(night fog)
Listen to another program of works that evoke the sounds rhythms, unsettled nature, and stillness (or not) of the night for this New Sounds. There are works by pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi from his latest release, "Nightbook," along with Ingram Marshall's "Fog Tropes" for brass sextet and ambient sounds on tape. Plus, we'll hear an excerpt from the "Politics of Quiet," from Meredith Monk and her vocal ensemble, together with Alarm Will Sound. And more.
The Rebirth Brass Band, together since 1983, is a musical institution among brass bands, often letting loose with heavy funk and inciting dance riots. The Wild Magnolias, a Mardi Gras ...
When this New Sounds program first aired in 1988, the American composer and conductor John Adams may have been best known for his opera, “Nixon in China,” written with poet ...
The most cutting-edge, worldly-wise music show on the airwaves returns with weekly installments available for download. For almost three decades, host John Schaefer has been exploring more genres of music ...
For this New Sounds program, John Schaefer throws his annual, highly subjective, completely opinionated list of the ten best new-music releases of 2010 into the ring. Listen to the contenders ...
There's music for free reed aerophone instruments on this New Sounds program. Free what? Well, that’s just the nerdy way to reference a family of instruments that involves ...
Programs by number, starting with #1 from 1986!
For this second program of a two-part mini-series, we'll listen to more unconventional works that draw inspiration from the text of the requiem mass. There's music by Gavin Bryars, the Cadman Requiem, written in honor of Bryars' sound engineer and friend, Bill Cadman, who died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Also, hear a requiem by Ragnar Grippe from Sweden for soprano and synthesizer, a wordless requiem by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, and more.
For this New Sounds program, the first of a two-part series, we'll listen to many works that draw inspiration from the text of the requiem mass, but have come from different parts of the world. For starters, there's Mistico Mediterraneo, a collaboration involving three different artists: Sardinian trumpet player Paolo Fresu, Italian bandoneonist Daniele Di Bonaventura and Corsican all-male choral group A Filetta. We'll hear music from the principal composer of A Filetta, Jean-Claude Acquaviva, with his “Rex tremendae” and “Figliolu d’ella” from a requiem written in 2004. And much more.
There's plenty of new guitar music from the Los Angeles area to be heard on this edition of New Sounds. From his release "Coward," Wilco guitarist Nels Cline remembers his murdered friend and colleague Rod Poole with a nearly symphonic piece for microtonal guitar called "Rod Poole’s Gradual Ascent to Heaven." Plus, listen to Poole’s own "Dark Light Approaching Reason," also for microtonal guitar. There's also pedal steel guitar music from fellow L.A. composer Chas Smith, and more.
For this New Sounds, sample vocal works by the Norwegian singer/songpoet Synnøve Rognlien, some with Gregorian chant and flamenco singing. Also, listen to Anne-Lise Berntsen & Nils-Henrik Asheim, who combine Norwegian religious folksong and organ improvisation. Then there’s Gaelic soprano Nóirín Ní Riain and the monks of the Glenstal Abbey who recreate the medieval liturgy’s choral masterworks; hymns, laments, carols, and prayers. Plus music from Trio Mediaeval, Hildegard von Bingen, and more.
For this New Sounds, hear some modern oratorios and other sacred texts set to music, including Kitty Brazelton's "Ecclesiastes: A Modern Oratorio," Phil Kline's "John the Revelator," and Douglas J. Cuomo's "Arjuna's Dilemma." Composer, professor, singer, improviser, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Kitty Brazelton has written a modern oratorio with texts from the Book of Ecclesiastes, re-translated from the Hebrew and Latin by Brazelton herself. Her discoveries and deeper readings have uncovered a message that she believes Christians concealed in the 17th century; "live now—your life, whatever it is, is the gift—be grateful for everything, hardship or reward because you can’t understand where they will lead."
Australian-born, Iceland-based composer and sound artist Ben Frost shares his ghostly and paranoid new release "By The Throat." Frost has brought a number of collaborators on board, including composer Nico Muhly, Swedish metal band Crowpath, Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara and all-female Icelandic string quartet Amiina to help create this music of the foreground. Using electronics, some field recordings of wolves and abrasive processed (tortured, really) guitars, he creates a dense, murky, and menacing musical experience of industrial machinery, orchestral drone and noise. The "King of Compositional Doom" himself, Ben Frost, joins host John Schaefer to present selections from the album for this New Sounds.
Great show. The Jocelyn Pook work (the one with the wailing placed against the choir's descending microtones, flats or whatever ...
I loved the "Gradual Requiem" by Ingram Marshall. You always point me to so much excellent music, so thank you!
Somehow I missed the original broadcast. It's very nice to hear the music of my late friend and fellow microtonalist ...
Striking mix of extremely beautiful music. Guess I liked the show.
