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
The ultimate instrumental showcase, the concerto has inspired composers to torture performers for hundreds of years, relentlessly pushing their physical capabilities. Now that performers have virtually no limits on their technique, how are composers innovating this storied form?
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Kimmo Hakola: Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, I (excerpt), IV
FRSO/Sakari Oramo; Kari Kriikku, clarinet
Daron Hagen: Concerto for Koto and Orchestra, I. Genji/Cicada Shell
Orchestra of the Swan/David Curtis; Yumi Kurosawa, koto
Philip Glass (arr. Amy Dickson): Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, I
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Mikel Toms
Mark O’Connor: The Improvised Violin Concerto, III. Water
Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra/Frederico Cortese
Gabriel Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra, II. Adagietto, Irreguluv
Heritage Orchestra/Jules Buckley; DJ Yoda, turntables
Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Theremin and Orchestra, Acht Jahreszeiten, III. Schwarzer Schnerr
Lapland Chamber Orchestra/John Storgårds; Carolina Eyck, theremin
Jennifer Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra, III
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Robert Spano
A big trend in the 2000’s saw contemporary music ensembles commissioning composers not to write new pieces for them but to arrange music by pop artists.
We’ll listen to music from two such collaborations: Alarm Will Sound performing arrangements of electronic musician Aphex Twin and Osso Quartet’s arrangements of indie pop superstar Sufjan Stevens.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
PLAYLIST
Sufjan Stevens: Year of the Snake (excerpt)
Sufjan Stevens (arr. Olivier Manchon): Year of the Snake
Osso String Quartet
King Crimson (arr. Ziporyn): Epitaph
Maya Beiser, vc.
Philip Glass, Symphony No. 1, Low Symphony, I (excerpt)
Brooklyn Philharmonic/Davies
Beck (arr. Kahane): Mutilation Rag 2:08
Ymusic
Kraftwerk: Pocket Calculator (excerpt)
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk: Pocket Calculator
Balanescu String Quartet
Sigur Rós (arr. Prutsman): Flugufrelsarinn
Kronos Quartet
Queen/Tolga Kashif: The Queen Symphony, III (Who Wants to Live Forever, Save Me)
Royal Philharmonic/Tolga Kashif
Aphex Twin: Logon Rock Witch (excerpt)
Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin (arr. Jonathan Newman): Logon Rock Witch
Alarm Will Sound
Part II of our field trip to Finland features more interviews and performances of music by leading and emerging composers from this incredible musical hotbed.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Magnus Lindberg: Kraft (excerpt)
Toimii Ensemble/Esa-Pekka Salonen
Sebastian Fagerlund: Isola, II
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Dima Slobodeniouk
Juhani Nuorvala: Toivo
Eija Kankaanranta- 15 string kantele
Matthew Whithall: the heaven that dwells so deep (Concerto for Viola and Orchestra) (excerpt)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Ernest Martinez Izquierdo; Ilari Angervo, vla.
Antti Auvinen: Orior (excerpt)
Atlas Ensemble/Artjom Kim
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus- Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, III
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Leif Segerstam
The latest installment of In the Field brings us to a country that has exported a dizzying list of big name composers and conductors in the last couple of decades: Finland.
We’ll talk with established composers and rising stars about their music and the lasting influence of the Sibelius Academy.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Kaija Saariaho: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Notes on Light, I (excerpt)
Orchestre de Paris/Eschenbach; Karttunen, vc.
Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra, II (Presto)
Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Brabbins; Piet Van Bockstal, oboe
Esa-Pekka Salonen: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, III (Pulse II)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Salonen; Josefowicz, v.
Lotta Wennäkoski: Love and Life of a Woman (excerpts)
Avanti Ensemble/Hanniakinen; Räisänen, s.; Rantanen, ms.
Osmo Tapio Räihälä: Barlinnie Nine (excerpt)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Tomi Räisänen: Stheno
Erik Bosgraaf, recorder tubes; Izhar Elias, Guitar
Kaija Saariaho: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Notes on Light, V
Orchestre de Paris/Eschenbach; Karttunen, vc.
For many years the composer-in-residence with the NY Philharmonic, Christopher Rouse combines neoromanticism with hard driving, rock-inspired rhythms to create a fascinating musical style all his own.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Christopher Rouse: Iscariot
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic/Alan Gilbert
Rouse: Phaethon
Houston Symphony Orchestra/Eschenbach
Rouse: Symphony No. 4
NY Phil/Gilbert
The Contemporary Music Centre in Ireland is one of the world’s foremost models of government support for composers, with dozens of composers receiving financial support, commissions and travel grants. We plunge into the incredible wealth of music created by this program.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
PLAYLIST
Donnacha Dennehy: “He Wishes His Beloved Were Dead” fr. That the Night Come
Crash Ensemble/Pierson; Upshaw, s.
Eric Sweeney: Ceol Rince Ros Mhic Treoin (New Ross Dance Music)
Finghin Collins, Dearbhla Collins & Alexander Bernstein, p.
Stephen Gardner: The Mayfly
Fidelio Trio
Jane O’Leary: Reflections II
Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble/O’Leary; Harry Sparnaay, bs. clarinet
Karen Power: Relocating Elk … By Train
Carin Levine, bs. flute, tape
Adam Melvin: Little Engines
Mary Dullea, p.
Seán Clancy: Changing Rates of Change
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra/Maloney
One of the world’s most famous new music festivals has been held in Darmstadt since 1946. We’ll trace the festival from its beginnings through modern times and feature some of the seminal works that were premiered there.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
PLAYLIST
Stockhausen: Kreuzspiel (excerpt)
Alfred Schweinfurter, oboe; Wolfgang Marx, bass clarinet; David Tudor, piano;
Christoph Caskel, Heinz Haedler, & Manfred Wehner, percussion/Stockhausen
Pierre Boulez: Doubles
Het Residentie Orkest/Boulez
Luciano Berio: Sequenza No. 1 for Flute
Severino Gazzelloni, flute
Darmstadt archives
Beat Furrer: à un moment de terre perdue
Klangforum Wien/Furrer
Enno Poppe: Salz
Ensemble Mosaik
One of America’s most acclaimed and versatile contemporary music pianists, performance artist and keyboardist Kathleen Supové is known for breaking boundaries between audience and performer and for her multimedia performances as the “Exploding Piano.”
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Randall Woolf: Adrenalin Revival, III & II
Kathleen Supové, piano
Koch 7572
1:16, 3:05
Corey Dargel: Hooked for Life & Hands fr. Removable Parts
Dargel, voc.; Supové, p.
New Amsterdam 021
2:38, 4:37
Missy Mazzoli: Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of pianos
Supové, p.
8:41
Lukas Ligeti: Delta Space (excerpt)
Supové, p.
Tzadik 7099
5:50
Carolyn Yarnell: The Same Sky (excerpt)
Supové, p.
Koch 7572
14:37
John Adams: 5 Pages from John’s Book of Alleged Dances
I- Judah to Ocean
Yousif Sheronick, percussion; Lark Quartet, strings (Deborah Buck, Violin 1; Basia Danilow, Violin 2; Kathryn Lockwood, Viola; Caroline Stinson, Cello)
Ronald Roxbury: Goodbye My Fancy
Patrick Mason, baritone; Susan Palma, flute; David Starobin, guitar
Shulamit Ran: Mirage
The Da Capo Chamber Players: Patricia Spencer, flute; Laura Flax, Clarinet; Eric Wyrick, Violin; Andre Emelianoff, cello; Sarah Rothenberg, piano
Dan Visconti: Ramble and Groove
Scharoun Ensemble, Markus Weidmann; bassoon
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms #10 for Guitar and Electronic Sounds
David Starobin, guitar
Jennifer Higdon: Scenes from the Poet’s Dreams
III- 3:49
V- 3:42
Lark Quartet (Deborah Buck, Violin 1; Basia Danilow, Violin 2; Kathryn Lockwood, Viola; Caroline Stinson, Cello), Gary Graffman, piano
Paul Lansky: Horizons
I- Up Close 5:11
II- Rough Edged 4:51
III- Vanishing 5:59
Real Quiet (Andrew Russo, Piano; Felix Van, Violoncello; David Cossin, percussion); Mihae Lee, pianist
Relevant Tones’ annual live broadcast returns with a 2-hour broadcast from City Winery. Performers include Fonema Consort, Gaudete Brass, and Graham Reynolds.
Hosted by Seth Boustead
Produced by Jesse McQuarters
Fonema Consort
Pablo Chin, Artistic Director; Nina Dante, voice; Kathryn Schulmeister, voice; Emily Beisel, clarinet; Ryan Packard, percussion
Mort d’Antigone by Hèctor Parra
Como la leyenda de Tlön, I by Pablo Santiago Chin
Tandem by Chris Fisher-Lochhead
Como la leyenda de Tlön, II by Pablo Santiago Chin
Les sept crimes de l’amour by Georges Aperghis
Gaudete Brass
Ryan Berndt, trumpet; Julia Filson, horn; Bill Baxtresser, trumpet; Scott Tegge, tuba; Paul von Hoff, trombone
Bright and Fast from Frost Fire by Eric Ewazen
Record of a Lost Tribe by Conrad Winslow
Artifacts
History
Ceremonies
Still by David Sampson
Gazebo Dances Overture by John Corigliano (setting by Cliff Colnot)
Graham Reynolds
Jeff Yang and Madeline Capistran, violins; Becca Wilcox, viola; Nicholas Photinos, cello
Cult of Color: The Miracle Machine
Back to the Cell (O Sacred Head, Now Wounded)
String Abstraction No. 3 (Cottontail)
The Difference Engine
The Cogwheel Brain
Ada
Cam Stack and Crank Handle
Late at Night – The Astronomer
The Difference Engine
Before Midnight/Creatures
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