Radio Eclectus bids farewell to Frederic Rzewski and Louis Andriessen, devoting an hour each to these icons of the postmodern avant-garde. We trace the key waypoints in their careers with excerpts from their most influential works, and sample some rare and little-known recordings by and of them alongside a single, longer work that summarizes each composer’s oeuvre.
We also honor the 90th birthday of Louis Ballard with a newly-restored recording of an important percussion work for a battery of Western and Native American instruments. Plus, we hear a new string trio by Sally Beamish, and a new live electronic album by Ikue Mori and Tania Caroline Chen juxtaposed with a Stockhausen landmark of that genre that’s just turned 50. Radical new music from the Northwest and beyond with host Michael Schell.
Featuring Zeitgeist, Eblana String Trio, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Asterisk, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Bang on a Can and Igor Levit. Annotated playlist and photo credits in Comments.
Comments
Annotated playlist for show #91
Intro and SET 1 [0:00]
1. [2:43] Frederic Rzewski: Wails.From Zeitgeist Plays Rzewski (OO Discs, 1994) with Zeitgeist: Heather Barringer, Jay Johnson (percussion), Thomas Linker (keyboards), Robert Samarotto (woodwinds) and guest Joseph Holmquist (percussion), Russ Borud (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1984
2. [15:07] Sally Beamish: The King's Alchemist. From The King's Alchemist (Willowhayne, 2021) with Eblana String Trio: Jonathan Martindale (violin), Lucy Nolan (viola), Peggy Nolan (cello), Oscar Torres (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2013
3. [25:44] Louis Ballard: Cacéga Ayuwípi (Decorative Drums) - 2. Desert/Mountains, 3. Plains/Woods. From Incident At Wounded Knee (Wakan Native American Classics, 1987) with percussion players from Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Louis Ballard (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1970, Digital restoration via Andrew Rosenblum
4. [36:21] Frederic Rzewski: The Road - Mile 33 (Where Are You Running?). Performed October 2002 by Frederic Rzewski (piano) via Werner Icking Music Archive⠀
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SET 2: Frederic Rzewski (1938–2021) [42:13]
1. [46:20] Rzewski in retrospect. NOTE: An overview of Rzewski's career can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/Rzewski
2. [55:37] Frederic Rzewski: Moonrise with Memories - Part II. Performed June 2008 at Music08, Cincinnati by Asterisk: C. Neil Parsons (bass trombone), Zara Lawler (flutes, voice), Meaghan Heinrich (oboe, voice), Bonnie Whiting (percussion, voice). NOTE: Composed 1977, text by Langston Hughes
3. [1:00:50] Frederic Rzewski: De Profundis. From Rzewski Plays Rzewski: Piano Works, 1975–1999 (Nonesuch, 2002) with Frederic Rzewski (piano). Note: Composed 1994⠀
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SET 3: Louis Andriessen (1939–2021) [1:33:23]
1. [1:35:01] Andriessen in retrospect
2. [1:41:26] Louis Andriessen: Workers Union. From Workers Union (Lin, 2017) with Onur Başkurt (drums), Amy Salsgiver (MalletKAT), Kerem Öktem (synth). NOTE: Composed 1975
3. [1:56:08] Louis Andriessen: De Materie (excerpts). From De Materie (Nonesuch, 1996) with Asko Ensemble, Schönberg Ensemble, members of the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Reinbert de Leeuw (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1984–1988⠀
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SET 4: Stockhausen's progeny [2:30:07]
1. [2:34:02] Tania Caroline Chen, Ikue Mori: stratospheric. From Iridescence (Bandcamp, 2021) with Tania Caroline Chen (piano), Ikue Mori (electronics), Andrya Ambro (recording engineer)
2. [2:39:45] Karlheinz Stockhausen: Prozession (excerpt). From Prozession (Deutsche Grammophon, 1975, reissued 1995 by Stockhausen-Verlag as Stockhausen Edition 11: Prozession, Ceylon) with Christoph Caskel (tam-tam), Joachim Krist (tam-tam microphone), Péter Eötvös (electrochord), Harald Bojé (electronium), Aloys Kontarsky (piano), Karlheinz Stockhausen (filters, potentiometers, sound projection). NOTE: Composed 1967, recorded June 27, 1971 at WDR, Cologne
Photo credits: Musica Elettronica Viva (Curran, Rzewski, Teitelbaum) via the artists, Sally Beamish by Mihaela Bodlovic, Louis Andriessen by Francesca Patella, Karlheinz Stockhausen during the recording of Prozession (June 27, 1971) by Werner Scholz, Tania Caroline Chen by Fabio Lugaro, Ikue Mori by Caroline Mardok, Frederic Rzewski by Michael Wilson via Second Inversion, Louis Ballard via the artist.