Paris-based musician and composer Rhys Chatham once played a central role in the development of New York’s downtown music scene with a series of works for LOUD electric guitar.  Now he‘s best-known most recently for high profile productions of his rugged noise symphonies written for hundreds of softly played electric guitars (and basses.)

For this New Sounds, we’ll listen to the recording of Chatham’s “A Crimson Grail” featuring 200 guitarists, 16 bassists, five conductors, and one percussionist—performed live for the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival in 2009.  The piece was written in 2005 as a commission for the city of Paris, and premiered at the basilica of Sacré-Coeur.

PROGRAM #        3111, Static Music    (First aired on 9/3/2010)