Stay ConnectedA podcast about the most fascinating time in classical music history: right now.
Relevant Tones features interviews with and music by some of the most creative figures in contemporary classical music, themed shows exploring new trends in classical music and frequent live streamed shows featuring conversations and music performances.
Hosted and produced by Seth Boustead, Austin Williams, Stephen Anthony Rawson and Matt Dotson.
Copyright: © Seth Boustead
Throughout history, composers who have been known for championing a particular musical style have shocked their fans by radically and suddenly changing their aesthetic. Why does this happen, and who’s changing their style in the modern era?
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
George Rochberg: String Quartet No. 3 (excerpt)
Concord String Quartet
George Rochberg: Bagatelle No. 3, con brio
Evan Hirsh, p.
Krzysztof Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (excerpt)
Polish Nat’l Radio Symphony Orchestra/Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki: Symphony No. 8 (excerpt)
Warsaw Nat’l Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir/Antoni Wit
David del Tredeci: I Hear an Army (excerpt)
Composers String Quartet; Phyllis Bryn-Julson, s.
David del Tredeci: Final Alice (excerpt)
CSO/Solti; Hendricks, s.
Arvo Pärt: Nekrolog (excerpt)
Stockholm Philharmonic/Järvi
Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra/Järvi
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
John Adams: Harmonielehre, Part II (excerpt)
San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
Lois V. Vierk: Timberline (excerpt)
Relache/Lloyd Shorter
We all know the Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven, Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture inspired by Fingal’s Cave, and the music by Vaughan Williams inspired by the English countryside. But in the modern era, the urban environment is inspiring many composers to capture its sounds in music.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
David Sampson: Chicago Moves, IV, Lake Shore Drive (excerpt)
Gaudete Brass
Bernard Hoffer: Road Rage
Neoteric
David DeVasto: II. Sudden and VI. London, 1665 fr. Winter Seven
DeVasto, p.; Scott Uddenberg, vocals
Chiayu: Urban Sketches
Members of the Curtis Institute
Joseph Kokkyar: Brady Street fr. Streets and Bridges
Jeri-Mae Astolfi, p.
Patricia Morehead: Cityscape
Czech Philarharmonic Orchestra/Robert Ian Winstin
Derek Bermel: Mulatash Stomp
Christopher Taylor, p.; Derek Bermel, cl.; Heleen Hulst, v.
Michael Torke: South Beach, Midnight fr. Miami Grands
Miami Piano Circle
Diane Jones: Street Song
Trio Casals
John Adams: The City and Its Double fr. City Noir (excerpt)
St. Louis Symphony/Robertson
Critic Kyle Gann says “Singleton’s music is soulful, with an understated simplicity that I particularly prize. Despite the studied economy of his means and the set character of his images, the music is never cold … nor abstract. It glows with warmth.”
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Alvin Singleton: Jasper Drag (excerpt)
Ted Gurch, cl.; Helen Hwaya Kim, v.; Laura Gordy, p.
Singleton: After Fallen Crumbs
Atlanta Symphony/Louis Lane
Singleton: Argoru Va
Ted Gurch, bs. clar.
Singleton: Sweet Charlottle
Doug O’Connor, sax.; Angel Hsiao, fl.: Julietta Curenton, fl.; Harrison Hollingsworth,
bsn.; Lionel Cottet, vc.
Singleton: In My Own Skin (excerpt)
Laura Gordy, p.
Where would Gustav Mahler be without the incredible support of Leonard Bernstein? Bach without the support of Mendelssohn?
Being championed by a famous performer or conductor is an incredible leg up to the career of many composers. Who are the modern day composer champions, and whose work are they promoting?
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
James Newton Howard: 133… At Least
Hilary Hahn, v.; Cory Smithe, p.
Norbert Moret: En Rêve, I
BSO/Seiji Ozawa
Thea Musgrave: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (excerpt)
LSO/Norman del Mar
John Psathas: Matre’s Dance
Philip Smith, p.; Evelyn Glennie, perc.
Sofia Gubaidulina: Offertorium (excerpt)
BSO/Dutoit; Gidon Kremer, v.
David Rakowski: Etude, Book 2 No. 14, Martler
Amy Briggs, p.
In recent years composers have become interested in the fact that the performers can do things on stage other than just play their instrument: stomp their feet, clap, play simple percussion, and even sing. We’ll feature a variety of pieces from composers who ask musicians (who are not trained singers) to vocalize and supplement their playing.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Leonard Bernstein: “Mambo” fr. West Side Story
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela/Dudamel
Frederic Rzewski: De Profundis, section 1 & 2
Milton Schlosser, p.
Valentin Silvestrov: Drama Sonate for Violin and Piano
Cornelius Duffalo, v. Jenny Lin, p.
Tom Johnson: Counting Duets
Tim Munro, vocals
Joseph Hallman: imagined landscapes: six Lovecraftian elsewheres
Inscape/Richard Scerbo
Martin Bresnick: Willie’s Way (excerpt)
Lisa Moore, p.
Huang Ruo: Drama Theater No. 4, To the 4 Corners, Scene II (excerpt)
FIRE/Ruo
Steve Reich: Clapping Music (excerpt)
Pierre Laurent Aimard, hand claps
Stunningly versatile pianist Jenny Lin has recorded with jazz musicians, rockers, contemporary composers and everyone in between. Equally comfortable playing Shostakovich on the same concert as giving a world premiere, Lin is a vital talent that is taking concert halls by storm.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
George Gershwin: I Got Rhythm (excerpt)
Earl Wild, arr.
Jenny Lin, p.
James Tenney: Chromatic Canon
Lin, p.
Arthur Kampela: Nosturnos (excerpt)
Lin, p.
Valentine Silvestrov: Sonata for Violin and Piano, Post Scriptum (excerpt)
Cornelius Duffalo, violin; Jenny Lin, p.
Elliot Sharp: Suberrebus (excerpt)
Lin, p.
David Wolfson: Sonata for Cello and Piano, IV
Laura Bontrager, vc.; Jenny Lin, p.
Claude Vivier: Shiraz
Jenny Lin, p.
William Bolcolm: Dream Shadows from Three Ghost Rags
Lin, p.
This new release by the Del Sol Quartet marks the first time that all of the string quartets by Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe have appeared on one recording. We’ll play several selections from this remarkable new album.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Peter Sculthorpe: String Quartet No. 16, I (excerpt)
Del Sol Quartet; Peter Kent, didjeridu
Peter Sculthorpe: String Quartet No. 12, From Ubirr
Del Sol Quartet; Peter Kent, didjeridu
Peter Sculthorpe: String Quartet No. 14, Quamby, IV
Del Sol Quartet; Peter Kent, didjeridu
Peter Sculthorpe: String Quartet No. 16
Del Sol Quartet; Peter Kent, didjeridu
One of the key pioneers in the incredibly influential minimalist movement, Terry Riley is a restless artist who has constantly sought to reinvent himself over his long career. We’ll start with the landmark piece In C and work our way through the numerous highlights of his musical output.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Terry Riley: Emily and Alice fr. The Cusp of Magic (excerpt)
Kronos Quartet; Wu Man, pipa
Riley: Music for The Gift (excerpt)
Chet Baker Quartet
Riley: In C (excerpt)
Member of the CCPA at the State University of New York and Buffalo/Riley
Riley: In C (excerpt)
Ensemble/Riley (In C 25th anniversary concert
Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air (except)
Terry Riley, organ
Raga Shuddh Sarang (excerpt)
Pandit Pran Nath, voice
Riley: Anthem of the Trinity fr. Shri Camel
Terry Riley, org.
Riley: Salome Dances for Peace (excerpts)
Kronos Quartet
Riley: Requiem for Adam, III (excerpt)
Kronos Quartet
Riley: Havana Man (excerpt)
Riley, p.
Legendary Brazilian guitar duo Sérgio and Odair Assad have been performing and recording together for 50 years, reinventing guitar technique along the way. We’ll talk with Sérgio about their remarkable career and feature music by a wide variety of composers who have written for them.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Altamir Penha: Nós e o rio (excerpt)
Sérgio & Odair Assad, guitars
Ástor Piazzolla: Tango Suite
Sérgio & Odair Assad, guitars
Egberto Gismonti, arr. Sérgio Assad: Baião Malandro
Sérgio & Odair Assad, guitars
Sérgio Assad: Divertimento fr. Aquarelle
David Russell, guitar
Sérgio Assad: Sephardic Passage fr. Interchange for Guitar Quartet and Orchestra
Delaware Symphony Orchestra/David Amado; Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Sérgio Assad: Uarekena
Fandango Guitar Quartet
Ástor Piazzolla: Libertango
Yo-Yo Ma, vc.; Paquito D’Rivera, cl.; Odair Assad, gtr.; Kathryn Stott, p.; Sérgio Assad, g.; Nilson Matta, db.; Cyro Baptista, perc.
From Stravinsky’s famous In Memoriam: Dylan Thomas to Hindemith’s Trauermusik, composers have long written their most personal and moving music as a tribute to a friend or great figure they admired. We’ll remember several great personalities with musical tributes by modern day composers.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
William Mayer: Brass Quintet, II
Iowa Brass Quintet
Ross Harris: Symphony No. 4 “To the Memory of Mahinarangi Tocker” (excerpt)
Auckland Philharmonia/Brett Dean
David Maslanka: Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble
III. Be Content, Be Calm
Illinois State University Wind Symphony/Stephen K. Steele
Fred Lerdahl: First String Quartet (excerpt)
Julliard String Quartet
David Lang: Memory Pieces for Solo Instruments: Cage
Andrew Zolinsky, p.
Robert Paterson: Elegy (for Two Bassoons and Piano)
Charles McCracken & Gilbert Dejean, bassoons, Elizabeth DiFelice, p.
Alex Shapiro: Perpetual Spark
Fifth House Ensemble
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