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Mixtape Mondays: Justin Kantor on the LPR (New)Classical Series

Jan

12

I’ve created a playlist inspired by the upcoming (New)Classical series, which kicks off on Tuesday. I wanted to play off the themes of the series and also the onset of winter… the mix is solitary, pensive, and a little spiritual. It features composers born mid 19th century onward, who lean towards tonality and simplicity — not necessarily minimalism though. I think this playlist is perfect for quiet spaces, a warm room during a snowstorm maybe.

 

 

Tracklist:

La Belle Dame Sans Merci — I first learned of Sylvestrov when Jenny Lin proposed her concert to me. I wasn’t familiar with his work. I thought I’d start off with something that spoke to me while I was exploring his music.

Pondok: by Evan Ziporyn, performed by Sarah Cahill — Cahill will be performing a work of Ziporyn’s inspired by Terry Riley during the LPR (New)Classical series. He is one of the few composers on this playlist who is more contemporary (b.1959). Ponduk plays well off of Le Belle Dame Sans Merci, It’s even more sparse and spacious.

Channels and Wind — I chose this Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar ditty because it sounds to me like something that Philip’s contemporary, Terry Riley, would probably dig. Since there’s Lisa Moore’s recital dedicated to Glass on January 13 and Sarah Cahill’s performance dedicated to Riley on January 29, this piece fits into the themes here nicely.

4 North American Ballads — I would have loved to include a piece from Lisa Moore’s new Orange Mountain Music release of Philip Glass piano works, but it’s not on Spotify. (Go find a copy. It’s worth a listen.) So here’s a wonderfully dreamy rendition of Rzewski’s (b.1938) “Dreadful Memories” played by Lisa.

Minuet for a Cheap Piano — I just really like this piece so I included it. (And if you like this, maybe keep an eye on our site in the near future…)

G Song — Here’s a Riley piece that’s reminiscent more of something I could imagine Philip Glass really enjoying. I guess you could call it a response to Ponduk.

Letter from Sergi Rachmaninoff to Simeon Ten Holt — I was planning on including a piece by Simeon Ten Holt (b.1923) when I stumbled across this beautiful piece by Anton Batagov. I didn’t want to keep it to myself.

Vladimir Martynox: The Beatitudes – Martynov (b.1946) — This movement is so damn beautiful.

The Messenger – 1996 (Der Bot 1996) — When I asked Jenny Lin what I should listen to of Sylvestrov, this was one of her recommendations. Here’s a taste of what you will get on February 4 if you attend!

Tickets, including a three-show pass, are available for the LPR (New)Classical Series over here.

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