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Flotation Device celebrates the 100th birthdays of Luciano Berio and Cathy Berberian, and the 70th birthday of Toshio Hosokawa. We use the opportunity to examine the divergent postmodern aesthetics of extravagance and modesty (represented by Berio and Hosokawa respectively), and to contrast Berio’s abstract and referential sides. We also pay our respects to the late harpist Carol Levin, explore new improvisational selections by Patricia Brennan and Craig Taborn, and examine Gabriella Smith's Lost Coast for its West coast premiere with Seattle Symphony. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell.
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Tracklist
Playing tracks by Spontanea, Patricia Brennan, Luciano Berio, Gabriella Smith, Craig Taborn, Nels Cline, Marcus Gilmore and more.
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Flotation Device 2025-10-19: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Carol Levin (1946–2025) [0:00]
1. [2:13] Spontanea: Svaha. From Quintaphonic (Right Brain, 2021) with Carol J. Levin (electric harp, percussion), Kenneth Mandell (saxophones, flute, percussion), Matthew Benham (electric guitar, effects), James Hoskins (cello), Scott Schaffer (bass, mandola), Garey Shelton (recording engineer)
2. [9:59] Patricia Brennan: Andromeda, Citlalli. From Of the Near and Far (Pyroclastic, 2025) with Josh Modney, Pala Garcia (violins), Kyle Armbrust (viola), Michael Nicolas (cello), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), Miles Okazaki (guitar), Kim Cass (bass), John Hollenbeck (drums, percussion), Arktureye (electronics), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone, electronics, marimba), Eli Greenhoe (conductor), Chris Allen (recording engineer, Sear Sound)
3. [18:20] Stuart Dempster on Sequenza V (from interview with Michael Schell available at https://tinyurl.com/StuartDempster)
4. [19:06] Luciano Berio: Sequenza V for trombone. From Sequenzas (Mode, 2006) with Stuart Dempster (trombone), Norbert Kraft (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1966, premiered March 21, 1966, San Francisco by Stuart Dempster. Recorded 1995
Voice break with Luciano Berio: Sinfonia (Ludovic Morlot, Seattle Symphony, Roomful of Teeth) and SET 2: Lost Coast [24:05]
1. [28:10] Luciano Berio: Chemins I. From Orchestral Works (Col Legno, 2008) with Anna Verkholantseva (harp), Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins (conductor), Josef Schütz (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1965 for harp and orchestra after Sequenza II for solo harp (1963)
2. [42:27] Gabriella Smith: Lost Coast I. From Lost Coast (Bedroom Community, 2021) with Gabriella Smith (vocals, percussion, mouth pops), Nadia Sirota (viola, percussion, mouth pops), Gabriel Cabezas (cello, percussion), Francesco Fabris (recording engineer)
3. [54:57] Outro with Gabriella Smith: Tarn
4. [59:00] Craig Taborn, Nels Cline, Marcus Gilmore: Why Canada. From Trio of Bloom (Pyroclastic, 2025) with Nels Cline (5-string and 12-string guitars, lap steel guitar), Craig Taborn (keyboards), Marcus Gilmore (drums, percussion), Ben Greenberg (recording engineer, The Bunker). NOTE: Composition by Craig Taborn
SET 3: Hosokawa at 70 [1:02:07]
1. [1:04:17] Toshio Hosokawa: Landscape I. From Silent Flowers: String Quartets (Wergo, 2013) with Arditti Quartet: Irvine Arditti, Ashot Sarkissjan (violins), Ralf Ehlers (viola), Lucas Fels (cello), Norbert Vossen (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1992
SET 4: Berio at 100 [1:16:38]
1. [1:19:12] Luciano Berio: Laborintus II (excerpt). From Laborintus II (Ipecac, 2012) with Mike Patton (narrator), Nederlands Kamerkoor, Ictus Ensemble, Georges-Elie Octors (conductor), Alexandre Fostier (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1965
2. [1:24:47] Luciano Berio: Rendering - Movement 3 (excerpt). From Schubert: Symphonien 1–8, Dialog & Epilog (Tudor, 2011) with Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie, Jonathan Nott (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1988–90
SET 5: Berberian at 100 [1:31:49]
1. [1:34:11] Luciano Berio: Visage. From Les Espaces Électroacoustiques (Col Legno, 2016). With Cathy Berberian (voice), Alvise Vidolin (digital mix). NOTE: Realized 1961 at RAI Studio di Fonologia Musicale, Milan
2. [1:55:24] Outro with Luciano Berio: Folksongs (Cathy Berberian, Juilliard Ensemble, Luciano Berio)
3. [1:58:46] Shelley Hirsch on Cathy Berberian (from interview with Michael Schell available at https://tinyurl.com/ShelleyHirsch)
Photo credits: Carol Levin via the artist, Toshio Hosokawa by Kaz Ishikawa, Luciano Berio by Gisela Bauknecht, Trio of Bloom (Craig Taborn, Nels Cline, Marcus Gilmore) by Frank Heath, Sequenza V by Luciano Berio, Patricia Brennan by Werner Siebert, Luciano Berio and Cathy Berberian via Seattle Chamber Orchestra, Gabriella Smith via the artist, Stuart Dempster via Still Listening
Flotation Device features creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell, Sunday nights 10pm–Midnight Pacific Time on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma. Visit us online at https://www.mixcloud.com/FlotationDevice.