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Flotation Device welcomes Irvine Arditti to the show to talk about the celebrated string quartet that bears his name. Conversation topics include the quartet's history of collaboration with composers as wide-ranging as John Cage, Stockhausen, Ligeti and Ferneyhough, and their upcoming performance at Seattle's Meany Center—their first ever appearance in the Pacific Northwest. We also preview upcoming Earshot Jazz Festival concerts by John Hollenbeck, Anna Webber, Jessica Lurie, as well as Seattle Chamber Orchestra's centennial celebration of Feldman and Kurtág. A fond look at a Takemitsu orchestral gem for its 50th anniversary rounds out the playlist. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell.
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Flotation Device 2026-10-11: Annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Coming to Seattle [0:00]
1. [2:13] Fred Frith: Identity Crisis [excerpt]. From All Is Always Now (Fred Frith Live at the Stone) (Intakt, 2019) with Jessica Lurie (alto sax), Fred Frith Trio: Fred Frith (electric guitar), Jason Hoopes (electric bass), Jordan Glenn (drums), Jeremiah Cymerman (recording engineer). NOTE: Recorded live December 9, 2014 at The Stone, New York
2. [6:23] Joël-François Durand: Musica fict(iv)a - 1. Musica fict(iv)a, 3. Faux-bourdon. From Musica fictiva (Kairos, 2026) with Chicago Wind Project: Constance Volk (flute, piccolo), Andrew Nogal (oboe), Katherine Jimoh (clarinet), Matt Oliphant (French horn), Ben Roidl-Ward (bassoon), Andrew Munsey (recording engineer)
3. [10:17] György Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2 - 3. Come un meccanismo di precisione, 4. Presto furioso, 5. Allegro con delicatezza. From Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets (Sony, 1996) with Arditti String Quartet: Irvine Arditti, David Alberman (violins), Garth Knox (viola), Rohan de Saram (cello), Ulrich Schneider (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1968
SET 2: The Ardittis in retrospect [20:44]
1. [23:11] Irvine Arditti in conversation with Michael Schell. NOTE: Video at https://tinyurl.com/ArdittiInterview
2. [43:53] Brian Ferneyhough: String Quartet No. 3 [excerpts]. From Complete Works for String Quartet & Trios (æon/Outhere, 2014) with Arditti Quartet: Irvine Arditti, Ashot Sarkissjan (violins), Ralf Ehlers (viola), Lucas Fels (cello). NOTE: Composed 1987
3. [1:03:50] Outro with Ludwig van Beethoven: Grosse Fuge, Op. 133 (Arditti Quartet)
4. [1:08:17] John Hollenbeck: Lewis (dedicated to George Lewis). From Looking for Consonance (Out of Your Head, 2026) with George: Anna Webber (flute), Sarah Rossy, Chiquita Magic (voices, synthesizers), John Hollenbeck (drums, glockenspiel), Nanni Johansson (recording engineer, Hansa Studios)
SET 3: Kurtág at 100 [1:16:31]
1. [1:18:27] Anna Webber: Agitation as the Goal (George Saunders) [excerpt]. From It’s easier to imagine the end of the world… (Intakt/Out of Your Head, 2026) with Anna Webber, Ingrid Laubrock, Yuma Uesaka (soprano saxophones), Ryan Easter (trumpet), DoYeon Kim (25-string gayageum), Mary Halvorson (guitar), David Virelles (piano), Chris Tordini (bass), Ches Smith (drums), Aaron Nevezie (recording engineer, The Bunker Studio)
2. [1:25:51] György Kurtág: Six Moments musicaux, Op. 44. From Complete String Quartets (ATMA Classique, 2016) with Molinari Quartet: Olga Ranzenhofer, Frédéric Bednarz (violins), Frédéric Lambert (viola), Pierre-Alain Bouvrette (cello), Carlos Prieto (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1999–2005
SET 4: Feldman at 100, Marginalia at 50 [1:39:26]
1. [1:43:01] Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet. From Piano and String Quartet (Nonesuch, 1993) with Aki Takahashi (piano), Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola), Joan Jeanrenaud (cello), Bob Edwards, Judith Sherman (recording engineers). NOTE: Composed 1984, premiered November 2, 1985 by these performers at New Music America, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
2. [1:53:06] Tōru Takemitsu: Marginalia. From Winter, Marginalia, Gitimalya (JVC, 1982) with Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Hiroyuki Iwaki (conductor), Fumio Hattori (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 1976, premiered October 10, 1976 by these performers in Tokyo
3. [2:03:41] Outro with Alban Berg: String Quartet, Op. 3 (Arditti Quartet)
Photo credits: Arditti Quartet (Ashot Sarkissjan, Irvine Arditti, Lucas Fels, Ralf Ehlers) by Manu Theobald, Brian Ferneyhough: String Quartet No. 3, Joël-François Durand by Steve Korn, George (Chiquita Magic, Anna Webber, Sarah Rossy, John Hollenbeck) by T.J. Huff, Jessica Lurie via Key Leaves, Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, Tōru Takemitsu by Kiyotane Hayashi, Irvine Arditti and György Ligeti by Garth Knox, Morton Feldman by Joe Traver.