(January 2023) Episode 469 of the “opus project” is MICHAEL GORDON. A contemporary composer and one of the co-founders of the Bang on a Can collective (with wife Julia Wolfe of episode 347 and David Lang episode 453).  Styles include dissonance, minimalism, unusual instrumentation (2x4s), reinterpretations of classic works, pop culture. There is a lot of variety to keep you interested.  Some of his earlier works featured rock guitar, and he emphasizes multimedia works and unusual operas.

Favorite piece: Trance

Favorite orchestral piece: Dystopia

Favorite large ensemble piece: Rushes

Favorite piece with guitar: Thou Shalt!/Thou Shalt Not!

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: he is worth checking out; a lot of pieces are available as embedded on his website

(November 2022) Episode 453 is DAVID LANG. A contemporary, New York-based composer and co-founder of the Bang on a Can collective (with Julia Wolfe of episode 347).  His early works seem generally minimalist/post-minimalist, but he prolifically composes in a diversity of styles and forms. From standard string arrangements and choirs to a roomful of broken instruments and distorted guitar duos. From ballet and opera to film soundtracks and small experimental pieces.

Favorite album/large ensemble piece: The Passing Measures

Favorite orchestral piece: Concerto (World to Come)

Favorite vocal piece: The Writings

Favorite violin piece: Killer

Favorite guitar piece: Warmth

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: many works have been published as album recordings so they are easy to get access to

(October 2022) Episode 444 of the “opus project” is MISSY MAZZOLI. A contemporary, New York-based composer of chamber and orchestral works and, more recently, operas.  Her works are inventive, never settling on one style, with sounds that can be both jagged and liquid.  Mazzoli also brings in electronics and distorted guitar, giving a sort of indie rock vibe to some compositions.

Favorite piece: Violin Concerto (Procession)

Favorite album: Cathedral City

Favorite chamber piece: Magic With Everyday Objects

Favorite vocal piece: Song for Mick Kelly

Favorite solo instrumental piece: Dissolve, Oh My Heart

Favorite opera: Songs from the Uproar

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: spend some time with her music

(June 2022) Episode 419 is GEORGE CRUMB. A contemporary American composer (he died earlier this year) known for demanding techniques, both vocal and instrumental, in experimental and avant-garde forms. The far-out nature of his compositions is evidenced in his particular style of notation (see below).  It can be an acquired taste, but I enjoy listening to those who expand boundaries.

Favorite piece: Star Child

Favorite orchestral piece: Variazioni

Favorite chamber piece: Sonata for Solo Cello

Favorite piano piece: Metamorphoses, Book II

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: not for everyone, but if you like to challenge yourself

(December 2021) Episode 374 is ANNA THORVALDSDÓTTIR. Her compositions are like ecosystems of sound, evocative of nature and landscapes – a description you will understand if you’ve been to her native Iceland.  Her music is direct and powerful, often unsettling, and sometime includes electronic and visual elements in an avant-garde approach.

Favorite piece: Aequilibria

Favorite solo piece: Sola

Favorite ensemble piece: Spectra

Favorite vocal piece: Ad Genua

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: yes

(November 2021) Episode 367 is MEREDITH MONK. While a full appreciation of her multi-disciplinary art would include theater, film and dance, I focused only on the music, but even that is quite diverse. Most notable is her expansive exploration of vocal techniques, asserting the human voice as its own versatile instrument. But there is also plenty of solo piano and stringed chamber pieces with a minimalist vibe.

Favorite album: Songs of Ascension

Favorite opera: Atlas

Favorite instrumental work: Stringsongs

Favorite vocal work: Three Heavens and Hells

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes for those who appreciate the avant-garde

(October 2021) Episode 363 is PIERRE BOULEZ. I first learned of Boulez through Frank Zappa, who said he was his favorite composer.  You can hear his ideas imprinted on much of Zappa’s more ambitious work. Boulez was acclaimed as a serialist composer, but also as a writer, institute founder and conductor, including of Zappa compositions.

Favorite piece: Répons

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Yes, if you like to expand with serialism and similar forms