Playlist 10 April

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Rhonda Rider. Naissance. Dalit Hadass Warshaw. The Grand Canyon Project: Music for Solo Cello. 2013. MSR Classics

Joseph Lulloff & Yu-Lien The. New Stories for alto saxophone and piano. Dorothy Chang. New Stories. 2023. Blue Griffin

Lachlan Skipworth. Piano Trio. Lachlan Skipworth. Clariet Quintet, Piano Trio, Intercurrent. 2019. Navona

Danish String Quartet. String Quartet No 15 in E-flar minor: Serenade – Adagio. Dmitri Shostakovich. Prism I. 2018. ECM New Series

John McCabe. Gymnopedie No 3. Erik Satie. Piano Masterpieces. 2005. Regis Records

John Harle. The Green Ray. Gavin Bryars. Nyman Bryars Westbrook. 1992. Argo Decca

Seth Josel. Arien IV, Solo Music for Guitar. Sidney Corbett. Long Distance. 1995. NWCRI

Lina Yoo Min Lee. Gagopa. Misook Kim. N.R.. . N.R.

Trio Solis. Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano. Jean Francaix. Diamonds in a Haystack. 2012. MSR Classics

Danish String Quartet. String Quartet No. 15 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 144: I. Elegy. Adagio. Dmitri Shostakovich. Prism I. 2018. ECM New Series

Moscow Soloists – Yuri Bashmet. Trio Sonata. Alfred Schnittke. Schnittke Viola Concerto. 1991. RCA Red Seal – BMG

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Playlist 3 April

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Anthony McGill & Pacifica Quartet. Quintet. James Lee III. American Stories. 2022. Cedille

The Danish String Quartet. Quartetto Breve. Per Nørgård. Thomas Ades, Per Nørgård, Hans Abrahamsen. 2016. ECM

The Latvian Philharmonic Trio. Episodi e canto perpetuo (Hommage a O. Messiaen). Peteris Vasks. Vasks Chamber Music. 1996. Conifer – BMG

John Bruce Yeh & Patrick Godon. Sonata in One Movement for Clarinet and Piano. Alexander Tcherepnin. Chicago Clarinet Classics. 2023. Cedille

Seth Josel. Ciacona. Aaron Jay Kernis. Long Distance. 1995. NWCRI

Malmö Symphony Orchestra. In Memoriam. Alfred Schnittke. Schnittke: In Memoriam – Viola Concerto. 1989. BIS

The Danish String Quartet. Arcadiana. Thomas Ades. Thomas Ades, Per Norgard, Hans Abrahamsen. 2016. ECM

Trio of London. Time Will Pronoune. Michael Nyman. Time Will Pronounce. 1993. Decca

Joseph Lulloff & Yu-Lien The. Detroit Steel. David Beidenbender. New Stories. 2023. Blue Griffin

Vicki Ray. Bad Times Coming. Shaun Naidoo. From the Left Edge. 1999. NWCRI

San Francisco Symphony directed by Edo De Waart. Harmonielehre Part II The Anfortas Wound. John Adams. Harmonielehre. 1985. Elektra Asylum Nonesuch

Steve Reich Conversations

CONVERSATIONS
Steve Reich
Hanover Square Press, 2022
Illustrated. 347 pp.

In a series of interviews with musicians and other performing artists, composer Steve Reich discusses contemporary music performance over the last 50 years in the U.S. and Western Europe.

In the process we learn about Reich’s formative years, his attraction to Early Music (especially Perotin), his life-changing introduction to Stravinsky’s music, his love of Balinese gamelan, his lack of engagement with music of the Classic and Romantic periods, and his use of tape as a compositional device.

The 19 interview subjects offer varying perspectives on performing Reich’s pieces, including Drumming, Music for 18 Musicians, Different Trains, Tehillim, Electric Counterpoint, WTC 9/11, and Four Organs.

In turn, Reich encourages his colleagues to discuss their own artistic development and creative processes, which is a real treat if you follow the careers of Brian Eno, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Jonny Greenwood, the Kronos Quartet, or Stephen Sondheim.  Making brief cameo appearances amidst these conversations are David Bowie, John Cage, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Pat Metheny.

This collection of interviews will entertain any reader with some knowledge of 20^th-Century music in general and Reich in particular. At times the discussions of music theory and fine points of performance get really deep into the weeds, and might be skimmed over. And, truth be told, hyperbole is used quite liberally, making one wonder whether perhaps Reich can fly under his own power.

But Reich is not stuck on himself. He eagerly probes these composers and instrumentalists about their work and the reader senses a real shared admiration among these artists. The book is about all 19 of these creative spirits and their contributions to culture over the past five decades.

Playlist 27 March

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Simon Smith et al. Serenade for Two Violins & Viola: Lento. Zoltan Kodaly. Kodaly & Dohnanyi Chamber Works for Strings. 2017. Resonus

The Heath Quartet. String Quartet No. 3, Sz. 85. Bela Bartok. Bartok: Complete String Quartets. 2017. harmonia mundi

New York Chamber Symphony & Gerard Schwarz. Sinfonietta. Walter Piston. Walter Piston Symphonies 2&6, Sinfonietta. 1990. Delos

Jeroen van Veen & Sandra van Veen. Minimal Preludes, Book IV: Prelude No. 33 in A Minor for Piano Four Hands. Jeroen Van Veen. Van Veen: Piano Music. 2014. Brilliant Classics

The Atlantic Ensemble. Savannah Shadows. Michael Kurek. Kurek: The Sea Knows. 2017. Navona

Anthony McGill & Pacifica Quartet. Four Angels. Richard Danielpour. American Stories. 2022. Cedille

The Astra Choir. Morning Song. John J Becker. Unsettled Choruses. 2023. New World

John McCabe. Sports et Divertissements. Erik Satie. Piano Masterpieces. 2005. Regis Records

Richard Stoltzman & Mika Stoltzman. Begin Sweet World. Bill Douglas. Last Solo Album: From My Life. 2022. DENON

Joseph Lulloff & Yu-Lien The. Wrath. Stacy Garrop. New Stories. 2023. Blue Griffin

Pulse Trio. Heroic Measures. Dorothy Hindman. Tightly Wound – Music for Strings. 2017. Innova

Chicago Saxophone Quartet. Inside Out. Joseph Koykkar. Double Takes and Triple Plays. 2016. Ravello

London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. Three Movements for Orchestra. Steve Reich. Tehillim, Three Movements. 1994. Elektra

Playlist 20 March

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Eighth Blackbird. Coming Together. Frederic Rzewski. Rzewski: Fred – Music of Frederic Rzewski. 2000. Cedille

Maggini Quartet. String Quartet No. 2, “Spring Waters”. William Alwyn. Alwyn: String Quartets Nos. 1-3. 2008. Naxos

Eroica Trio. An Eroica Trio: I. Astor II. Maurice. Raimundo Penaforte. Eroica Trio: Pasion. 2000. Angel/EMI Classics

John Bruce Yeh. The Forgiveness Train for two clarinets. Teresa Reilly. Chicago Clarinet Classics. 2023. Cedille

Jeroen van Veen. Minimal Preludes, Book III: Prelude No. 26 in B-Flat Minor. Jeroen van Veen. Van Veen: Piano Music. 2014. Brilliant Classics

Todd Welbourne et al. A Three Point Perspective. Joseph Koykkar. Expressed in Units. 1992. Northeastern Records

Quatuor Tana. WTC 9/11 for string quartet and prerecorded tape. Steve Reich. Steve Reich WTC 9/11. 2016. Megadisc Classics

Fuse Ensemble. No Matter Where. Gina Biver. The Music of Gina Biver. 2018. Ravello Records

Antal Zalai & Jozsef Balog. Rhapsody No 2 Sz89. Béla Bartók. Bartok: Complete Works for Violin, Vol. 3. 2013. Brilliant Classics

Parker Quartet. Capriccio, Pt. 2: Terpsichore. Jeremy Gill. Jeremy Gill: Capriccio. 2015. Innova

Ensemble Modern. Times Beach. Frank Zappa. Zappa The Yellow Shark. 1993. Rykodisc

Apartment House. String Quartet No. 1, “In Praise of Poor Scholars”. Peter Garland. Garland: String Quartet No. 1 & 2. 2009. Cold Blue Music

Ariel Lanyi at Farley’s Salon Piano Series

A full house witnessed the breathtaking talent of Ariel Lanyi March 5 as he offered a program of late classical and full-blooded Romantic music at Farley’s House of Pianos. Sunday’s recital included Beethoven’s Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2; César Franck’s Prélude, aria et final, Op. 23, and Robert Schumann’s Symphonic Études, Op. 13.

Born in Jerusalem in 1997, Lanyi studied at the High School and Conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy of Music. He completed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2021. Among Lanyi’s many instructors are Robert Levin, Murray Perahia, Imogen Cooper, and the late Leon Fleisher. His awards include First Prize at the 2018 Grand Prix Animato Competition in Paris; First Prize in the Dudley International Piano Competition; and a finalist award at the Rubinstein Competition.

Beethoven’s 1795 Sonata grows from an Allegro (think woodland creatures) to the hymn-like Largo to the Scherzo Allegretto – Trio, which clearly nods to the music of Haydn, to whom it was dedicated.

Lanyi was fun to watch. When his right hand was busy, the left made a graceful arc in the air, where it hung, until dropping lightly to the keyboard at the right moment. And his face anticipated the phrase to come, with a smile, or a furrowed brow.

Read the review

Playlist 6 March

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date Released. Label

Eighth Blackbird. Les moutons de Panurge. Frederic Rzewski. Fred. 2005. Cedille

Alban Berg Quartett. Notturno (Quartetto III) [Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1994]. Luciano Berio. Lutosławski: Streichquartett – Urbanner: Streichquartett No. 4 – Berio: Notturno. 1997. Warner Classics

Trio Solisti. Piano Trio No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 76. Joaquin Turina. Café Music. 2009. Bridge Records

Helene Grimaud & Konstantin Krimmel. La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Valentin Silvestrov. Silvestrov: Silent Songs. 2023. DG

Liza Ferschtman. Sequenza VIII for Violin. Luciano Berio. Biber  Bartók  Berio  Bach. 2014. Challenge Classics

Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich cond. David Zinman. Oboe Concerto in D major. Richard Strauss. Richard Strauss Metamorphosen. 2002. Arte Nova

Juilliard String Quartet. String Quartet No 7 in es. Paul Hindemith. Paul Hindemith The String Quartets. 2017. Wergo

Trio Appassionata. Piano Trio. Leon Kirchner. Gone into night are all the eyes. 2014. Odradek Records

Amalia Hall & David Starobin. Schrodinger’s Cat. Poul Ruders. Poul Ruders Volume 9. 2014. Bridge Records

Nathaniel Bartlett. Vermont Counterpoint. Steve Reich. Nathaniel Bartlett: Precipice – Modern Marimba. 2006. Albany Records

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra directed by Marin Alsop. Symphony No 3. Philip Glass. Glass: Symphonies Nos 2 and 3. 2004. Naxos

Playlist 27 February

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date Released. Label

Andras Schiff. Sonata 1.X.1905. Leos Janacek. A Recollection. 2001. ECM

Arabella Steinbacher and Robert Kulek. Sonata for violin and piano in E flat Op 18. Richard Strauss. Franck, R. Strauss Sonatas for violin & piano. 2014. Pentatone

Jennifer Koh. Cloud Trio. Jennifer Koh. Saariaho x Koh. 2018. Cedille

Meta4. String Quartet No 1 op 7. Bela Bartok. Bartok String Quartets No 1 & 5. 2014. Hanssler Classic

Ensemble Avantgarde. For Frank O’Hara. Morton Feldman. Morton Feldman: Chamber Music. 1996. wergo

Matt Haimovitz. Partita No. 2 for Solo Cello: Movement V. Philip Glass. Philip Glass: Partitas for Solo Cello. 2017. Orange Mountain Music

Roman Mints & Alexander Kobrin. Sonata for violin & piano in D Op 11 No 2. Paul Hindemith. Hindemith Complete Works for Violin & Piano. 2019. Quartz

Trio de l’île. 4 Estaciones Porteñas (Arr. J. Bragato for Piano Trio): No. 1, Primavera Porteña. Astor Piazzola. Babadjanian, Chebotaryan & Piazzolla: Piano Trios. 2020. Divine Art

Emerson String Quartet. Quartet No 1 in C Major Op 49. Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovich String Quartets. 2000. Deutsche Grammophon

Playlist 20 February

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Tamsin Waley-Cohen. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. John Adams. Roy Harris & John Adams: Violin Concertos. 2016. Signum Records

Kronos Quaertet. Mishima Quartet. Philip Glass. Kronos Quartet: 25 Years. 1998. Warner (Nonesuch)

The Backman Trio. Allegro in D Major. Jean Sibelius. Fantasia, British and Finnish Piano Trios. 2014. Fuga

Geraldine Walther, viola, and David Korevaar, piano. Sonata for Viola and Piano Op 25 No 4 (1922). Paul Hindemith. Sonatas for Viola and Piano. 2015. MSR

Martin Goldray. Emblems (Ars Emblematica). Milton Babbitt. Milton Babbitt: Piano Music Since 1983. 1997. NWCRI

New York Philharmonic & Leonard Bernstein. Quiet City. Aaron Copland. Copland: Symphony No. 3; Quiet City. 1986. Deutsche Grammophon Classics

Quartetto Italiano. Slow Movement for String Quartet. Anton Webern. Webern: Complete Music for String Quartet. 1971. Decca Music Group Ltd.

Tchaikovsky Trio. Piano Trio No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 67. Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Piano Quintet, Op. 57. 1990. Ondine

Leonard Elschenbroich. Suite in the Old Style. Alfred Schnittke. Alfred Schnittke: Musica Nostalgica. 2017. Onyx Classics

Ralph van Raat, Lunapark & Arnold Marinissen. Hard Cuts: III. Like Bees. Frederic Rzewski. Frederic Rzewski: 4 Pieces, Hard Cuts & The Housewife’s Lament. 2014. Naxos

Playlist 13 February

Artist. Piece. Composer. CD title. Date released. Label

Leonard Pennario and St Louis Symphony Orhestra. Piano Conerto No 3. Bela Bartok. Prokofiev Bartok. 2000. Angel  – EMI

QX String Quartet. Berlin Symphony of a Great City. Matthew Malsky. Malsky: Music for String Quartet. 2010. Centaur Records, Inc.

Vladimir Ashkenazy. Trio No 1 in c minor. Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovih Piano Trios 1 & 2. 2016. Decca

Sabrina-Vivian Höpcker & Dominic Cheli. The Elastic Hours: I. What Friday Brought. Mark Abel. The Cave of Wondrous Voice. 2020. Delos

Bryan Pezzone. Zuòwàng. Nicholas Chase. Nicholas Chase: Tiny Thunder. 2023. cold blue

Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier and Pro Arte Singers. Ode IX, from Kanon pokajanen. Arvo Pärt. I Am The True Vine. 1999. Harmonia Mundi

Apollo Chamber Players. String Quartet in E-flat Major. Malek Jandali. Ancestral Voices. 2017. Navona

Zodiac Trio. Visions from the Aboriginal Dreamtime. Andrew List. Dreamtime. 2016. Blue Griffin Recording, Inc.

Nuné Melik. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Minor. Arno Babadjanian. Hidden Treasure. 2017. Nuné Melik

William Winant. The Basketweave Elegies. Peter Garland. The Basketweave Elegies. 2023. cold blue