Kraftwerk Re-Covered

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

For this New Sounds program, it's a step beyond your pocket calculator -we'll hear all sorts of arrangements of Kraftwerk songs. There'll be an acoustic version of "The Mirror Stage" featuring lutenist Josef van Wissem and guitarist Gary Lucas. Plus, music from Joby Burgess/Powerplant along with a live performance of "Das Model" by Theo Bleckmann. From string quartet to accordions, it's an hour of inventive takes on the pioneering band's German pop.

Bang on a Can PCF Concert 2008

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Hear world premieres by Turkish electroacoustic composer Erdem Helvacioglu, avant-garde inventor Tristan Perich and squonkjazz innovator Ken Thomson, all performed by Bang on a Can All-Stars. Listen to Helvacioglu's "Lossada Taka" and Perich's "All Possible Paths" which both combine electronic sound and sometimes amplified instruments. Plus Thomson's "seasonal.disorder," inspired by reading the news every morning before composing.

Ambient Post-Rock

Monday, April 27, 2009

For this New Sounds, there's ambient post-rock music from Jon Hopkins, a British musician who writes and performs his own melody-led electronica. There's also music from the German pianist/composer Max Richter, along with something from Ludovico Einaudi's trio, Whitetree. Plus, music by the instrument-driven Chicago post-rockers Tortoise, who will be playing at the Bang on a Can Marathon this year, songs from drummer/composer Brian Blade, and more.

Mostly Acoustic Impressions

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Curran's electroacoustic classic, "Songs and Views from the Magnetic Garden" combines chanting, singing, the bells of Rome, the lapping of the ocean, and many other sounds, to create something of an impressionist cast. We'll hear that work along with other acoustic pieces on this edition of New Sounds. Listen for a water work by Takashi Kako which uses fluid, expressive colors while combining classical technique and improvisation - his Prelude dans L'eau. Also, works by Mark Pollard and Will Ackerman.

New Music from Holland

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Home to one of Europe’s most active new music scenes, the small country of Holland has produced some big names in the music world. On this edition of New Sounds, we’ll hear from Louis Andriessen, Cornelius de Bondt, Jacob Ter Veldhuis (aka Jacob TV), Simeon Ten Holt, and more.

Bang on a Can PCF Concert 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

From the New Sounds Live concerts at Merkin Hall, the Bang On A Can All-Stars play a new work by Kate Moore, and sonic explorations at either end of the volume spectrum, from the soft, almost subliminal acoustics of Alvin Lucier. This concert, which was recorded earlier this month, went out with a bang thanks to the squalling overtone effects of Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo.

PROGRAM # 2928, Bang on a Can People’s Commissioning Fund Concert 2009 (First aired on Fri. 4/24/09)

Terry Riley

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Terry Riley and David Harrington join John Schaefer for this New Sounds program. Riley is the composer of "In C," the landmark 1964 work that ushered in the style known as Minimalism. Harrington is leader of the Kronos Quartet, and has helped organize the all-star, once-in-a-lifetime cast performing "In C" tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall.

PROGRAM # 2927, "In C" with Terry Riley and David Harrington of Kronos Quartet (First aired on Thurs. 4/23/09)

Meet Me in the Old Marketplace

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Frank London's A Night in the Old Marketplace is a "folk opera," a 90-minute musical re-imagining of I.L. Peretz's sprawling 1907 supernatural drama. The score mixes folk, jazz, classical, rock and world beats with a dose of Kurt Weill cabaret. Beware, the players are some of the most versatile musicians, whose credits include salsa, radical Jewish "downtown" jazz, punk, and thrash-klezmer bands. Then there are the vocalists Manu Narayan (star of Broadway's Bombay Dreams), Craig Wedren (of Shudder to Think), Irish singer Susan McKeown, pop geniuses They Might Be Giants, and The Klezmatics' Lorin Sklamberg, to name a few. We'll sample from the recording of "A Night in the Old Marketplace" on this edition of New Sounds.

Works For String Quartet

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

From the Soundcheck archives, we'll hear live performances of music by Fred Frith, Huang Ruo, and Sir John Tavener. Plus, there's also music from the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning Steve Reich. We'll listen to just one movement from his "Different Trains." Yesterday Reich won the Pulitzer Prize for his work, "Double Sextet," written for Eighth Blackbird on tape playing against themselves.

The Irish New Music "Scene"

Monday, April 20, 2009

For this New Sounds, we'll take a look at the Irish new music scene, with composers Daniel Figgis and Roger Doyle. Doyle is a former jazz-rock drummer, and writes electro-acoustic and electronic music. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Figgis is a former member of Virgin Prunes, and an ambient electronic composer of multi-media works, most recently, "Post-Production," as heard on the New Sounds Live concert series.

Classics Remixed

Sunday, April 19, 2009

For this New Sounds program, DJ technology meets the concert hall as Miguel Kertsman remixes music from Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 while Uri Caine does the same for Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Also, we'll hear from the albums "Reich Remixed" and Handel’s Messiah Remixed, among others.

Guitar Hero

Saturday, April 18, 2009

No, not the game. Rather, Glenn Jones plays live music in our studio on guitar, in a style reminiscent of the late American guitar master John Fahey. Jones, an intimate guitarist coming from the American primitive guitar school, (for “primitive,” think raw and pure, rather than in relation to the over-produced pop which dominates most radio) is a member of the avant-rock band Cul de Sac, and has just released his second solo CD, Against Which the Sea Continually Beats. Plus, music by John Fahey.

Music from South India

Friday, April 17, 2009

For this New Sounds program, hear some Carnatic music, including the vocalistic violin of Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, the Bombay-born vocalist Aruna Sairam. Plus, listen to some music for the oboe-like instrument, the nadaswaram, by Charlie Mariano and the Karnataka College of Percussion. Works from violinist L. Subramaniam, electric mandolin innovator U. Srinivas, and film composer, singer, and lyricist Ilaiyaraaja round out the show.

New Choral Works

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hear the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, conducted by Kent Tritle, performing "On Photography" by English composer Gavin Bryars for this New Sounds. The performance was recorded live at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in February 2008 as part of the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series. There's also "Gauze Vespers" by gifted American composer Oscar Bettison. And much more. Correction: John Schaefer announces that the Bryars work was sung by Musica Sacra. The artists are actually the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola

New Americans: Australia & Canada

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Listen to music by Canadian Michael Brook, who has most recently made a splash with the soundtrack to Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Plus, music from Clogs, the World Saxophone Quartet and Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures.

New Folk from Northern Europe

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

For this New Sounds, listen to music based on the traditions of northern Europe. Hear some punkass Polish nu-folk from the Warsaw Village Band's release, "Infinity" along with party music from Hedningarna, the "heathens" who remain true to the polska, a three-beat rhythm unique to Sweden. Also, there's music from Denmark’s Sorten Muld, Norwegian/Sami singer Ande Somby, and more.

Eternity's Sunrise

Monday, April 13, 2009

Listen to music by John Tavener for this edition of New Sounds. We'll hear "Eternity's Sunrise," written for superhuman soprano, handbells, and Baroque instrumental ensemble and based on poetry by William Blake. According to the composer, "the concept of solo soprano (representing earth) at ground level, handbells (representing the angels) at an intermediate position, and the main baroque ensemble at a high level (representing heaven) fitted exactly with the Blake text which I had decided to set." Tavener dedicated the piece to the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. That, and more.

Crash on in, Live!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

From the New Sounds Live concerts at Merkin Hall, Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy presents the American debut of the large electro-acoustic Crash Ensemble,in a piece that also uses tradition Irish sean nos singing; plus a work for piano and live electronics.

Trio Mediaeval Live

Saturday, April 11, 2009

From the New Sounds Live concerts at Merkin Hall, listen to Norway’s Trio Mediaeval perform a set of early music, alongside contemporary works written for them, and arrangements of Nordic folksong.

Piano Workouts

Friday, April 10, 2009

Considered both a percussion and a stringed instrument, and often part of the rhythm section, the piano can be responsible for many textures, depending on how it is struck, bowed, caressed, or danced upon. On this edition of New Sounds, we'll hear from Barcelona-based Francesco Tristano, who draws from both the all-night rave scene and his classical training, dancing, pounding on and processing the piano on his recording "Not For Piano." Plus, listen for the Bill Evans-meets-Messiaen stride Balkan stylings of Ionel Petroi. Also, more piano and piano-based works by Max Richter, Christopher O'Riley, Marco Benevento, and others.

Voice As Instrument

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Hear small ensembles that use the voice as an instrument (often an electronic one) on this New Sounds program. We'll listen to the Scandinavian-Belgian trio of Mikkel Ploug, Sissel Vera Pettersen, and Joachim Badenhorst along with the German-American trio of Theo Bleckmann, Gary Versace, and John Hollenbeck, -Refuge Trio- in which both vocalists use electronic processing. In a work called "Bright Moon," drummer John Hollenbeck's setting of Masahide's text features Gary Verasce on the keyboard together with the voice of Theo Bleckmann. Then listen to Electra, a new music quartet from Holland, and their rendition of music by Jacob TV - called "Able to Be, and interspersed with the voice of Marilyn Monroe. These, and more.

That Groove Thing

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Hear some seriously joyful noise on Steven Bernstein’s "Diaspora Suite," where collective interplay, melodic improvising, and guitar wailing combine for something exciting and free. We’ll hear music from "Diaspora Suite," along with the Vancouver-based mainly acoustic Caribbean folktronica of Silvana Kane, a Peruvian born singer, operating as Pacifika. Also, there’s explosive groove and intricate melodic layers from Famoro Dioubaté's Kakande, not to mention lush vocals, flutes, sinewy guitars, cellos and Dioubaté's balafon virtuosity. And much more.

New Concert Music

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

There are works for orchestra, works for the dance, and works with electronics on this New Sounds show. We’ll listen to music commissioned by the Sydney Dance Company from Australia’s Michael Askill, along with seductive music from Derek Bermel. Bermel’s work, “Elixir” features strings and harp at its core with wind players serenading from the balcony, and reflects influences as varied as Charles Ives, Gesualdo, John Lennon and the Isley Brothers. We’ll also hear selections from Joseph C. Phillips Jr.’s work, "Vipassana," which, in the Pali language of early Buddhist texts, means "insight." Phillips’ epic four-movement, 70-minute post-minimalist work incorporates some of the improvisational and rhythmic elements of jazz and calls for an expanded Numinous ensemble of 25 instrumentalists and singers.

An American in Africa

Monday, April 06, 2009

Hear from several different artists who made their way through Africa on this New Sounds. We'll hear music from Bela Fleck, who made his way through Mali to record with Toumani Diabate, and a group from Uganda that was recorded in a cooking hut. Also, listen to Roswell Rudd, who works with the Gangbe Brass Band of Benin on his latest, "Trombone Tribe." Plus, music by the Kenyan band Extra Golden, and their thanks to Obama, along with something from the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, who bring the Central African guitar pop. Plus, music by Paul Simon, from his ground-breaking "Graceland."

Opening the Chamber Music

Sunday, April 05, 2009

The distinctive and riveting saxophonist Ornette Coleman (arguably the pioneer of the free jazz movement), continuously defies categorization. On this New Sounds, we'll hear from his latest original, innovative, and groundbreaking release called "Sound Grammar," the first in over 10 years. Also, we'll sample some small ensemble works from Nico Muhly, who toes the lines between folktronica, pop, chamber, and minimalism on his release "Speaks Volumes." Plus, chamber music from a duo with inspirational roots in Argentinean traditions from bandoneon giant Dino Saluzzi and German cellist Anja Lechner. And much more.

Music from Ireland

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Listen to jaw-dropping works by accordion wiz Niall Vallely, and music from the groundbreaking 70s Celtic Folk supergroup Planxty. Plus, we'll hear from the contemporary group Dervish, who play traditional music from Sligo in the north west of Ireland and much more.

What's New With Joby Talbot?

Friday, April 03, 2009

English composer Joby Talbot joins John Schaefer for this New Sounds program to present excerpts from recent scores for the opera stage, dance, film, and television. Talbot contributed the playful score to the coming-of-age film, "Son of Rambow." We'll hear music from that film score, and take a sneak peek at an opera-in-progress, "Coma," from which Talbot performs a piano reduction - "Hospital."

PROGRAM # 2920, What’s New With Joby Talbot (First aired on Fri. 4/3/09)

New Music for Hardanger Fiddle

Thursday, April 02, 2009

On this New Sounds, listen to new music for the old Norwegian violin known as the Hardanger fiddle. The fiddle is most unusual in that it has a set of drone strings that lie under the fingerboard of the instrument. These drone strings are tuned to vibrate sympathetically to the chords and keys of Norwegian mountain music. Because of the powerful emotional response from both player and listener, the instrument was considered to be the “Devil’s Instrument” and had associations with dark magic. Thousands of fiddles were burned or destroyed by religious fanatics throughout the 19th century. In fact, even playing a Hardanger fiddle in a church building was forbidden well into the 20th century, although a normal classical violin was allowed into the sacred space. So, on this program, we’ll hear new music by Trollstilt and So Percussion, in addition to music from Steve Tibbetts and Knut Hamre, along with much much more.

New Music for String Quartet

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Hear a lot of new music for string quartet on this New Sounds. Listen to Raz Mesinai’s work for string quartet and four turntables where the string instruments are recorded and then manipulated by DJs, resulting in a hybrid of composition and turntablism. Then there’s music by Steve Reich, his haunting Triple Quartet, which can be a string section of 36 players, three string quartets, or string quartet and pre-recorded tape. Also, hear music from Elvis Costello, from his partnership with the Brodsky Quartet, inspired by an Italian professor's decision to reply to the many thousands of letters written every year to Shakespeare’s fictional Juliet. Plus, works by Bruno Letort, Johann Johannsson, and more.