment in our Mozart in Full Voice festival featuring pieces from Don Giovanni, K. 527.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Mozart Music

Monday, July 27, 2009

In tandem with Lincoln Center’s annual Mostly Mozart festival, Evening Music will celebrate its Mozart in Full Voice. Each evening at 9pm for 14 consecutive days, hosts Terrance McKnight and Nadia Sirota share select moments from his vast output for solo voice and small vocal ensemble. Tonight, the featured pieces will come from his opera, Die Zauberflote, K. 621 (The Magic Flute). Also, a tribute to Merce Cunningham who passed away last night at the age of 90 here in Manhattan and music from Miklos Rozsa, Dmitri Shostakovich and Carl Nielsen.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Volans @ 60

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Today, South African composer Kevin Volans turns 60. He distinguished himself from his contemporaries by writing his pieces based on African techniques, but he later moved away from his African influences. His first well known piece was a version of White Man Sleeps for the Kronos Quartet which uses conventional Western tuning instead of the African tuning the original was composed with. Tonight, we hear the original and new versions of White Man Sleeps, as well as Leaping Dance, Walking Song and Mbira. Also music from Jim Hiscott and Joseph Haydn.

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.

Bix Makes a Hit

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Although Bix Beiderbecke lived an incredibly short life (he died at age 28), he still became one of the leading names in 1920s jazz, playing both cornet and piano. On his last recording session, he recorded the original version of Georgia on My Mind which went on to be rerecorded by countless artists including Ray Charles who made it a No. 1 hit. Tonight we hear one of Beiderbecke’s piano pieces, In a Mist. Also music from Takashi Yoshimatsu, Philip Glass and Darius Milhaud. Also, the next installment of the series, Concerts from the Frick Collection with special guest host Helga Davis, featuring Julian Rachlin and Itamar Golan playing Benjamin Britten, Shostakovich, and Edvard Grieg.

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.

Man of Firsts

Friday, July 24, 2009

William Grant Still was not only a prolific composer, but he went on to become the first African-American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra (Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra), the first to have his symphony performed by a leading orchestra and the first to have his opera performed by a major opera company. Sometimes referred to as “the dean” of African-American composers, he undeniably paved the way for many future composers like himself. Tonight we hear his Summerland. Also, music from Zbigniew Preisner, Eleni Karaindrou and Aaron Copland.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Alicia and Marta

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Tonight we feature two performances from our recent 85th Anniversary Bash live from the Greene Space. One featuring the classically trained soprano Alicia Hall Moran and her jazz-infused take on Puccini’s opera Turandot, and another featuring the legenardary 97-year old singer-actress Marta Eggerth singing Rudolf Sieczynski’s Vienna, Vienna, Only You. We’ll also hear music by Franz Schubert, Euday Bowman and Thomas Tallis.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Live at the Five Spot

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

John Coltrane began his musical career playing in the Navy jazz band. However, his climb to fame began nearly a decade later, recording with Miles Davis and also Thelonious Monk at New York’s legendary jazz club, Five Spot. Throughout the 12 years of his recording career, Coltrane is credited with reshaping modern jazz and becoming one of the most significant tenor saxophonists in jazz history. Tonight we hear his Moment's Notice. Also music from Alfred Schnittke, Elliott Carter and Peteris Vasks.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

In and Out of Sync

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Steve Reich is one of the most recognizable names associated with process and minimalist music, styles based on steady pulses and slow transformations. An example of such a piece is his Come Out, which was created using a spoken phrase and playing it continuously on two channels until the voices fell out of sync and continued splitting until the actual words were incoherent, and all that was left was the speech’s rhythmic and tonal patterns. Such creations have Reich being hailed the “greatest living composer” by both The New York Times and The Village Voice. Tonight, we hear his Tokyo/Vermont Counterpoint. Also, music from Terry Riley and Philip Glass, both of whom are noted minimalists.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Spicy/Sweet Sounds

Monday, July 20, 2009

Jacob Ter Veldhuis, better known as Jacob TV, began his career as a rock musician but is presently known for his compositions and use of electronics in his music, utilizing sound bytes from speeches, commercials and talk shows. His form of musical expression has made him one of the most performed European composers of our generation. There was also an entire three-day JacobTV Festival here in New York during May 2007. “I pepper my music with sugar,” he says of his compositions. Tonight, we hear his Capriccio. Also music from Aaron Jay Kernis, Jean Sibelius and Philip Glass.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Moon Music

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of man’s first landing and walk on the moon’s surface. In honor of the event, we recognize not only the exploration, but also the inspiration that the universal symbol of the moon has given to cultures worldwide. The moon has been a muse in the performing arts, visual arts and, of course, music. Tonight, we explore some of these works with pieces from Beethoven, George Gershwin, Radiohead and Billie Holiday.

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.

From Classical to Folk

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Judy Collins made her public debut at age 13, performing Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos. However, it wasn’t the piano or classical music that spoke to her, but instead, the guitar and folk songs. She released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at only 22, marking the beginning of a 35-year association with Elektra Records. Tonight we hear selections from her albums as both composer and performer, including Maid of Constant Sorrow and The Fallow Way. Also, the next installment of the series, Concerts from the Frick Collection with special guest host Helga Davis, featuring the Atrium Quartet playing Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.

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.

Bach to Flamenco

Friday, July 17, 2009

Tonight we highlight Spanish pianist Miriam Mendez and her album Bach por Flamenco. The combination of J. S. Bach and Flamenco channels her classical training and her cultural traditions through the emotion that stems from both styles of music. The pieces, she says, are “a new dimension in which, by means of a perfect assembly, two universal, radically different cultures are united.” Also music from Maurice Ravel and David Lang.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

"Idle Chatter"

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Paul Lansky took another approach to composing his electronic music pieces, using sounds of the world around us instead of creating new sounds by computer. His sister works Idle Chatter, just_more_idle_chatter and Notjustmoreidlechatter employ incoherent babbling of synthesized speech to make music. Lansky has been sharing his music integrating everyday sounds since the 70s and continues to do so today. Tonight, we hear his Notjustmoreidlechatter. Also music from Howard Hanson, Johannes Brahms and Ariel Ramirez.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Successful Screen Sounds

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

New York native, Angelo Badalamenti, is known for his compositions and film scores for movies such as Blue Velvet, which served as a springboard for many future projects, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors; Mulholland Drive; Cabin Fever and The Wicker Man. He is, perhaps, most known for his themes for the television series Twin Peaks, which yielded a Grammy Award, three Emmy nominations and a soundtrack album that achieved gold status in 25 countries. Tonight, we hear his critically acclaimed Twin Peaks Theme. Also, music from Astor Piazzolla, Kevin Volans and Mary Lou Williams.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Marsalis in the Mix

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wynton Marsalis was given his first trumpet at age six, and from then on, performed nonstop as he became a member of the New Orleans Symphony Brass Quintet, New Orleans Community Concert Band and numerous other groups all while in high school. When he finally formed his own ensemble, he performed over 120 concerts every year for an entire decade bringing back interest in an art form that had been, for the most part, abandoned. In 1997, he went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, becoming the first jazz musician to do so. Tonight, we hear his Dark Heartbeat. Also, music from Gunther Schuller, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Alan Hovhaness.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Burhans Breaks Barriers

Monday, July 13, 2009

The multi-talented Caleb Burhans is gifted in everything from composing and conducting to singing and playing different instruments, including violin, cello, piano, percussion and mandolin. He was recently the featured guest on WNYC’s interview series, Ear to Ear with David Garland, and you can hear that complete interview here. Tonight, we hear from his group itsnotyouitsme and their A Moment For Nick Drake. Also, music from Erik Satie, Colin Jacobsen and Meredith Monk.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Friedlander's Early Start

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Erik Friedlander has made his name as a composer, improviser as well as a jazz and classical musician. He was influenced by great jazz and R&B musicians early, listening to artists such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and John Coltrane. As many great musicians before him, he began his music journey at a young age (6) when he first picked up a guitar and added the cello only two years later. Tonight, we hear his Block Ice & Propane: Night White. Also, music from Giovanni Sollima, Steve Reich and Claude Debussy.

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.

Ancient Flute Discovered

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Tonight we feature various pieces played by flute, inspired by the recent discovery of ancient flutes dating back to at least 35,000 years ago. The most significant finding was a flute made from a hollow bone, measuring about 8.5 inches long and complete with five finger holes and place for the musician to blow. Such a discovery means that music began surfacing right along with the first modern human beings. Also, the next installment of the series, Concerts from the Frick Collection with guest host Helga Davis, featuring the Ma’alot Quintet playing Hindemith, Mendelssohn, Piazzolla and Ligeti.

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.

Duo Recreates Bach

Friday, July 10, 2009

Bach Reformed is a New York based duo that, based on their experiences in folk and non-Classical traditions, recreates J. S. Bach’s unaccompanied Cello Suites and Violin Partitas. The duo is comprised of Dana Lyn playing fiddle and Rob Moose playing guitar and mandolin. Their record is expected to be released sometime in the fall of this year. Tonight we hear their rendition of Suite No. 1 in G Major for Unaccompanied Cello. Also, music from Frederic Chopin, Capiba and Alexandre Desplat

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

San Quentin's String Pianist

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Henry Cowell was widely known for his experimental works, even creating a technique dubbed string piano where the pianist actually plucks or sweeps the strings of the piano directly instead of using the keys. However, his life was greatly altered when he was arrested on a morals charge and sent to San Quentin State Prison in 1936 where he directed a prison band and continued writing music. But upon his release in 1940, it was obvious Cowell’s music had suffered, as it became noticeably more conservative, traditional and simple. Tonight, we hear his Aeolian Harp and Sinister Resonance. Also music from Elaine Kaplinsky, Arvo Pärt and Alban Berg.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

WNYC's 85th Anniversary Bash

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

On the 85th anniversary of the launch of WNYC, David Garland hosts an evening that gives our live, web and radio audience a glimpse into the birth-year of our station, 1924. Combining music, film and chat, the evening explores iconic, epoch-defining pieces of music from 1924, including George Antheil's Ballet Mechanique, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, and Jelly Roll Morton's Big Foot Ham and Bucktown Blues. The featured artists, which include Marta Eggerth, Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, Matt Marks, and Dave Burrell, share an evening that's grounded in the touchstones of the past but still bears the unmistakable imprint and flavors of the present.

Evening Music presents WNYC's 85th Anniversary LIVE from the Greene Space on July 8th at 7pm, on 93.9 FM and with streaming video at wnyc.org/thegreenespace. To see the complete evening's video as well as more information on the featured artists please go here.

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 entire live Evening Music is available for streaming after 8:30pm.

Nine Clarinets

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

We've heard about composers writing pieces for pianists and violinists, but the clarinetist-composer relationship has inspired some beautiful music throughout the ages. Mozart had Anton Stadler for whom he wrote both the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings and the Concerto for Clarinet, and now some 200 years later Gavin Bryars has clarinetist Roger Heaton, a longtime member of his ensemble. Tonight we hear Bryars's Three Elegies for Nine Clarinets with Roger Heaton peforming, along with music by Steve Reich, Lukas Ligeti and Arvo Part.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Spanish Splashes

Monday, July 06, 2009

Miles Davis and arranger/composer Gil Evans collaborated extensively over the course of their creative careers. However, Sketches of Spain stands out from their other albums with its subtle colors and relaxed evocations of Spanish tradition. The lone trumpet of Miles and Evans’s enticing orchestration blends perfectly jazz and classical traditions, and tonight we’ll hear the songs The Pan Piper and Solea. We also hear film music by Eleni Karaindrou and Nico Muhly as well as pieces by David Lang and Thelonious Monk.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Independents Days: Antony

Saturday, July 04, 2009

WNYC's special 4th of July series, Independents Days, continues with Antony, of Antony and the Johnsons. He joins host David Garland to present and talk thoughtfully and in depth about his latest album The Crying Light, and to perform solo in the WNYC Studio as part of Spinning on Air. The Crying Light is lyrical, restrained, and haunting; a meditation on and investigation of human consciousness and action in the natural world. Expect unusual insights, harsh beauty, gentle anger, and musical richness.

Independents Days: Grizzly Bear

Friday, July 03, 2009

Evening Music and Spinning on Air's special series, Independents Days continues as host David Garland turns to the innovative, art rock band Grizzly Bear. With lyrics that abstractly imply shifting personal relationships and music that's full of angles, shadows, and flashes of color, it seems Grizzly Bear's songs would hardly hold together. But somehow these tenuous elements combine to form songs that are forceful and engrossing. The Brooklyn-based band Grizzly Bear joins host David Garland in the WNYC Studio to perform and talk about their new music and their album Veckatimest.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Independents Days

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Join us tonight for the kickoff to Independents Days, Evening Music and Spinning on Air's special series for the July 4th holiday weekend. We'll begin with Connie Converse Walking In the Dark, a special edition of Spinning On Air with David Garland which airs many of Connie's songs for the first time and tells her story with interviews, commentary, and readings from her letters, journals, and poetry. Joining host David Garland are Oscar-winning animator Gene Deitch, who knew and recorded Connie in New York, and the voices of Connie's brother, Philip Converse, and actress Amber Benson, who reads Connie's writings.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.

Young Jarrett

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Keith Jarrett's talent and gift of absolute pitch was undeniable from an early age, beginning piano lessons at age three and playing his first formal concert complete with paying customers soon thereafter. He has since gone on to become an acclaimed improviser, musician and composer. He is not only known for his musicianship, but also his intolerance for outside noises including coughing and other involuntary sounds, even leading audiences in a group cough and providing cough drops at his shows. Tonight we hear his Americana. Also, music from Igor Stravinsky, William Grant Still and Marcel Dupre.

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 first hour of Evening Music is available for streaming soon after 8pm.