Arthur Levering:  Catena (2000)
Donald Berman, piano; Dinosaur Annex Chamber Orchestra, Scott Wheeler, cond
New World Records 80662 (2008)

Terry Riley:  June Buddhas from Mexico City Blues (1991)
Brooklyn Philharmonic, Ennis Russell Davies, cond
Musical Heritage Society re-release 5180914 (2005)

Jeffrey Ryan: String Quartet #3 “sonata distorta”  (2006)
Penderecki String Quartet; Centredisques CMC CD 13308 (2008)

After a couple of programs of “challenging” music, here’s an hour of embarrassingly tonal “easy listening” piano music from recent releases we’ve received.

Ann Southam: Glass Houses
Gavin Bryars: After Handel’s Vesper
… Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano; Wellspringe WEL0008 (2008)

Valentin Silvestrov: Bagatells I-XIII (2005)
… Valentin Silvestrov, piano; ECM New Series 1988 (2007)

Giovanni Verrando: Agile (2004)
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Stradivarius STR 33573 (2007)

Luciano Berio: Ritorno degli Snovednia (1977)
Ensemble InterContemporain, Pierre Boulez, cond., Sony Classics (1991)

Maurico Kagel: Tactil  (1970)
Deutsche Grammophon 445252

Mauricio Kagel, closely associated with Stockhausen, Boulez, and others of that generation, has died in Köln at 76.

Mostly self-taught, Kagel’s music combined theatrics and comedy. Nothing he produced was ordinary in any way.

Some worthwhile obits do justice to his life and legend more than I can:

• Philip Clark in Gramophone
• William Grimes in the NY Times
• Adrian Jack in the Guardian
• Tom Service in the Guardian

Hovhaness: Lousadzak (1945)
Keith Jarrett, piano; Dennis Russell Davies, American Composers Orchestra
Music Masters MMD 60204 1989 rereleased Musical Heritage Society 2005 5180932

Esa-Pekka Salonen: Dichotomie: Mecanisme/Organisme (2000)
Gloria Cheng, piano. Telarc 80712 (2008)

Michael Byron: A Bird Revealing the Unknown to the Sky (2005)
Joseph Kubera, piano; New World Records 80679 (2008)

Lejaren Hiller: Quartet #6 (1973)
Concord Str Qtet New World Records 80694 (2008)

Per Nørgaard: Quartet #9 “Into the Source” (2001)
Kroger Qtet Da Capo8.226059 (2008)

Johanna Beyer: Quartet #2 (1936)
New World Records 80678 (2008)

Lou Harrison: Suites for Tuned Guitars:

Serenade (1978)
Suite for National Steel Guitar (1952/92)
In Honor of the Divine Mr. Handel (1991)

John Schneider, guitars Mode 195 (2008)

Conlon Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano

Sonatina
Studies #1,2,7,8

Other Minds CD1012-1015 (2008)

While Music From Other Minds was on vacation, we rebroadcast some of our programs from last year.
Our next new program will be September 5 with number 151.

July 11 - #92 - Takemitsu/Messiaen
July 18 - #107 - Kagel/Holliger
July 25 - #131 - Adams/Scelsi/Feldman
August 1 - #111 - Corner/Wilson/Dahinden/Wilson/Satoh
August 8 - #123 - Kimura/León/Shapey
August 15 - #100 - Bryars/Garland/Fox/J.L.Adams
August 22 - #120 - Shapey/Tenney - ERGODICITY
August 29 - #141 - Messiaen’s Birds

Hope you had a great Summer. Please continue to support KALW!

This program features a choral work for July 4th, and two new recordings of exquisite music by two extraordinary women composers:

William Duckworth: War Department, from Southern Harmony (1981)
Boston Secession Choral Ensemble - Brave Records BRAV0720 (2007)
War Department
No more shall the sound of the war whoop be heard.
The ambush and slaughter no longer be feared.
The tomahawk buried, shall rest in the ground,
And peace and good will to the nations abound.

Joan Jeanrenaud: Axis, Transition, from Strange Toys - Talking House (2008)

Karen Tanaka: Frozen Horizon, Water and Stone, Invisible Curve (1998-99) - Azure Ensemble - New World 80683 (2008)

Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988): Rotativa (1930) for two pianos and percussion. A very early work (Scelsi was 25) in the style of Antheil and Stravinsky, perhaps?
– Ars Ludi Ensemble - Stradivarius STR 33802 (2007)

Giacinto Scelsi: Chukrum (1963) for string orchestra
– Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio - Stradivarius STR 33802 (2007)

Wolfgang Rihm (1952-): Sub-Kontur (1975) for orchestra
– SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden, Ernest Bour cond
– Hänssler Classic 93-202 (2007)

A rebroadcast of a program from last year:
Re:MFOM 113 :: In 1952

John Cage: 16 dances for Soloist and Company of 3 (1951)
Ensemble Modern Ingo Metzmacher cond - BMG Music 09026-61574 (1994)

Earle Brown: December 1952 for solo piano
David Tudor recorded in 1972 rereleased on New World Records 80650 (2006)

If you’re interested in the Cage/Cunningham collaboration and the avant garde world in New York and Europe in the 1950’s and 60’s, you must read Carolyn Brown’s memoir, Chance and Circumstance. Carolyn Brown, one of the founding members of Merce Cunningham’s dance company, was married to Earle Brown during those years.
Chance and Circumstance, by Carolyn Brown.

Carl Stone: Woo Lae Oak (1981) - Unseen Worlds UW 03 (2008)

Named after a chain of Korean restaurants, and one in particular in Los Angeles, Woo Lae Oak is a continuous electronic work crafted out of loops of the sound of a rubbed string and a bottle played by blowing air over the top. Created at the studios of Cal Arts, it was released in 1982 and has been long out of print. Unseen Worlds has just reissued it, all 54 minutes, in a bright digital remaster.

Carl explains that listening to his piece is like looking at a clock — you only notice movement when you look away and then look back and notice that somethings have changed.

The composer recommends that you not play this too loud .. it should be soft and in the background.

>Carl Stone Wikipedia entry

Jorge Liderman: Barcelonazo (2003)
Eastman Musica Nova, Mark Scatterday, cond  -  Bridge 9241  (2008)

Cesar Camarero:
Finale (1992) - Alberto Rosado, piano
Chorro de luz hacia el corazon de una galaxia  (Stream of light into the heart of a galaxy)
Poema a la memoria de Exiquio Garcia Carbajo (Poem to the memory of Garcia Exiquio Carbajo)
members of the Plural Ensemble  -   Verso VRS 2016 (2004)

Keeril Makan: Washed by Fire (2007) -
Kronos Quartet - Tzadik TZ8053 In Sound (2008)   (to be released 6/24)

Malcom Goldstein: Configurations of Darkness (1995) -
Malcom Goldstein, violin with Swiss Radio ensemble - New World 80676 a sounding of sources (2008)

Morton Feldman: The Viola In My Life I-IV (1970-71)
Marek Konstantynowicz, viola; Cikada Ensemble (Oslo) (I-III);
Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Christian Eggen, cond. (IV)
ECM 1798 (2008) read the program notes

Morton Feldman: I Met Heine on Rue Fürstenberg (1971)
Ensemble Recherche; Disque Montaigne 782018 (1994)

“My music is just like Webern. Only a little bit longer.” Morton Feldman

We’re still suffering a bit of Spring Fever, so here’s a really nice program from last year:

MFOM 121:

Lou Harrison: Here is Splendor (from Four Strict Songs)
UC Santa Cruz Chamber Singers and Chamber Orchestra
Nicole Paiement, cond New World 80666

Here is Splendor — of the airplant Spanish moss asway in sun.
Here is Splendor — of the airplant, and the cobra arching his head.
Here is Splendor — of the galaxy in Andromeda.
Here is Splendor — of the galaxy, and the turquoise cloudless heaven.

John Luther Adams: for Lou Harrison (2004) (excerpt, 2nd half)
The Callithumpian Consort, Stephen Drury, conductor New World 80669

»Read the wonderful essay by Peter Garland about this work here (PDF)
»Read Alex Ross’s essay on John in the New Yorker magazine.

Eric Richards: finalbells (2004) for 16 chromatic cow bells
Alan Zimmerman. New World 80673