Program Playlist ARCHIVE: 61-70
with links to the composer/performer's websites and to additional information appear usually within a day after broadcast

      

Two important pieces from Europe from 1969

  

Guy Klucevsek: Perusal (1988), "Viavy Rose" Variations (1989)
William Duckworth: Slow Dancing in Yugoslavia (1990) - Klucevsek, accordion - Starkland ST207 (1999)

Evan Ziporyn: Typical Music - Arden Trio - New Albion NA 128 (2005)

  

Music of Edgard Varèse from 1921-1924

Hyperprism: (1922) Kent Nagano, Orch National de France - Erato/Musifrance (1993)

Octandre: (1923) Arthur Weisberg, The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble - Nonesuch 1972

Amériques: (1922) Maurice Abravanel, Utah Symphony - Vanguard 1991

Intègrales: (1924) Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain - Sony 1984/1990

Offrandes (1921): Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain - Sony 1984/1990

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The only two composers I know of who have expressed their debt to Varèse are Frank Zappa and Witold Lutoslawski.

• Read what Frank Zappa wrote about discovering the music of Edgard Varèse here.

• The S.F. Symphony's website profile of Varèse.

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UPDATE: There's a wonderful new book out: Edgard Varèse - Composer, Sound Sculptor, Visionary published by Boydell Press in the UK

This volume contains detailed commentaries on all the items on display, as well as thirty-two essays by leading authors from Europe and America. Varèse's life and music are discussed under the following headings: Influences - Points of Orientation; Conductor and Initiator in New York; Probing Uncharted Territory; Impact and Reception. Many previously unknown documents from the composer's estate, recently acquired by the Paul Sacher Foundation, form the basis of a nuanced picture of Varèse's life, musical thought, and compositional output.

The book is lavishly illustrated with facsimiles of manuscripts, letters, and other documents from the composer's collection, as well as reproductions of paintings, drawings and sculpture documenting Varèse's close ties to the visual arts.

  

Luciano Berio: Quartetto per archi (1956) - Arditti Quartet - Montaigne/Naïve MO782155 (2002)    » Read more
Tigran Mansurian: String Quartet #2; Testament - Rosamunde Quartet - ECM 1905 (2005)

   

Ben Johnston: String Quartet #3 - Kepler Quartet - New World 80637 (2006)

Ronald Bruce Smith: Trois regards for violin and piano (1989) - Kate Stenberg, violin, Eva-Maria Zimmermann, piano - Live recording: Other Minds Seànce December 2005

R. Murray Schafer: String Quartet #3 (1981) - Orford Quartet, Centrediscs: CMCCD 39/4090

     

Jonathan Pontier: Arte Faxxxx - Dutch ensemble CALEFAX unreleased live performance 12/2005

Moving Sounds (Marcus Stockhausen/Tara Bouman):  - Kurzes Glück, Andrea, Judan - Thinking About - Aktivraum-Musik AR 10103

Marcus Stockhausen: Tara - Tara Bouman, Bassethorn - Aktivraum-Music AR50101

Per Nørgård: - 2 Nocturnes - Morning Meditation - Ars Nova Copenhagen DaCapo 6.220510

Markus Stockhausen, Tara Bouman, and Per Nørgård will be appearing this December at Other Minds 12 in San Francisco

    

Marc Mellits: Dark Age Machinery - Dominic Frasca, guitar - Cantaloupe CA21032
                  Dreadlocked - Mellits Consort - Dacia Music 2006 "Paranoid Cheese"
                  Lefty's Elegy - Dominic Frasca - Cantaloupe CA21032

Jorge Liderman: Open Strings (2001) - Jugend-Gitarrenorchester Baden Württemburg - Bridge 9150

                      Aires de Sefarad (2004), aires 1-20 - Matt Gould, guitar, Beth Ilana Schneider, violin - Albany TROY829

Olivier Messiaen died on April 27, 1992 at the age of 84. Tonight we feature excerpts from two of his major works for piano that have become major works in all of 20th century music.

Messiaen: Visions de l'Amen (1943) - VI Amen of the Judgement, IV Amen of Desire - Alexandre Rabinovitch/Martha Argerich EMI 1990 :: IV Amen of Desire - V Amen of the Angels, Saints, and birdsong - Yvonne Loriod/Olivier Messiaen (1962) Ades (1988)

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jesus (1944) - I Contemplation of the Father, III The Exchange - Yvonne Loriod (1956) Ades (1987) :: IV Contemplation of the Virgin, XV The Kiss of the Infant Jesus - Jacqueline Chew (2004)

Bay area pianist Jacqueline Chew has devoted much of her life to performing the music of Olivier Messiaen. In 1986, at conductor Kent Nagano’s invitation, Ms Chew went to Europe to meet Olivier Messiaen and prepare Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jesus with Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, for whom the piece was written. Later, while attending Messiaen’s master classes in Avignon, France, she met Messiaen-pianist Roger Muraro. In Paris, she worked with Muraro on the entire cycle and upon returning to San Francisco in 1988, gave her first complete performance of this work. Along with her extensive performances of Vingt regards, she is also known for her interpretations of Messiaen’s chamber works and orchestral works with piano solo. Ms Chew currently teaches at the University of California at Berkeley, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the San Francisco Community Center.

This month marks the 100th birthday of Samuel Beckett. Playwright, novelist, and poet, Samuel Beckett's world is a stark, minimalist, and pessimistic one. Not surprising that composer Morton Feldman would have a great affinity for Beckett. One of Feldman's very last works, completed in 1987, is a reworking of Beckett's WORDS AND MUSIC, originally created in 1961 for the BBC using music by Beckett's cousin, John. It failed to satisfy, and eventually the score was withdrawn. In the 1980's, the work was revived as part of a festival planned to celebrate Beckett's 80th birthday. Beckett proposed that Morton Feldman create the music this time. The score consists of 33 fragments for seven players that interposes the spoken dialog.

Beckett/Feldman: Words and Music (1961/1987) - Ensemble Recherche - Auvidis/Montaigne MO782084 1996

Morton Feldman: Three Voices (excerpt) 1982 - Joan La Barbara New Albion 1989 NA018

Additional information:

Wikipedia entry on Samuel Beckett
On Words and Music
On Beckett's Radio Plays

  

Cold Blue is one of the more interesting independent record labels for new music. It is run by founder and director Jim Fox out of Venice, California. Tonight we feature a live recording of a concert of composers and performers featured on Cold Blue releases, held at the Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater (REDCAT) in Los Angeles on February 18.

Kyle Gann: Saintly (2003), and Sad (2000), from PRIVATE DANCES - Sarah Cahill, piano

Michael Jon Fink: I Hear It In The Rain (1985) - Rick Cox and MJF electric guitars, Bryan Pezzone, elec piano, Barry Newton, elec bass, Dan Morris and Johathan Marmor, perc (appears on Cold Blue release CB04)

John Luther Adams: THE LIGHT THAT FILLS THE WORLD (2001) - Robin Cox Ensemble: Robin Cox, violin; Marty Walker, bass clarinet; Erik Leckrone, marimba; Eric Mellencamp, vibraphone; Ian Walker, doublebass; (appears on Cold Blue release CB10)

Larry Polansky: Eskimo Lullaby (2005) - John Schneider, voice and guitar (World Premiere)

Rick Cox: Later (2006) - Marty Walker and Phil O'Connor, clarinets, Rick Cox sampler, Thomas Newman, piano (World Premiere)

Peter Garland: Hermetic Bird (1996) - Sarah Cahill, piano (LA Premiere)

Jim Fox: Colorless sky became fog (2000) - Theresa Dimond, dulcimer; Bryan Pezzone, piano; Robin Lorentz, violin; Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick and Jessica Catron, cellos; Barry Newton, double bass (World Premiere)

David Mahler: La Cuidad de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles (1985) - David Mahler, Sarah Cahill, pianos (appears on Cold Blue release CB08)

Many thanks to Jim Fox and all the composers and performers for letting us broadcast this wonderful concert.