Steven Mackey joins host Michael Schell to talk about his new theater piece Memoir, his journey from rock guitarist to modernist composer (and their eventual fusion), and how his late mother inspired works like Memoir and his violin concerto Beautiful Passing. Death plays a much darker role in the music of Luigi Nono, who gets a retrospective look for his centenary. We revisit the more conciliatory music of John Tavener for his 80th birthday. An Ursula Mamlok premiere recording, plus new improvised and fixed-media tracks by Mary Halvorson, Kate Gentile, Doug Haire, Philip Zoubek, International Contemporary Ensemble, The Late Unpleasantness, Mats Gustafsson and Tani Tabbal round out the high-impact playlist.
Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, from KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Photo credits and annotated playlist with Comments.
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Flotation Device 2024-01-28: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Steven Mackey [0:00]
1. [1:32] Philip Zoubek Trio Extended: Statics. From Mirage (Boomslang, 2023) with Philip Zoubek (piano, synthesizer), David Helm (bass), Dominik Mahnig (drums), Leonhard Huhn (woodwinds), Elisabeth Coudoux (cello), Shiau-shiuan Hung (vibraphone, cello), Stefan Deistler (recording engineer)
2. [2:24] Philip Zoubek Trio Extended: M. From Mirage (credits as above)
3. [6:12] Steven Mackey: Slide of Dog. From Lonely Motel: Music from Slide (Cedille, 2010) with Steven Mackey (guitar), Rinde Eckert (vocals), Eighth Blackbird: Tim Munro (flutes), Michael J. Maccaferri (clarinets), Matt Albert (violin, viola), Nick Photinos (cello), Matthew Duvall (percussion), Lisa Kaplan (piano), Tom Lazarus, Bill Maylone (recording engineers)
4. [11:51] Steven Mackey: Triceros (excerpt). From The Brandenburg Project (BIS, 2021) with Håkan Hardenberger (piccolo trumpet, C trumpet, flugelhorn), Fiona Kelly (flute, piccolo, alto flute), Mårten Larsson (oboe, English horn), Antje Weithaas (violin), Björn Gäfvert (harpsichord), Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard (conductor), Christian Starke (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed in 2015
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SET 2: When they are dying [17:51]
1. [20:46] Steven Mackey in conversation with Michael Schell (excerpts from Memoir performed by Natalie Christa, arx duo and Dover Quartet)
2. [40:54] Steven Mackey: Beautiful Passing (excerpt). From Beautiful Passing (Canary Classics, 2022) with Anthony Marwood (violin), Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson (conductor), Bob Scott (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2008, first recording
3. [50:56] Luigi Nono: Quando Stanno Morendo, Diario Polacco No. 2 (excerpt). From Quando Stanno Morendo (col legno, 2004) with Pirmin Grehl (bass flute), Erik Borgir (cello), Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart: Susanne Leitz-Lorey, Angelika Luz, Anja Metzger (sopranos), Barbara Stein (alto), Manfred Schreier (conductor), Digital Masters Stuttgart (live electronics), Robert F. Schneider (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1982
4. [55:48] Luigi Nono: “Hay que caminar” soñando (excerpt). From La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura (Deutsche Grammophon, 1992) with Gidon Kremer, Tatiana Grindenko (violins), Peter Laenger (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1989
5. [56:29] Outro with Luigi Nono: Il Canto Sospeso (with Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Claudio Abbado)
6. [1:00:55] Mary Halvorson: Desiderata. From Cloudward (Nonesuch, 2024) with Amaryllis Sextet: Mary Halvorson (guitar), Adam O’Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Chris Allen (recording engineer)
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SET 3: From the Northwest and beyond [1:07:32]
1. [1:08:54] Tani Tabbal: Intentional. From Intentional (Mahakala, 2023) with Adam Siegel (alto saxophone), Joe McPhee (tenor saxophone), Michael Bisio (bass), Tani Tabbal (drums), Jeffrey Frey (recording engineer)
2. [1:13:47] Ursula Mamlok: Mosaics (excerpts). From Ursula Mamlok Vol. 6 (Bridge, 2023) with Cheryl Seltzer, Joel Sachs (piano four hands), David Starobin (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2011, premiere recording
3. [1:19:09] The Late Unpleasantness: The Three Ts Band and Show. From The Three Ts Band and Show (Bandcamp, 2023) with Donna Brown AKA The Late Unpleasantness
4. [1:21:22] Doug Haire: Anti-Counterclockwise. From Slow Normal (Bandcamp, 2024)
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SET 4: Tavener at 80 [1:24:42]
1. [1:27:27] Kate Gentile: vlimb. From b i o m e i.i (Obliquity, 2023) with Kate Gentile (drums, percussion), International Contemporary Ensemble: Isabel Lepanto Gleicher (flute, piccolo), Joshua Rubin (clarinet, bass clarinet), Rebekah Heller (bassoon), Jennifer Curtis (violin), Cory Smythe (piano), Ross Karre (vibraphone, percussion), Ryan Streber (recording engineer)
2. [1:31:35] Kate Gentile: xooox. From b i o m e i.i (credits as above)
3. [1:35:40] Mats Gustafsson: EE Opus One (excerpt). From EE Opus One (Trost, 2023) with Ensemble E: Helga Myhr (hardanger fiddle), Sylwia Świątkowska (Bilgoraj suka), Susana Santos Silva (trumpet), Maniucha Bikont (vocal, tuba), Daniel Formo (organ, prepared piano), Arne Forsén (prepared piano, clavichord, percussion), Mats Gustafsson (baritone sax, flute, spilåpipa, conductor), Mikael Werliin (recording engineer)
4. [1:42:14] John Tavener: The Whale - The Storm. From The Whale (Apple, 1970) with Anna Reynolds (mezzo-soprano), Raimund Herincx (baritone), Alvar Lidell (speaker), John Tavener (organ, Hammond organ), London Sinfonietta and Chorus, David Atherton (conductor), Adrian Revell (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1968
5. [1:45:42] John Tavener: Celtic Requiem - 3. Requiescat in pace. From Celtic Requiem (Apple, 1971) with June Barton (soprano), John Tavener (organ), London Sinfonietta and Chorus, Children from the Little Missenden Village School, David Atherton (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1969
6. [1:47:00] John Tavener: The Protecting Veil (excerpts). From The Protecting Veil, In Alium (Naxos, 1999) with Maria Kliegel (cello), Ulster Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa (conductor), Tim Handley (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1989
7. [1:53:08] Outro with John Tavener: Song for Athene
Photo credits: The Late Unpleasantness via the artist, Amaryllis Sextet (Nick Dunston, Adam O’Farrill, Patricia Brennan, Jacob Garchik, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara) by Ernest Stuart, Luigi Nono and Nuria Schoenberg Nono via Ricordi, Tani Tabbal by Albert Brooks, Steven Mackey by Michael Schell, Kate Gentile by Sofie Kjørum Austlid, Philip Zoubek by Jennifer Rumbach, Doug Haire via the artist, Mats Gustafsson by Michele Giotto, Ursula Mamlok via Dwight & Ursula Mamlok Stiftung, John Tavener via his estate