New music for violin and percussion comes to the Northwest as we preview Emerald City Music’s premiere of works by Vivian Fung, Gabriella Smith and Joan Tower, with a Lou Harrison cameo illustrating the origins of that ensemble type. Conrad Tao helps us preview his own appearance at Seattle Symphony’s “In Recital” series with works by Ravel and David Fulmer. And some new and historical recordings of compositions by Philip Glass, Bernhard Lang, Gérard Grisey and Marcin Stańczyk illustrate the origins and ongoing influence of minimalism and spectralism. Seattleites Marc Barreca and Kerry Leimer demonstrate dark ambient music’s affinity for both those movements, while we salute fellow Northwesterner Robert Millis for his 60th birthday, Seymour Shifrin for his 100th, and Pierre Schaeffer’s final canonical work, Le Trièdre Fertile, for its 50th. Creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world with host Michael Schell on 91.3 KBCS Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma.
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Flotation Device 2026-03-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART ONE
Intro and SET 1: Millis at 60, Shifrin at 100 [0:00]
1. [1:58] Idol Ko Si: Hex Du Jour. From Idol Ko Si 5 (2182 Recording Company, 2022) with Robert Millis (guitar), Min Yee (bass), Matthew Ford (drums)
2. [4:45] Climax Golden Twins: I Want To Talk To Amy. From Session 9 (Milan, 2001) with Robert Millis, Jeffery Taylor
3. [5:53] Climax Golden Twins: OSK. From Climax Golden Twins (Fire Breathing Turtle, 2022) with Marefumi Komura, Mark Ostrowski, John Seman, Eric Lanzillotta, Mark Sullo, Alan Bishop, Climax Golden Twins: Robert Millis, Jeffery Taylor
4. [9:39] Climax Golden Twins: Campfire Syndrome. From Climax Golden Twins (Fire Breathing Turtle, 2022) with Min Yee, Matthew Ford, Climax Golden Twins: Robert Millis, Jeffery Taylor
5. [13:04] Pierre Schaeffer: Le Trièdre fertile - 1. Impromptu. From L'Œuvre musicale (INA-GRM, 2010). NOTE: Realized 1975, premiered February 26, 1976 in Rennes, France
6. [16:35] Seymour Shifrin: Satires of Circumstance (excerpts). From Spectrum: New American Music, Volume II (Nonesuch, 1969) with Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano), The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble: Thomas Nyfenger (flute, piccolo), Arthur Bloom (clarinet), Paul Zukofsky (violin), Ko Iwasaki (cello), Jeffrey Levine (double bass), Gilbert Kalish (piano), Arthur Weisberg (conductor), Marc J. Aubort (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1964
7. [20:58] Vivian Fung: The Ice is Talking (excerpts). From Weather Systems II: Soundlines (On Language and the Land) (Islandia, 2023) with Steven Schick (amplified ice), Vivian Fung (electronics), Andrew Munsey (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2018
SET 2: Percussion in Seattle [29:47]
1. [35:24] Vivian Fung: Pizzicato. From Dim Sum (Telarc, 2008) with Ying Quartet: Janet Ying, Timothy Ying (violins), Phillip Ying (Viola), David Ying (cello), Robert Friedrich (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2001
2. [39:12] Joan Tower: Small. From Strike Zones (Naxos, 2021) with Evelyn Glennie (percussion), Silas Brown (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2016
3. [45:43] Joan Tower interviewed by Michael Schell (2021)
4. [47:18] Joan Tower: Strike Zones (excerpts). From Strike Zones (as above) with Evelyn Glennie (percussion), Albany Symphony, David Alan Miller (conductor), Silas Brown (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2001, recorded 2014
5. [53:44] Joan Tower: To Sing or Dance (excerpt). Performed live July 2024 by Soovin Kim (violin), Sandbox Percussion at Chamber Music Northwest, Portland State University
6. [59:43] Outro with Lou Harrison: Concerto for Violin and Percussion Orchestra (Niklas Walentin, Percurama Percussion Ensemble)
Flotation Device 2026-03-01: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell - PART TWO
7. [1:04:16] Philip Glass: What Time is Grey. From 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (Orange Mountain, 2026) with Third Angle New Music: Sarah Tiedemann (flute, piccolo, wind synthesizer), John Nastos (flute, soprano saxophone), Sean Fredenburg (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Arwen Myers (voice), Maria Garcia, Yoko Greeney (synthesizers), Nikolas Caoile (conductor), Branic Howard (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1988, first complete recording
SET 3: Minimalism and spectralism [1:10:01]
1. [1:12:24] Bernhard Lang: Hermetika IX: Vox Angeli II (excerpts). From Hermetika IX (Kairos, 2026) with Els Mondelaers (mezzo-soprano), Nadar Ensemble: Katrien Baelens (flutes), Dries Tack (clarinets), Thomas Moore (trombone), Mar Berendsen (violin), Jasmijn Lootens (cello), Nico Couck (electric guitar), Elisa Medinilla (keyboard), Yves Goemaere (percussion), Pieter Matthynssens (electronics, conductor), Wannes Gonnissen (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2018, premiere recording
2. [1:20:06] Gérard Grisey: Partiels. From Partiels, Dérives (Erato, 1981) with Ensemble Ars Nova, Boris de Vinogradov (conductor), Yolanta Skura (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1975, premiered March 4, 1976, Paris
SET 4: Post-spectralism [1:38:59]
1. [1:42:27] Marc Barreca, Kerry Leimer: Bitter Grey. From Drowning Guides (Palace of Lights, 2022)
2. [1:51:16] Marcin Stańczyk: Geysir-Grisey. From Mosaïque (Kairos, 2021) with Klangforum Wien: Sophie Schafleitner (violin), Dimitrios Polisoisis (viola), Michael Seifried (double bass), Florian Müller, Hsin-Huei Huang (pianos), Patrick Hahn (conductor), Gerald Preinfalk (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2006, premiere recording
3. [2:07:54] David Fulmer: I have loved a stream and a shadow. From Immaculate sigh of stars (New Focus, 2024) with Conrad Tao (piano), Ryan Streber (recording engineer, Oktaven Audio)
4. [2:14:29] Outro with Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit (Conrad Tao)
Photo credits: Marcin Stańczyk by Paride Galeone, Sandbox Percussion (Jonny Allen, Terry Sweeney, Ian Rosenbaum, Victor Caccese) by Alex Lee, Conrad Tao by Brantley Gutierrez, Robert Millis at Kyushu University, Gérard Grisey by Jackie Carson, Joan Tower by Bernard Mindich, Bernhard Lang by Harald Hoffmann, Vivian Fung by Geneviève Caron, Pierre Schaeffer via ISM, Philip Glass by Danny Clinch