Although a concerto is usually a piece of music for one or more solo instruments accompanied by a full orchestra, several composers have written works with the apparently contradictory title Concerto for Orchestra. As with Bela Bartok’s most famous example, it’s usually a piece that gives each section of the orchestra a turn in the spotlight — and there’s a new one, from American composer Kevin Puts, that Steve Seel shares with us on the latese episode of Extra Eclectic. On the second hour of the program, it's water-themed works, including John Luther Adams’ Become River and Bryce Dessner’s St. Carolyn by the Sea.
October
Eric Whitacre
Joby Burgess, marimba
Signum 625
Repose
Hugi Gudmundsson
Hordur Askelsson, conductor
Schola Cantorum Reykjavik
Bis 2200
Concerto for Orchestra
Kevin Puts
Stephane Deneve, conductor
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Delos 3620
Kinds of Light: Twilight
Michael Gilbertson
Akropolis Reed Quintet
New Focus 292
Meditations on Rilke: Herbst (Autumn)
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Pentatone 7355
Ophelia
Paola Prestini
Caitlin Sullivan, cello
New Amsterdam 113
Become River
John Luther Adams
Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Seattle Symphony
Cantaloupe 21161
Water
Olivier Messiaen
Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 1
The Haunted Ocean
Max Richter
Kristjan Jarvi, conductor
Baltic Sea Philharmonic
DG 4860449
Incantation for a Stormy Sea
Veljo Tormis
Cantus
Cantus 1206
St. Carolyn by the Sea
Bryce Dessner
Andre de Ridder, conductor
Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra
Bryce Dessner, guitar, Aaron Dessner, guitar
DG 20031
It’s modern classical sounds from down under on the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, as Steve Seel brings us a bevy of Australian composers (and one from New Zealand — since we’re right there). The mythology of Australia’s native Aboriginal culture known as the “Dreamtime” plays a prominent role in the music of Peter Sculthorpe, Margaret Sutherland, Ross Edwards and Elena Kats-Chernin, and the diverse sonic terrain covered in their works culminates with Anna Boyd’s mesmerizing choral work As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams. Listen now!
The Harp and the Moon: 1st movement
Ross Edwards
Emily Granger, harp
Avie 2495
Haunted Hills
Margaret Sutherland
Jaime Martin, conductor
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
2025 BBC Proms Prom 54
Maranoa Lullaby
Peter Sculthorpe
Brodsky Quartet
Anne Sofie von Otter, alto
Challenge 72007
Cello Dreaming
Peter Sculthorpe
Richard Tognetti, conductor
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Emma-Jane Murphy, cello
Chandos 10063
Canon
Kate Moore
Saskia Lankhoorn, piano
ECM 2344
Butterflying
Elena Kats-Chernin
Nicola Sweeney, violin
Signum 58
Eyes on the Sun
Sophie Hutchings
Sophie Hutchings, piano
Mercury KX 90583
Arafura Dances
Ross Edwards
Paul Daniel, conductor
English Chamber Orchestra
John Williams, guitar
JCW 3
Torua
Gillian Whitehead
Hilary Hahn, violin
DG 19103
Calliope Dreaming
Elena Kats-Chernin
Trio Arbos
Non Profit 1112
As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams
Anne Boyd
Paul Hillier, conductor
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Dacapo 220597
Day’s End
John Williams
John Williams, guitar
JCW 1
The 2025 BBC Proms Festival may have come to its conclusion, but we still have lots of recorded highlights to bring your way, and Steve Seel shares two on the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, from a Royal Albert Hall concert on August 31. Anna Clyne’s The Years — a work written during the uneasy time of the global pandemic — and Bent Sorensen's Evening Landare featured in the first hour, and in the second hour, we begin our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with modern works from Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina and Peru, including Gabriela Ortiz’ Canto Abierto, Osvaldo Golijov’s Lua Descoloria, and Jimmy Lopez Bellido’s Peru Negro.
Autumn Prelude
Robert Jurjendal
Volkmar Zimmermann, guitar
Albany 1738
Evening Land
Bent Sorensen
Fabio Luisi, conductor
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
2025 BBC Proms Prom 44
The Years
Anna Clyne
Fabio Luisi, conductor
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
2025 BBC Proms Prom 44
saman
Olafur Arnalds
Jess Gillam Ensemble
Jess Gillam, soprano saxophone
London/Decca 4870832
The Unquestioned Answer
Laurie Spiegel
James McVinnie, organ
The Wind (El Viento)
Mario Armengol
Isabelle Perrin, harp
Quindecim 194
Altar de cuerda: Canto abierto
Gabriela Ortiz
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Los Angeles Phiharmonic Orchestra
Maria Duenas, violin
In the Depths of My Distance Your House Emerges
Rafael Diaz
Georgina Isabel Rossi, viola
Lua Descolorida (Colorless Moon)
Osvaldo Golijov
Julian Azkoul, conductor
United Strings of Europe
Ruby Hughes, soprano
Bis 2549
Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout: Chasqui
Gabriela Lena Frank
Del Sol String Quartet
Dorian 92164
Peru Negro
Jimmy Lopez
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
For a country whose entire population is just over 400,000, Iceland is a major producer of adventurous, dramatic music — and that’s especially the case in the contemporary classical realm. Steve Seel devotes the first hour of this episode of Extra Eclectic to living Icelandic composers, including two works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, whose Cello Concerto Before We Fall was recorded on August 13 at this year’s BBC Proms Festival. In the second hour, we hear two works by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, whose 90th birthday is on September 11 — his Variations for Arinushka for solo piano and the stirring “Prayer” from a cappella choral work Kanon Pokajanen.
Polar: The Waves
Gabriel Olafs
Viktor Orri Arnason, conductor
Reykjavik Orchestra
Cello Concerto “Before we fall”
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Eva Ollikainen, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Johannes Moser, cello
2025 BBC Proms Prom 35
Hear us in Heaven
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Hordur Askelsson, conductor
Schola Cantorum Reykjavik
Still/Sound
Olafur Arnalds
String Quartet
Olafur Arnalds, electronics
Mercury KX 2021
Blow Bright
Daniel Bjarnason
Daniel Bjarnason, conductor
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Dorian 70030
Variations for Arinushka
Arvo Part
Elena Riu, piano
Linn 111
Kanon Pokajanen (Canon of Repentance): Prayer
Arvo Part
Jaan-Eik Tulve, conductor
Vox Clamantis
Jaanika Kuusik, soprano
ECM 2466
Violin Concerto “Distant Light”
Peteris Vasks
Hugo Ticciati, conductor
O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra
Hugo Ticciati, violin
Signum 532
On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, we’re considering astronomy, astrophysics, and the atomic age. The first hour explores outer space with works including Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory, Meredith Monk’s “Earth Seen from Above” from her opera Atlas, and Mary Lattimore’s For Scott Kelly, Returned to Earth. In the second hour, our focus is inner space and the sub-atomic, with selections including John Adams’ Doctor Atomic Symphony and Jennifer Higdon’s The Sound of Light. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Three Nocturnes: Moonrise
John Luther Adams
Robert Black, double bass
Cold Blue 67
The Observatory
Caroline Shaw
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
2025 BBC Proms Prom 29
The Theory of Everything: Suite
Johann Johannsson
Anthony Weeden/Ben Foster, conductors
Studio Orchestra
Backlot 280
For Scott Kelly, Returned to Earth
Mary Lattimore
Mary Lattimore, harp
Ghostly 390
Apollo: Luna Nova
Marc Mellits
WindSync
Bright Shiny Things 167
Atlas: Earth Seen from Above
Meredith Monk
Wayne Hankin, conductor
Studio Orchestra
ECM 1491
Fluorescein
Gemma Peacocke
Talla Rouge
Bright Shiny Things 202
Hydrogen Jukebox: Song No. 3
Philip Glass
Martin Goldray, conductor
Ensemble
Nonesuch 79286
Doctor Atomic Symphony
John Adams
David Robertson, conductor
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Nonesuch 468220
The Sound of Light
Jennifer Higdon
Merian Ensemble
Navona 6644
Trajectories
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Tinna Thorsteinsdottir, piano
DG 22217
We’re contemplating the importance and mystery of our planet on the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, with two hours of Earth-themed works. In the first hour, we visit the 2025 BBC Proms Festival for a performance of Harrison Birtwistle’s Earth Dances and also listen to part of Erland Cooper’s astonishing Carve the Runes Then Be Content with Silence, described as the first collaboration between a composer and the Earth itself. We also hear Steven Stucky’s salute to Rachel Carson’s environmental treatise Silent Spring, and Gavin Bryars’ adaptation of Wendel Berry’s essay A Native Hill. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Blue Curve of the Earth
Tina Davidson
Hilary Hahn, violin
DG 19103
Earth Dances
Harrison Birtwistle
Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
2025 BBC Proms Prom 14
Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence: walking through heather and peat
Erland Cooper
Studio Collective
Daniel Pioro, violin
Mercury KX 6576069
Black Earth
Fazil Say
Between Worlds Ensemble
Avi Avital, mandolin
DG 4867526
Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part
Caroline Shaw/So Percussion/Jonathan Low
So Percussion
Caroline Shaw, vocals
Nonesuch 979159
String Quartet No. 3 “Gaia”: Dance of the Earth
Stacy Garrop
Biava String Quartet
Cedille 122
Silent Spring
Steven Stucky
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Reference 747
Gratitude
Dawn Avery
Wilhelmina Smith, cello
Azica 71377
A Native Hill: At Peace
Gavin Bryars
Donald Nally, conductor
The Crossing
Navona 6347
Hear the Dust Blow
Michael Daugherty
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Azica 71349
Jay Capperauld’s work Bruckner’s Skull (referencing composer Anton Bruckner’s obsession with, yes, skulls) begins our summer of highlights from this year’s BBC Proms Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in London — and it also serves as point of departure for this show’s theme of contemporary composers honoring composers from the past. Host Steve Seel also plays us Thomas Ades’ By Beauteous Softness (After Henry Purcell), Kalevi Aho’s Piano Sonata No. 2 (Hommage a Beethoven), Jonathan Dove’s Ludwig Games and much more. Listen now!
Letter a l’Immortelle Bien-Aimee
Corentin Apparailly
Julien Martineau, mandolin
Naive 7083
Bruckner’s Skull
Jay Capperauld
Maxim Eleyanychev, conductor
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
2025 BBC Proms Prom 10
Piano Sonata No. 2 “Hommage a Beethoven”
Kalevi Aho
Sonja Frakl, piano
Bis 2186
Ludwig Games
Jonathan Dove
Krysia Osostowicz, violin
Somm 181
By Beauteous Softness (After H. Purcell)
Thomas Ades
Ruby Hughes, soprano
Bis 2568
Chorale for Nanine with Birds (Hommage a Messiaen)
Gerald Levinson
Marcantonio Barone, piano
Innova 948
Ornamental Air
Elena Kats-Chernin
Michael Collins, conductor
Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Michael Collins, basset clarinet
Chandos 10756
Poems
Sally Greenaway
Sally Walker, flute
Avie 2626
Moonlight Sonata: Adagio
Ludwig van Beethoven
Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 1
We See Things That Are Not There
Scott Wollschleger
Bearthoven
Cantaloupe 21145
You’ll swear Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade is on the trail of his latest case while listening to this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic — as we listen to music depicting the mystery and romance of the city at night. John Adams’ City Noir is an explicit ode to 40s and 50s noir in its jazz overtones and smoky vibe, and urban nightlife is celebrated elsewhere in Gabriela Lena Frank’s Manhattan Serenades and Michael Tilson Thomas’ You Come Here Often?. In the second hour, Steve Seel returns to a favorite subject — the night sky — with selections including Elena Ruehr’s Shimmer and David Bruce’s The Eye of Night.
You Come Here Often?
Michael Tilson Thomas
Yuja Wang, piano
DG 4864261
Manhattan Serenades
Gabriela Lena Frank
Aron Zelkowicz, cello
Toccata 23
City Noir
John Adams
Marin Alsop, conductor
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 559935
Floating City
Julia Kent
Julia Kent, cello
Leaf 106
Air for the Poet
Lou Harrison
Guido Facchin, conductor
Tammittam Percussion Ensemble
Dynamic 401
Shimmer
Elena Ruehr
Gil Rose, conductor
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
BMOP/sound 1039
The Eye of Night
David Bruce
hat trick
Bridge 9595
Just Constellations: The Opening Constellation: Summer
Michael Harrison
Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134
Aurora ficta
Stephen Scott
The Bowed Piano Ensemble
Navona 5937
Cellist Maya Beiser has been called “queen of the avant-garde cello,” and her adventurous and idiosyncratic performances and recordings prove the title is well deserved. We listen to selections from her new release, Salt, on this episode of Extra Eclectic, featuring works by Clarice Jensen, Meredith Monk and John Tavener. Steve Seel also takes the opportunity to showcase a host of other powerful women in contemporary classical, including composers Julia Wolfe, Amanda Feery, Hildur Gudnadottir and Kate Moore. Listen now!
Dance: When you’re broken open
Anna Clyne
Marin Alsop, conductor
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Inbal Segev, cello
Avie 2419
Hocket
Meredith Monk
Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 16
Pretty
Julia Wolfe
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Platoon DALIA01
Gone to Earth
Amanda Feery
Jose Antonio Zayas Caban, soprano saxophone
Lament to Phaedra
John Tavener
Maya Beiser, cello
Islandia 16
lumee’s dream (Nadia Sirota viola study)
Ellen Reid
Nadia Sirota, viola
London/Decca 2020
Song from the Uproar: This World Within Me Is Too Small
Missy Mazzoli
Jarkko Riihimaki, conductor
Berlin Free Orchestra
Emily D’Angelo, mezzo-soprano
DG 4860536
Salt Air, Salt Earth
Clarice Jensen
Maya Beiser, cello
Two Pieces for Piano: Mourning Heritage
Nina Barzegar
Ava Nazar, piano
Navona 6747
Women Talking: Speak Up
Hildur Gudnadottir
Studio Ensemble
Mercury 4876027
Canon
Kate Moore
Saskia Lankhoorn, piano
ECM 2344
After last week’s ballet episode explored things above and below as its secondary theme, we’re looking exclusively skyward on this episode of Extra Eclectic — with music celebrating the sun, the stars and even the aurora. We hear Max Richter’s music from the film Ad Astra, Jacob ter Velduis’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (Sky Falling), Olivia Bellis’ Limina Luminis and much more.
Choirbook: The Milky Way
Jesper Koch
Flemming Windekilde, conductor
Danish National Vocal Ensemble
Dacapo 220627
Ad Astra: The Wanderer
Max Richter
Robert Ziegler, conductor
Lyndhurst Orchestra
Max Richter, electronics
DG 4837518
Symphony No. 2 “Ad Astra”: Voyager
Jimmy Lopez
Andres Orozco-Estrada, conductor
Houston Symphony Orchestra
Pentatone 962
Piano Concerto No. 2 “Sky Falling”
Jacob ter Veldhuis
Thierry Fischer, conductor
Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic
Ronald Brautigam, piano
Brilliant 94873
The Revolt of the Stars
Mary Kouyoumdjian
Caitlin Sullivan, cello
New Amsterdam 113
Milky Ways: At the Fountainhead of God
Outi Tarkiainen
Nicholas Collon, conductor
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Daniel, English horn
Ondine 1432
Elegies of Thule: The Night is Darkening
Tonu Korvits
Risto Joost, conductor
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Ondine 1349
Limina Luminis
Olivia Belli
Anna Lapwood, organ
Sony 80927
Canto V: Into the heart of light
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Juha Kangas, conductor
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
Alba 414
Radif IV “Stars of Highest Magnitude”
Robert Morris
Galax Quartet
David Morris, crystal goblets
Music and Arts 1297
Aurora
Alva Noto/Ryuichi Sakamoto
Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Raster-Noton 65
Ballet as we know it may have first emerged in the Italian Renaissance, but even today, modern composers are still writing for the art form. On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, we hear a number of contemporary ballet scores, from Thomas Ades’ Dante, Joby Talbot’s Transit of Venus, Elena Kats-Chernin’s Wild Swans, and much more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
“Still Life” at the Penguin Cafe: Air a Danser
Simon Jeffes
Barry Wordsworth, conductor
BBC Concert Orchestra
Isobel Bradshaw, contralto
London/Decca 425218
Facades
Philip Glass
Michael Riesman, conductor
Glass Ensemble
Sony 62960
Green
Michael Torke
David Zinman, conductor
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Argo 452101
Reflections: Mnemosyne
Sufjan Stevens
Timo Andres, piano
Asthmatic Kitty 148
Corroboree: Dance to the Evening Star
John Antill
James Judd, conductor
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 570241
Wild Swans: Eliza’s Aria
Elena Kats-Chernin
Nicola Sweeney, violin
Signum 58
Orpheus Undone
Missy Mazzoli
Tim Weiss, conductor
Arctic Philharmonic
Bis 2572
A Ballet Through Mud: A Ballet Through Mud
RZA
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
36 Chambers 22
Transit of Venus
Joby Talbot
Jess Gillam Ensemble
Jess Gillam, soprano saxophone
DG 4851062
Violin Concerto: 3rd movement
John Adams
Kent Nagano, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Gidon Kremer, violin
Nonesuch 512396
Infra 5
Max Richter
Kristjan Jarvi, conductor
Baltic Sea Philharmonic
DG 4860449
Dante: Paradiso
Thomas Ades
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Nonesuch 714908
DESH: Storm Engine
Jocelyn Pook
Bulgarian Orchestra
Labik Kamal, dotar
Pook Music 1
Forms of repetition are explored on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic, such as chaconnes, sarabandes, drones and ostinatos. We hear selections including “Divine Objects” from Johann Johannsson’s Drone Mass, the “Chaconni” from Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto, John Corigliano’s Fantasia on an Ostinato and much more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Partita: Sarabande
Caroline Shaw
Brad Wells, conductor
Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 41
Little Passacaglia
Peter Sculthorpe
Ananda Sukarlan, piano
Chaconne
Norman Dello Joio
James Sedares, conductor
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Koch 7243
Violin Concerto: Chaconni
Jennifer Higdon
Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Hilary Hahn, violin
DG 14698
Sarabande
La Monte Young
Yvar Mikhashoff, piano
Mode 262
The Path
Zoe Keating
Zoe Keating, cello
SELF PROD 340
Casting No Shadow
Wim Mertens
Wim Mertens, piano
Les Disques du Crepuscule 748
Sky with Four Suns
John Luther Adams
Ethel
Cold Blue 36
Guitar Concerto “Chaconne”
Wayne Siegel
Kaisa Roose, conductor
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Jakob Bangso, guitar
Orchid 100142
Quartets: Two: Drone
Peter Gregson
Warren Zielinski, violin
DG 4863301
Drone Mass: Divine Objects
Johann Johannsson
Paul Hillier, conductor
Theatre of Voices
DG 4837419
The Quiet at Night
Mary Lattimore
Mary Lattimore, harp
Ghostly 260
On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, guest host Bonnie North shares a program of modern dance music, including polonaises by Thomas Ades, excerpts from Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony, Stephen Jaffe’s Light Dances and more. Listen now!
Minuet in G Whiz
Paul Reale
Min Kwon, piano
MSR 1612
Blues Symphony: Danzon y Mambo, Choro y Samba
Wynton Marsalis
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
PentaTone 7232
Modern Love Waltz
Philip Glass
Gloria Cheng-Cochran, piano
Telarc 80549
The Chairman Dances
John Adams
Simon Rattle, conductor
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
EMI 6627
First Mazurka
Thomas Ades
Qing Jiang, piano
Albany 1894
Second Mazurka
Thomas Ades
Qing Jiang, piano
Albany 1894
Marchentanze
Thomas Ades
Nicholas Collon, conductor
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Ondine 1411
Concierto de “Dance Hits”: Salsa Pasada
Aaron Jay Kernis
Aaron Jay Kernis, conductor
New Century Chamber Orchestra
David Tanenbaum, guitar
Naxos 574298
Dance Preludes
Witold Lutoslawski
Richard Tognetti, conductor
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Martin Frost, clarinet
Bis 1863
Light Dances: Dance Around the Light
Stephen Jaffe
Da Capo Chamber Players
Bridge 9563
Prisms, Cycles, Leaps
Derrick Skye
Bridge to Everywhere
Orenda 0019
Reflections: Rodinia
Sufjan Stevens
Timo Andres, piano
Asthmatic Kitty 148
Clearing, Dawn, Dance
Judd Greenstein
yMusic
New Amsterdam 32
On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, guest host Jake Armerding shares selections by American composers in observance of Independence Day. Featured artists include Jessie Montgomery, Derrick Skye, Aaron Jay Kernis, John Adams and more. Listen now!
In Liquid Days
Philip Glass
Michael Riesman
Philip Glass Ensemble
Sony 39564
Never Has Been Yet
Joseph C. PhillipsJr.
Lara Downes, piano
Pentatone 7200
American Mirror, Pt. I
Derrick Skye
Salastina Music Society
Orenda 0053
American Mirror, Pt. II
Derrick Skye
Salastina Music Society
Let Freedom Ring
Shara Nova
Dianne Berkur Menaker
Brooklyn Youth Chorus
New Amsterdam 105
Carrot Revolution
Gabriella Smith
Aizuri Quartet
New Amsterdam 104
Barcarolle No. 3
Ned Rorem
Ruskin Cooper, piano
Centaur 2584
Hymn for Everyone
Jessie Montgomery
Riccardo Muti
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Grace
Aaron Jay Kernis
Matt Haimovitz, cello
Pentatone 7161
Shaker Loops
John Adams
Christopher Warren-Green
London Chamber Orchestra
EMI 6627
again (after ecclesiastes)
David Lang
Daniel Reuss
Cappella Amsterdam
PentaTone 7001
In 2016, pianist Jonathan Biss and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra launched Beethoven/5, commissioning five living composers to write new piano concertos, each inspired by one of Beethoven’s five concertos. We hear two of those works on this episode of Extra Eclectic: Sally Beamish’s Piano Concerto No. 3, (City Stanzas) and Timo Andres’ The Blind Banister. Steve Seel also brings us music by Arvo Pärt, Jennifer Higdon and Nico Muhly. Listen now!
Smash
Jennifer Higdon
Third Sound Ensemble
Innova 990
Everything Lasts Forever: Bird Sing Love
Michael Kurth
Robert Spano, conductor
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
ASO Media 1011
Dream Machine
Charles Daniels
Borderlands Ensemble
New Focus 299
Piano Concerto No. 3 “City Stanzas”
Sally Beamish
Omer Meir Wellber, conductor
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan Biss, piano
Orchid 100339
Light is Calling
Michael Gordon
India Gailey, cello
Redshift 511
Dreaming
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Daniel Bjarnason, conductor
Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Dorian 92213
Pari Intervallo (Parallel Intervals)
Arvo Part
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano
Sony 79577
The Blind Banister
Timo Andres
Pekka Kuusisto, conductor
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan Biss, piano
Orchid 100375
Patterns: Similar
Nico Muhly
James McVinnie, organ
Pentatone 7404
Iconoclastic and massively influential American composer Terry Riley celebrates his 90th birthday on June 24, and we honor him this week on Extra Eclectic by devoting the entire first hour to a cross-section of his output. Longtime Riley collaborators Kronos Quartet perform Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector, pianist Sarah Cahill plays his Be Kind to One Another rag, and Riley plays his mesmerizing piano piece The Philosopher's Hand. In the second hour, Steve Seel prepares us for the start of summer with a set of still, “humid” works, including Ingram Marshall’s Entrada and Don’t Bother They’re Here by the duo Stars of the Lid.
The Harp of New Albion: Cadence of the Wind
Terry Riley
John Schneider, guitar
Bridge 9132
Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector
Terry Riley
Kronos Quartet
Gramavision 187014
Cantos Desiertos: Quijote
Terry Riley
Alexandra Hawley, flute
Naxos 559146
The Philosopher’s Hand
Terry Riley
Terry Riley, piano
Nonesuch 79639
June Buddhas: 216th-B Chorus
Terry Riley
Dennis Russell Davies, conductor
Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra
MusicMasters 67089
The Lake
Terry Riley/Gyan Riley
Terry Riley, piano, melodica, electronics
Org 2142
Be Kind to One Another (Rag)
Terry Riley
Sarah Cahill, piano
Other Minds 1022
Duet
Steve Reich
Daniel Hope, conductor
Basel Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Hope, violin
DG 4795305
Entrada
Ingram Marshall
Maia Quartet
New Albion 92
Passacaglia
Douwe Eisenga
Piccola Accademia degli Specchi
Zefir 9627
The Maze of Longing
Peter Garland
Carson Cooman, organ
Cold Blue 70
Don’t Bother They’re Here
Adam Wiltzie/Brian McBride
Stars of the Lid
Kranky 100
Night Peace
John Luther Adams
Atlanta Singers
New Albion 61
Contemporary composers with Middle Eastern roots provide a lively and evocative tapestry on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic. We hear French-Lebanese composer Layale Chaker’s “Ya Fajr” from her Mkhammas Suite, Iranian composer Reza Vali’s Calligraphy No. 16, “Isfahan,” and the Syrian musician Mevan Younes playing a work on the buzuq, a long-necked string instrument common in Kurdish and Lebanese music. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Mkhammas Suite: Ya Fajr
Layale Chaker
Sarafand
Layale Chaker, violin
In a Circle 11
Piano Miniature No. 12
Mohammed Fairouz
Nicholas Phillips, piano
New Focus 144
Lamma bada yatathanna/El helwa di
Arab-Andalusian Muwashshah/Sayed Darwish
Karim Sulayman, tenor
Pentatone 7031
Calligraphy No. 16 “Isfahan”
Reza Vali
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
Wurttemberg Philharmonic Reutlingen
Naxos 579150
I would I were a bird
Anonymous
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello
Harmonia Mundi 902242
Tous des oiseaux: David's Dream
Eleni Karaindrou
Argyro Seira, conductor
String Orchestra
ECM 2634
Unknown Gates
Margaret Hermant/Neil Leiter/Gary De Cart
Echo Collective
7K! 24
Nights
Shamsi Karimov
Mevan Younes, buzuk
Dreyer Gaido 21131
Traveling North
Danielle Eva Schwob
Nathalie Joachim, flute
Innova 64
Night Ferry
Anna Clyne
Andrew Litton, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Avie 2434
Last Hour Story
Julia Kent
Julia Kent, cello
Leaf 106
Gymnopedie
James Sutcliffe
Howard Hanson, conductor
Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra
Mercury 434347
The summer solstice is almost upon us, so Steve Seel brings us a rhapsody on summer themes on this episode of Extra Eclectic. We hear Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy’s “June” and “July” from Land of Winter (which is what the Romans called Ireland), Peteris Vasks’ Summer Dances, and just in case you’re flying to any of your summer destinations, Brian Eno has some calming travel music from his Music for Airports. In the second hour of the show, we examine how wisdom can arise from reflection, meditation, or just age — with works including Shelly Washington’s “Now” from Eternal Present and David Lang's if I am silent (after The Book of Esther). Listen now!
Celeste
Brian Eno/Roger Eno
Vanessa Wagner, piano
Land of Winter: June and July
Donnacha Dennehy
Alan Pierson, conductor
Alarm Will Sound
Nonesuch 78994
The Beckoning Stars
Stanley Grill
Camerata Philadelphia
Innova 48
Music for Airports: 2/2
Brian Eno
Bang on a Can All-Stars
Point 536847
Eternal Present: Now
Shelley Washington
~nois
If I am silent (after The Book of Esther)
David Lang
Daniel Reuss, conductor
Cappella Amsterdam
PentaTone 7001
Slowly, Searching
Alex Shapiro
Adam Marks, piano
Innova 41
Violin Concerto No. 2 “Angel’s Share”
Erkki-Sven Tuur
Gemma New, conductor
Odense Symphony Orchestra
Hans Christian Aavik, violin
Orchid 100380
Reflections
Anna Thorvaldsdottir
International Contemporary Ensemble
Dorian 92227
Today’s composers have no fear of using electronic elements as part of their works, and on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic, musician, composer and Your Classical Fellow Anna Tessman guest-curates a playlist showcasing modern classical works featuring electronic sounds and textures — often integrated with traditional acoustic instruments. We hear selections by Johann Johannson, Gity Razaz, Dustin O’Halloran, Olafur Arnalds and more. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Quake: Gleyma
Edvard Egilsson/Pall Ragnar Palsson
Edvard Egilsson, electronics
Dorian 70032
What Gently Flutters
Dustin O’Halloran
Dustin O’Halloran, electronics
DG 4861506
Eyes Shut
Olafur Arnalds
Alice Sara Ott, piano
Mercury 22767
Kaleidoscope
Zvonimir Nagy
Elisa Jarvi, piano
Albany 1699
Legend of Sigh
Gity Razaz
Inbal Segev, cello
Bis 2634
Nocturne/Doubles
Benjamin Broening
eighth blackbird
Benjamin Broening, electronics
Bridge 9384
Sleep: Space 21
Max Richter
American Contemporary Music Ensemble
Max Richter, electronics
DG 4795258
Ad Astra: Space Journey
Lorne Balfe
Lorne Balfe, electronics
DG 4837518
Vivaldi: Winter
Max Richter
Andre de Ridder, conductor
Berlin Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Hope, violin
DG 4765040
The B-Sides
Mason Bates
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
Mason Bates, electronica
SFS 65
Lava
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)
Daniel Bernard Roumain, violin
Thirsty Ear 1792
Fordlandia: Fordlandia
Johann Johannsson
Miriam Nemcova, conductor
City of Prague Philharmonic Chorus
Johann Johannsson, electronics
4AD 2812
Composers from Southeast Asia (and those influenced by its music) are the focus on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic. Steve Seel plays Indonesian composer Eunike Tanzil’s Serenade and Malaysian composer Su Lian Tan‘s Legend of Kintamani, as well as works by Lou Harrison and Colin McPhee, who explored the sound of the Balinese gamelan in their music. In the second hour it’s composers from down under, as Steve features works by Australians Peter Sculthorpe, John Antill, and Kate Moore, and New Zealanders Bruce Paine, Gareth Farr and Gillain Whitehead. Listen now!
Balinese Ceremonial Music: Taboeh Teloe
Colin McPhee
Nico Muhly, piano
Nonesuch 567405
Serenade
Eunike Tanzil
Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Ray Chen, violin
DG 4870417
Suite for Violin and American Gamelan: Air
Lou Harrison
John Bergamo, conductor
American Gamelan
David Abel, violin
New Albion 15
Legends of Kintamani
Su Lian Tan
Timothy Weiss, conductor
Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble
Darrell Adkins, cello
Oberlin 17
Keeping Time
Vivian Fung
Mary Kathleen Ernst, piano
Innova 868
Petroglyph
Andy Akiho
Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor
Omaha Symphony
Andy Akiho, percussion
Aki Rhythm Productions 4
The Lord of the Rings: Twilight and Shadow
Howard Shore
Howard Shore, conductor
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Renee Fleming, soprano
Reprise 48521
Waterfalls: 2nd movement
Gareth Farr
Duo Venandi
SELF PROD 439
Cello Dreaming
Peter Sculthorpe
Richard Tognetti, conductor
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Emma-Jane Murphy, cello
Chandos 10063
Torua
Gillian Whitehead
Hilary Hahn, violin
DG 19103
Corroboree: Dance to the Evening Star
John Antill
James Judd, conductor
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 570241
Canon
Kate Moore
Saskia Lankhoorn, piano
ECM 2344
This week’s episode of Extra Eclectic is a musical garden, with contemporary classical works about flowers, rain, and sun. Steve Seel plays us Yoko Kanno’s Flowers Will Bloom, Takashi Yoshimatsu’s piano concerto Memo Flora, Terry Riley’s Sun Rings, Caroline Shaw’s Let the Soil Play its Simple Part and much more. Listen now!
The Walled Garden
John Zorn
Bill Frisell, guitar
Tzadik 8309
Hana Wa Saku (Flowers Will Bloom)
Yoko Kanno
Isabel Dobarro, piano
Piano Concerto “Memo Flora”
Takashi Yoshimatsu
Sachio Fujioka, conductor
Manchester Camerata
Kyoko Tabe, piano
Chandos 9652
In a Landscape
John Cage
Yolanda Kondonassis, harp
Azica 71281
Solais
Clarice Assad
Elisabeth Remy Johnson, harp
Navona 6644
Sun Rings: One Earth, One People, One Love
Terry Riley
Kronos Quartet
Nonesuch 549523
Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part
Caroline Shaw/So Percussion/Jonathan Low
So Percussion
Caroline Shaw, vocals
Nonesuch 979159
Varsha (Rain)
Reena Esmail
Claire Bryant, cello
Bright Shiny Things 178
Was there a butterfly?
Onute Narbutaite
Juha Kangas, conductor
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
Alba 414
Limina Luminis
Olivia Belli
Anna Lapwood, organ
Sony 80927
Composer Missy Mazzoli imagines a hurdy gurdy — that wheezing, droning instrument dating from the middle ages — “flung out into space” and into orbit, in her piece Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres). Yes, it’s a whimsical idea, and whimsy is on the docket on this week’s Extra Eclectic. Steve Seel also features Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory, Christopher Cerrone's Ode to Joy, and Laurie Spiegel’s inversion of Charles Ives’ famous title in her work The Unquestioned Answer. Listen now!
Alleluia in Form of a Toccata
Louise Talma
Orion Weiss, piano
First Hand 129
The Observatory
Caroline Shaw
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Platoon DALIA01
Please Be Still
Jlin
Third Coast Percussion
Cedille 236
Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
Missy Mazzoli
Tim Weiss, conductor
Arctic Philharmonic
Bis 2572
A Boy and a Makeshift Toy
Mary Kouyoumdjian
Jessica Oudin, viola
Navona 6644
Ode to Joy
Christopher Cerrone
Sandbox Percussion
Pentatone 7403
Polar: The Waves
Gabriel Olafs
Viktor Orri Arnason, conductor
Reykjavik Orchestra
saman
Olafur Arnalds
Jess Gillam Ensemble
Jess Gillam, soprano saxophone
London/Decca 4870832
Lignum
Jekabs Jancevskis
Kremerata Baltica
Alina Vizine, Zane Kalnina, Rakele Chijenaite, svilpaunieki
ECM 2745
Season of Light
Fuse & Xavi Torres
Fuse
Fusemusic 2024
Organum Light
Dobrinka Tabakova
Julian Azkoul, conductor
United Strings of Europe
Bis 2739
The Unquestioned Answer
Laurie Spiegel
James McVinnie, organ
Absence
Magnus Lindberg
Nicholas Collon, conductor
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Ondine 1436
On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic, guest host Jake Armerding shares contemporary classical selections inspired by folk music from around the world. Featured artists include Stewart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma, Tessa Lark and more. Listen now!
Jig and Pop
Tessa Lark
Tessa Lark, violin
First Hand 100
Franz and the Eagle
Edgar Meyer/Chris Thile/Stuart Duncan
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Sony 84118
Juno Concerto
Bela Fleck
Jose Luis Gomez, conductor
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Bela Fleck, banjo
Rounder 1166100200
Happy Day
Nicolas Kendall
Time For Three
Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele
Universal 20744
Far Down Far
Maeve Gilchrist
Silk Road Ensemble
Rhiannon Giddens, banjo
Nonesuch 89758
Electric Counterpoint: Fast
Steve Reich
Bryce Dessner, guitar
DG 4876947
Pulse
Fuse & Bryce Dessner
Fuse
Fusemusic 2024
Perfectly Voiceless
Devonte Hynes
Third Coast Percussion
Cedille 192
Reflections: Mnemosyne
Sufjan Stevens
Timo Andres, piano
Asthmatic Kitty 148
Reflections: Rodinia
Sufjan Stevens
Timo Andres, piano
Asthmatic Kitty 148
Reflections: Reflection
Sufjan Stevens
Timo Andres, piano
Asthmatic Kitty 148
The Bear and the Squirrel
Jeremy Turner
yMusic
New Amsterdam 59
Nightfall
Meredith Monk
Sean Shibe, electric guitar
PentaTone 988
This Saturday, Michael Tilson Thomas — the highly acclaimed, 12-time Grammy-winning conductor, pianist, composer, and educator — will make his final public appearance when he conducts the San Francisco Symphony, the orchestra he led for 25 years. It will be an emotional night, as he recently announced the return of his aggressive brain cancer. Among many other things, Tilson Thomas is a longtime advocate for modern classical music, and on this episode of Extra Eclectic, we honor his life and career with two hours of recordings of his conducting, his piano playing, and his own compositions themselves. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
John Adams
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
SFS 53
The Circus Band
Charles Ives
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
RCA 63703
Circus Polka
Igor Stravinsky
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
RCA 68865
Saxophone Concerto: Rondo
Ingolf Dahl
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
New World Symphony
John Harle, saxophone
Argo 444459
Street Song
Michael Tilson Thomas
Empire Brass
Telarc 80159
Promenade (Walking the Dog)
George Gershwin
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Sony 93018
Lope
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
New World Symphony
Pentatone 7355
Serenity
Charles Ives
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
Thomas Hampson, baritone
RCA 63703
You Come Here Often?
Michael Tilson Thomas
Yuja Wang, piano
DG 4864261
Portals
Carl Ruggles
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Other Minds 1020
Harmonielehre: Meister Eckhardt and Quackie
John Adams
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
SFS 53
Meditations on Rilke: Herbst (Autumn)
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Pentatone 7355
The Unanswered Question
Charles Ives
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Adolph Herseth, trumpet
Sony 42381
Upon Further Reflection: Sunset Soliloquy
Michael Tilson Thomas
John Wilson, piano
Avie 2458
With Earth Day on the way this coming Tuesday, April 22, Steve Seel presents two hours of contemporary classical pieces on themes of the environment on this episode of Extra Eclectic. John Luther Adams’ Up the Mountain from Lines Made by Walking, Majel Connery’s The Rivers Are Our Brothers, and Tobias Picker’s Old and Lost Rivers are included, in addition to two works saluting America’s national parks: Jennifer Higdon’s All Things Majestic and Phil Kline’s Dawn Chorus.
Old and Lost Rivers
Tobias Picker
John Williams, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Sony 62729
The Rivers Are Our Brothers: I Am a Rock
Majel Connery
Chanticleer
Chanticleer 2024
Symphony No. 1 "Strata"
Eleanor Alberga
Thomas Kemp, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Resonus 10340
Lines Made By Walking: Up the Mountain
John Luther Adams
JACK Quartet
Cold Blue 58
Control: Mountain
Nico Muhly
Thierry Fischer, conductor
Utah Symphony Orchestra
Reference 719
Sky
Jane Antonia Cornish
Vicky Chow, piano
Canteloupe 21174
All Things Majestic
Jennifer Higdon
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 559823
Dawn Chorus
Phil Kline
Bill Ryan, conductor
Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble
Innova 44
Carrot Revolution
Gabriella Smith
Aizuri Quartet
New Amsterdam 104
On the latest episode of Extra Eclectic: National Poetry Month is an opportunity to explore modern classical sounds that set poetry (or are just inspired by it). Host Steve Seel features works by John Adams, Edie Hill, Caroline Shaw, Lou Harrison, August Reed Thomas and others — in their musical settings of the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg, Mary Oliver, John Donne and more. Listen now!
The Lost Birds: Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
Christopher Tin
Voces8
London/Decca 4858121
Of Paradise and Light
Augusta Read Thomas
William Boughton, conductor
New Haven Symphony Orchestra
To Music
Caroline Shaw/So Percussion
So Percussion
Caroline Shaw, vocals
Nonesuch 726502
Grass
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
Paul Freeman, conductor
Chicago Sinfonietta
Poem for 2084
Edie Hill
Donald Nally, conductor
The Crossing
Navona 6218
Musicians Wrestle Everywhere
Judith Weir
Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor
Ensemble X
Albany 803
Air for the Poet
Lou Harrison
Guido Facchin, conductor
Tammittam Percussion Ensemble
Dynamic 401
Two Meditations on Poems of Mary Oliver: Linen of Words
Evan Premo
River Town Duo
Furious Artisans 6824
Harmonium
John Adams
John Adams, conductor
San Francisco Symphony
Nonesuch 79453
And So
Caroline Shaw/So Percussion
So Percussion
Caroline Shaw, vocals
Late and Soon
Max Richter
Max Richter, synthesizer
London/Decca 6572991
This episode of Extra Eclectic features music about caring for one another, including Put Your Loving Arms Around Me from John Adams’ Gnarly Buttons, Andy Akiho’s Belonging, and Terry Riley’s Be Kind to One Another. Listen now with host Steve Seel!
Gnarly Buttons: Put Your Loving Arms Around Me
John Adams
John Adams, conductor
London Sinfonietta
Michael Collins, clarinet
Nonesuch 79453
BeLonging: Longing
Andy Akiho
Andy Akiho, steel pan
Aki Rhythm
BeLonging: BeLonging
Andy Akiho
Imani Winds
Andy Akiho, steel pan
Aki Rhythm
Synched
Cristina Spinei
Jose Serebrier, conductor
St. Michel Strings
Toccata 371
Miniatures: A Piacere
Vivian Fung
Maia String Quartet
John Bruce Yeh, clarinet
Cedille 100
Spring Song
Gordon Getty
Matt Haimovitz, cello
Pentatone 293
Verdant cycles of deepening spring
Jeffrey Mumford
Allen Tinkham, conductor
Chicago Composers' Orchestra
Christine Wu, violin
Albany 1948
Just Constellations: The Acoustic Constellation: Spring
Michael Harrison
Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 134
Child: Sweet Air
David Lang
Carlo Baccadoro, conductor
Sentieri Selvaggi
Cantaloupe 21013
O’Keeffe Images: Sky Above Clouds
Elena Ruehr
Gil Rose, conductor
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
BMOP/sound 1039
Vespers for Violin
Missy Mazzoli
Olivia de Prato, violin
With such a wealth of amazing women composers to listen to these days, the question is often, “Where to start?” Steve Seel answers the question on this week’s episode of Extra Eclectic by focusing the first hour of the show on contemporary women composers from Eastern and Southeastern Europe — a wellspring of vibrant contemporary classical. Women composers from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Serbia are featured — including Dobrinka Tabakova, Alla Pavolva, Viktoria Poleva, Helena Tulve and Aleksandra Vrebalov.
Jubilate Deo
Dobrinka Tabakova
Christopher Gray, conductor
Truro Cathedral Choir
Joseph Wicks, organ
Regent 530
Monolog
Alla Pavlova
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Yaroslav Krasnikov, violin
Naxos 557674
Simurgh-quintet
Victoria Poleva
Taras Yaropud, violin
Naxos 579098
L'ombre derriere toi
Helena Tulve
Paavo Jarvi, conductor
Estonian Festival Orchestra
Mate Szucs, viola
Alpha 863
My Desert, My Rose
Aleksandra Vrebalov
Malva String Quartet
Footprint 119
Nocturne
Dobrinka Tabakova
Isabel Dobarro, piano
Grand Piano 944
Opacity
Una Sveinbjarnardottir
Siggi String Quartet
Dorian 92232
The Currents
Sarah Kirkland Snider
Michael Mizrahi, piano
New Amsterdam 75
Orpheus Undone
Missy Mazzoli
Tim Weiss, conductor
Arctic Philharmonic
Bis 2572
Whoever You Are Come Forth
Kate Moore
Ashley Bathgate, cello
Cantaloupe 21118
To the Hands: Ever Ever Ever
Caroline Shaw
Donald Nally, conductor
The Crossing
Innova 912
We Will Sing One Song
Eve Beglarian
Apollo Chamber Players
Joan DerHovsepian, viola
Azica 71340
This episode of Extra Eclectic honors Sofia Gubaidulina, the groundbreaking Russian composer whose music explored the tensions between Western and Eastern music, who died last week at 93. As part of our continuing celebration of Women’s History Month, host Steve Seel shares one of her best-known works, Offertorium. In the second hour of the show, we hear from contemporary women mavericks including Anna Clyne, Outi Tarkiainen, and Caroline Shaw. Listen now!
Duo: Scherzo
Gity Razaz
Francesca dePasquale, violin
Bis 2634
Song Without Words
Sofia Gubaidulina
Reinhold Friedrich, trumpet
Capriccio 10439
Offertorium
Sofia Gubaidulina
James DePreist, conductor
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Oleh Krysa, violin
Bis 566
Terrestre
Kaija Saariaho
International Contemporary Ensemble
Claire Chase, flute
New Focus 122
Partita: Sarabande
Caroline Shaw
Brad Wells, conductor
Roomful of Teeth
New Amsterdam 41
heart rituals.
Caroline Davis
Jennifer Koh, violin
Cedille 3011
Queen of Hearts
Kati Agocs
Claremont Trio
Midnight Sun Variations
Outi Tarkiainen
Nicholas Collon, conductor
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Ondine 1432
Last Light
Jane Antonia Cornish
Vicky Chow, piano
Prince of Clouds
Anna Clyne
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Sony 31713
This week on Extra Eclectic, our observation of Women’s History Month continues with more music from female composers of the present moment. For the show's first hour, host Steve Seel also celebrates the coming of spring, with nature-related works including Akshaya Avril Tucker’s Breathing Sunlight, Mamiko Dis Ragnarsdottir’s Fair Flowers, Laura Masotto’s Sol Levante (Rising Sun) and more. In the second hour, there's room for play and whimsy, with works including Shara Nova’s A Whistle, A Tune, A Macaroon and Gabriella Smith’s Imaginary Pancake. Listen now!
There Will Be Hope
Hania Rani/Dobrawa Czocher
Hania Rani, piano and vocals, Dobrawa Czocher, cello
DG 4860603
Sol Levante
Laura Masotto
Scoring Berlin
Mari Samuelsen, violin
DG 4862097
Breathing Sunlight
Akshaya Avril Tucker
Talla Rouge
Bright Shiny Things 202
Fair Flowers
Mamiko Dis Ragnarsdottir
Siggi String Quartet
Dorian 92232
Sielunmaisema: Spring
Zibuokle Martinaityte
Karolis Variakojis, conductor
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
Rokas Vaitkevicius, cello
Ondine 1403
Secret and Glass Gardens
Jennifer Higdon
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Bright Shiny Things 154
Semplice Sempre
Shirley Thompson
Her Ensemble
Esther Abrami, violin
Sony 46450
A Whistle, A Tune, A Macaroon
Shara Nova
yMusic
New Amsterdam 32
Tripotage Miniatures
Anna Meredith
Aurora Orchestra
NMC 239
Imaginary Pancake
Gabriella Smith
James McVinnie, piano
Pentatone 7404
Within Her Arms
Anna Clyne
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
The Knights
Hush
Tina Davidson
J Freivogel, violin
New Focus 415