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Flotation Device celebrates the 60th birthday of Wenchen Qin, one of the most intriguing—and outside—Chinese composers active today, and the 50th anniversary of a pair of modestly-attended but historically cataclysmic Arvo Pärt concerts in Soviet Estonia that inaugurated his famous tintinnabuli style. We contrast Pärt's spiritualism with Meredith Monk's physicality via her new album with Phaedra Ensemble, while Witold Lutosławski and Anthony Braxton represent the "anti-Pärt" 50th anniversary faction with examples of the former's symphonic modernism and the latter's great 70s free jazz quartet with George Lewis, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul. We preview Music of Remembrance's upcoming traversal of works by Walker, Aminikia and Reich. And a dive into Okkyung Lee's thumpy new electroacoustic album with Explore Ensemble rounds out the proceedings.
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Flotation Device 2026-10-25: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: The realm of little bells [0:00]
1. [1:50] Anthony Braxton, George Lewis: Donna Lee. From Donauschingen (Duo) 1976 (HatHut, 1994) with Anthony Braxton (alto saxophone), George Lewis (trombone). NOTE: Charlie Parker composition. Recorded live October 23, 1976 at The SWF-Jazz-Session, Donaueschingen, Germany
2. [4:512] The Residents: What?, The Idiot Bastard Son of "What?". From Leftovers Again?! (New Ralph Too, 2021). NOTE: Recorded October 1976
3. [7:09] Okkyung Lee: Siwan. From Signals (Flung, 2026) with Okkyung Lee (cello), Explore Ensemble: Taylor MacLennan (flute, piccolo, bass flute), Alex Roberts (bass clarinet), David López Ibáñez (violin), Christine Anderson (viola), Deni Teo (cello), Siwan Rhys (piano), Nicholas Moroz (recording engineer)
4. [13:25] Arvo Pärt: Pari intervallo. From Für Anna Maria: Complete Piano Music (Brilliant Classics, 2013) with Jeroen van Veen, Sandra van Veen (pianos). NOTE: Composed 1976, revised 2008, premiered October 27, 1976 by Hortus Musicus at Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn
5. [18:47] Meredith Monk: Realm Variations (excerpts). From Realms (Cantaloupe, 2026) with Phaedra Ensemble: Sarah Dacey, Heloise Werner (sopranos), Rosie Middleton, Donna Lennard, Kerry Andrew (altos), Oskar McCarthy (baritone), Ed Randell (bass), Dan Shao (piccolo), Heather Roche (contrabass clarinet), Rebecca Allen (bassoon), Kate Hainsworth (horn), Zahra Benyounes (violin), Phillip Granell (viola), Jean Kelly (harp), Lucy Goddard (conductor), Ronan Phelan (recording engineer, Masterchord Studio). NOTE: Composed 2012, premiere recording
SET 2: Wenchen Qin 秦文琛 at 60 [27:40]
1. [33:49] Wenchen Qin: 30 Chamber Pieces for Chinese Instruments (excerpts). From Towards a Far Place 向遠方 - 30首民樂室內樂曲集 (上集) (Beijing Jingwen, 2011) with Liu Wenjia 刘文佳 (guzheng), Central Conservatory of Music Ruan Orchestra 阮族乐团, Xia Xiaotang 夏小汤 (conductor)
2. [46:50] Wenchen Qin: The Sun Shadow VII 太陽的影子. From Chamber Music 室內音樂作品 (Beijing Jingwen, 2010). NOTE: Composed 2005 for string sextet
3. [52:10] Wenchen Qin: Winter 冬. From Towards a Far Place (credits as above)
4. [54:26] Wenchen Qin: The Border of the Mountains (ending). From The Border of the Mountains (Naxos, 2017) with Mengla Huang (violin), ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gottfried Rabl (conductor), Friedrich Trondl (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2012
5. [59:03] Outro with Qigang Chen: Iris Dévoilée (Seattle Symphony, Xian Zhang)
6. [1:02:10] Sahba Aminikia: String Quartet No. 2 (One Day, Tehran). From String Quartet Smackdown VI (Golden Hornet, 2020) with Invoke: Nick Montopoli, Zachariah Matteson (violins), Karl Mitze (viola), Geoff Manyin (cello), Buzz Moran (recording engineer, Red House Studios)
7. [1:06:07] Voice break with Steve Reich: Different Trains (Mivos Quartet)
SET 3: 50 years ago in the avant-garde, part one [1:08:08]
1. [1:09:31] Witold Lutosławski: Mi-Parti. From Concerto for Orchestra, Mi-parti, Musique Funebre (Chandos, 1996) with BBC Philharmonic, Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor), Don Hartridge (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1975–76, premiered October 22, 1976 by Concertgebouw Orchestra, Witold Lutosławski (conductor) in Rotterdam
2. [1:23:01] Voice break with Arvo Pärt: Symphony No. 1 (Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi)
SET 4: 50 years ago in the avant-garde, part two [1:25:36]
1. [1:26:40] Anthony Braxton Quartet: Four Winds. From News From The 70s: Solo, Duo and Quartet (Felmay/New Tone Records, 1998) with Anthony Braxton (saxophones), George Lewis (trombone), Dave Holland (double bass), Barry Altschul (drums). NOTE: Dave Holland composition. Recorded live October 28, 1976 in Graz, Austria
2. [1:42:23] Arvo Pärt: Sarah Was Ninety Years Old (ending). From Miserere (ECM, 1991) with Sarah Leonard (soprano), Rogers Covey-Crump, John Potter (tenors), Christopher Bowers-Broadbent (organ), Pierre Favre (percussion), Peter Laenger, Andreas Neubronner (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 1976 as Modus, revised 1989 using its final title, premiered privately April 1976 at Riga Polytechnic Institute, first public performance October 1976 by Hortus Musicus
3. [1:53:48] Outro with Arvo Pärt: Trivium (Thomas Leech, organ)
Photo credits: Wenchen Qin via Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra, Meredith Monk by Christine Alicino, George Lewis and Anthony Braxton by Dany Gignoux, Sahba Aminikia by Matthew Washburn, Music of Remembrance, Steve Reich: Different Trains, Arvo Pärt in Joonas Sildre: Between Two Sounds, Witold Lutosławski by Juliusz Multarzyński, Arvo Pärt: Sarah Was Ninety Years Old, Okkyung Lee by Eun Chun, Eyeball by The Residents.