Flotation Device pays homage to Wolfgang Rihm (1952–2024), the prolific German composer who "brought emotions back into new music". We also dive into Brett Dean's new album of concert pieces derived from his opera Hamlet, using the occasion to contemplate whether he's the first opera composer since Verdi to crack the repertory with a setting of a Shakespeare tragedy.
On the improvisational side, we sample a pair of new albums from William Parker, one featuring the late Charles Gayle and Milford Graves, the other sporting a contemporary trio with Hamid Drake and Cooper-Moore. We also hear Tony Conrad’s piercing violin one last time in a duet with Jennifer Walshe recorded just weeks before Conrad's death in 2016, but only now released on an album. New offerings by Matthew Shipp, Steve Swell, Kim Cass and Horse Lords, and premiere recordings of minimalist works by Julius Eastman and Sophia Jani round out the playlist. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2024-08-04: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Psalm 0 [0:00]
1. [1:33] Horse Lords: Zero-Degree Machine. From As It Happened: Horse Lords Live (RVNG, 2024) with Andrew Bernstein (saxophone, percussion), Owen Gardner (guitar), Max Eilbacher (bass, computer), Sam Haberman (drums), James Spankie (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live November 16, 2022 at Moth Club, London. See https://www.sequenza21.com/2024/07/horse-lords/ for more on Horse Lords
2. [8:13] Horse Lords: Intervention II. From As It Happened: Horse Lords Live (as above) with Andrew Bernstein (saxophone, percussion), Owen Gardner (guitar), Max Eilbacher (bass, computer), Sam Haberman (drums), Who/Men: Gérard Assayag, Marco Fiorino, Mikhail Malt (electronics), Luca Bagnoli (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live June 16, 2023 at Centre Pompidou, Paris
3. [12:00] Matthew Shipp, Steve Swell: Flashes. From Space Cube Jazz (RogueArt, 2024) with Steve Swell (trombone), Matthew Shipp (piano), Jim Clouse (recording engineer, Park West Studios)
4. [18:39] Peter Maxwell Davies: Psalm 124. From Ave Maris Stella: Chamber Music by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (Métier/Divine Art, 2008) with Gemini: Ileana Ruhemann (flute, alto flute), Ian Mitchell (bass clarinet, director), Caroline Balding (violin, viola), Robin Michael (cello), Stephen Goss (guitar), Clive Williamson (glockenspiel), Joby Burgess (marimba), David Lefeber (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1974, premiered July 28, 1974 at Dartington Summer School, Devon, UK by The Fires of London, Peter Maxwell Davies (direction)
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SET 2: In the drony month of May [27:06]
1. [20:50] Kim Cass: Tentacle. From Levs (Pi, 2024) with Kim Cass (bass, sampling), Laura Cocks (flutes), Adam Dotson (euphonium), Matt Mitchell (piano, Prophet-6), Tyshawn Sorey (drums), Ryan Streber (recording engineer, Oktaven Audio)
2. [33:16] Sophia Jani: Six Pieces for Solo Violin - 2. Arpeggio. From Six Pieces for Solo Violin (Squama, 2024) with Teresa Allgaier (violin), Noël Riedel (recording engineer)
3. [41:14] Julius Eastman: Our Father. From Julius Eastman Vol. 4: The Holy Presence (New Amsterdam, 2024) with Davóne Tines (multitracked voice), Wild Up (strings). NOTE: Composed 1989. First recording of this version
4. [46:01] Tony Conrad, Jennifer Walshe: In the Merry Month of May. From In the Merry Month of May (Blue Chopsticks, 2024) with Jennifer Walshe (voice, cello), Tony Conrad (violin), Quentin Chiappetta (recording engineer, mediaNoise). NOTE: Recorded 2016
5. [53:51] Outro with La Monte Young: The Tortoise Droning Selected Pitches From The Holy Numbers For The Two Black Tigers, The Green Tiger And The Hermit (with Tony Conrad)
6. [58:52] William Parker, Cooper-Moore, Hamid Drake: Atman. From Heart Trio (AUM Fidelity, 2024) with William Parker (shakuhachi), Cooper-Moore (ashimba), Hamid Drake (frame drum, drum kit), Jim Clouse (recording engineer, Park West Studios)
7. [1:02:16] Charles Gayle, William Parker, Milford Graves: Webo - A1 and E1 (excerpts). From Webo (Black Editions Archive, 2024) with Charles Gayle (tenor saxophone), William Parker (bass), Milford Graves (drums, vocals). NOTE: Recorded live June 7–8, 1991 at Webo, New York
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SET 3: Brett Dean channels Hamlet [1:11:31]
1. [1:14:15] Brett Dean: And once I played Ophelia (excerpts). From Rooms of Elsinore (Bis, 2024) with Jennifer France (soprano), Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Brett Dean (conductor), Marion Schwebel (recording engineer, Take5)
2. [1:20:42] Brett Dean: Gertrude Fragments - 2. Wring from him the cause. From Rooms of Elsinore (as above) with Lotte Betts-Dean (mezzo-soprano), Andrey Lebedev (guitar), Myles Eastwood (recording engineer)
3. [1:21:58] Brett Dean: Rooms of Elsinore (excerpts). From Rooms of Elsinore (as above) with Brett Dean (viola), Juho Pohjonen (piano), Myles Eastwood (recording engineer)
4. [1:30:09] Brett Dean: The Players - 4. Pantomime. From Rooms of Elsinore (as above) with James Crabb (accordion), Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Brett Dean (conductor), Jens Braun (recording engineer, Take5)
5. [1:34:37] Brett Dean: Gertrude Fragments - 5. If words be made of breath. From Rooms of Elsinore (credits as above)
6. [1:35:34] Brett Dean: The Players - 5. Postlude. From Rooms of Elsinore (credits as above)
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SET 4: Wolfgang Rihm (1952–2024) [1:37:25]
1. [1:40:18] Wolfgang Rihm: Jagden und Formen (2001 version). From Jagden und Formen (Deutsche Grammophon, 2002) with Ensemble Modern, Dominique My (conductor), Udo Wüstendörfer (recording engineer). NOTE: Originally composed 1995
2. [1:47:07] Wolfgang Rihm: Jagden und Formen (2008 version, conclusion). From Musica Viva #40: Jagden und Formen (BR-KLASSIK, 2022) with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Franck Ollu (conductor), Ulrike Voitz (recording engineer)
3. [1:56:15] Outro with Wolfgang Rihm: Tutugiri
Photo credits: Kim Cass via Pi Recordings, Tony Conrad by Tony Oursler, Matthew Shipp and Steve Swell by RogueArt, Milford Graves, William Parker and Charles Gayle via Black Editions Archives, Sophia Jani via Dallas Symphony, Brett Dean by Bettina Stoess, Brenda Rae as Ophelia and Allan Clayton as Hamlet by Karen Almond (Metropolitan Opera), Peter Maxwell Davies by Gunnie Moberg, Wolfgang Rihm by Astrid Ackermann, Horse Lords (Owen Gardner, Sam Haberman, Andrew Bernstein, Max Eilbacher) by Michael Schell, Julius Eastman via The Julius Eastman Project