KEXP ~ PACIFIC NOTIONS - part 5

Chill Classical

BBC3 Night Tracks

Unclassified

BBC Radio 3 Unclassified

All terror

Night Tracks 🔊 (BBC Radio 3) - 3

Zoë Martlew Recital at Dark Music Days Festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Jan 31st 2019.
Venue: Kaldáron, Harpa
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Dark Music Days recital Jan 31st 2019. Reykjavik, Iceland.

Zoë Martlew contemporary cello

T.Milly👑- Silhouette (Remix)

Frederic Chopin, Vol. 1

Nocturne Op. 72 No.1 in E Minor

Dreams of a World

Cuentos de la juventud, Op. 1: No. 1, Dedicatoria (Transcr. Isbin for Guitar)

Endless Reworks

Screaming Silence (Dictaphone Rework)

First single from our 2nd album, 'Laid Bare: Love Songs', released 2 June 2014. 

Heal You by Anna Meredith

Written and performed by Zoë Martlew.

In memory of Oliver Knussen, this piece was premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival 2022 by cellist Anssi Kartunnen as part of the "Olly Day", celebrating Knussen's legacy in his 70th birthday year.

Grateful thanks to:
Lester Barnes - sound track editing and mastering, recording

Flautist Marie Zupancic for her exquisite playing of solo from OK's "O Hototogisu!" 

Donald McCleod for excerpts from his interview with Olly for BBC Radio 3 

Barry Gavin for audio excerpt from his documentary "Sounds from the Big White House"

other audio source: Zoë's own iPhone recording from the cello stand of Olly's last ever rehearsal for the last ever concert he conducted, held in the Britten Studio in Snape (where this piece was 1st performed) during discussions between Olly and Sir Harrison Birtwistle in prep for an Aldeburgh Festival performance.

Piece dedicated to A.K. for O.K.

"O-lude". For cello, soundtrack and electronics. Zoë Martlew

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75)- From 5 Pieces for 2 violins and piano, arr. Levon Atovmyan. Performed on violin, mandolin and piano

I. Prelude
II. Gavotte
IV. Waltz

Eyþrúður Ragnheiðardóttir - violin
Konstantín Shcherbak - mandolin
Anna Kristín Sturludóttir - piano

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75)- From 5 Pieces for 2 violins and piano

kenopsia

life imitates life

the day you killed yourself

Loathe - Gehenna

Written and performed by Zoë Martlew
For solo cello without bow.

Recorded by Lester Barnes (2011)
Published by Schott

"Salat Babilya" was inspired by music from Iraq, in particular the beautiful sonorities of the oud, a variety of Middle Eastern lute dating back to antiquity. An oud-like resonance is evoked without the use of a bow via a combination of "arabic" scales, open strings, ringing harmonics and ornamental inflections.

The particular oud piece that inspired this one was written to help lull the children of Bagdad to sleep during bombing raids and bears the same title, which translates from the Arabic as "Babylonian Prayer".

(Useful for cellists who have forgotten their bow).

Salat Babilya (Babylonian Prayer)by Zoë Martlew

Granville Bantock's setting of words by Harold Boulton is prefaced on the score with the words: 'The refrain of this song was actually used recently on a Hebredean Island by a singer who thereby attracted a quantity of seals to gather round and listen intently to the singing.'

The 'Hoiran, oiran, oiran, oiro' of the refrain is certainly evocative. Bantock's setting is performed here by David Barton (piano) and Ruth Carlyle (voice). The painting of the seal is by Nic Carlyle.

Song To The Seals - Granville Bantock, 1930

Hólar

FROM CHINA TO APPALACHIA

Beautiful Grassland, My Home

Realize

Colleen - Geometria Del Universo

Kaira

For Organ and Brass

Three

Persona

The Course

Hunter Huntress Hawker

Awaken Waken

No. 4

christina vantzou 'some limited and waning memory'

You Were Never Really Here

Tree Strings

All Melody

A Place

Eulogy for Evolution 2017

0040 (Remastered 10th Anniversary Edition)

Bent Sørensen
Wings of Spring (2004)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldalón, Harpa.
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen and Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Dark Music Days

Wings of Spring Bent Sorensen

Juliana Hodkinson
Scrape, for cello with metal plate, playback track and sound diffusion (2009)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days festival in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldalón, Harpa.
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Dark Music Days               

Scrape, Juliana Hodkinson

Bjørn Fongaard  
Concerto for cello and tape op 131 no. 20  (1976)
•••world premiere
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at 2019 Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Tape part recovered from Norwegian National archives and restored by Cato Langes (NOTAM).
Venue: Kaldálon, Harpa
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Bjørn Fongaard   Concerto for cello and tape op 131 no. 20

Anders Nordentoft
Impetuoso - movement I (2014)
Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venue: Kaldáron, Harpa.
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Anders Nordentorf Impetuoso - Movt I

Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, 31st Jan 2019.
"Bow to String" by Daníel Bjarnason (2010)
Movt 1 "Sorrow Conquers Happiness"

Venue - Kaldalón, Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String. 1) Sorrow Conquers Happiness.

Live performance by Zoë Martlew at Dark Music Days Festival, Reykjavik, 31st Jan 2019.
"Bow to String" by Daníel Bjarnason (2010)
Movt 3 "Air to Breath"

Venue - Kaldalón, Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland
Sound technicians Jesper Pedersen
Þráinn Óskarsson
Recorded by Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String 3) Air to Breath

music composed and performed by Arturo Rodríguez
(written on September 4, 2012)

Amanecer

Music: Nocturne
Composer: Lili Boulanger
Artists: Dawn Wohn, violin; Esther Park, piano;
Album: Perspectives (DE3547)
Coming November 1, 2019

Pre-Order: https://delosmusic.com/recording/perspectives/

The contributions of female composers have long been neglected.

Violinist Dawn Wohn and pianist Esther Park have begun to change that with Perspectives, a beautiful album featuring works from a vast variety of female composers including Nocturne by Lili Boulanger and Legenda by Vítězslava Kaprálová—both composers died tragically while in their 20s.

Commissioned especially for this album, Star-Crossed by Jung Sun Kang tells the story of two unlucky lovers. Deserted Garden and Elfentanz by Florence Price highlight the talents of this African American composer whose works are just beginning to receive the attention they deserve.

This diverse release also includes works by Amy Beach, perhaps America’s best- known female composer, a two-movement piece by Pulitzer-prize winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and works by Chihchun Chi-sun Lee, Reena Esmail, and Vivian Fine.

Wohn and Park have been making music together since their days as students in Juilliard’s Pre-College program. This exceptional album will almost certainly introduce listeners to some pieces they have never heard and expand the horizons for the great diversity in works by female composers.

Perspectives

See The Album

Lili Boulanger: Nocturne

The More You Know

#CelloUnlimited

Pablo Casals - El cant dels Ocells

China Gates (Excerpt)

How Do You Feel About Getting Married? Out Now - https://Dijon.lnk.to/Married

Jesse was late again, but I don’t mind I’ll wait for him
Jesse gets mean sometimes
But I don’t mind, he’s got a lot on his mind.
And dammit Jesse. It’s true. I do love you
And dammit Jesse. It’s true. I do trust you

Jesse’s a mess again
So I lie awake with him
And he’s holding on to something I can’t see
But it’s alright, I’m safe with him

And dammit Jesse. It’s true
I do, love you
And dammit Jesse. It’s true, I do trust you

And he could be bad, and turn his back;
He could break all his promises. But when I see Jesse I smile.
When I see Jesse I smile.
He could be bad, and turn his back;
He could break all his promises. But when I see Jesse I smile.
When I see Jesse I smile.

Facebook: bit.ly/2D6ueuQ
Twitter: bit.ly/2MVYUDL
Instagram: bit.ly/2D4GqMs
YouTube: bit.ly/2SbBY9e
Spotify: spoti.fi/2Tva0Sv
Apple Music: apple.co/2MPolGU

jesse

Blurred

Blurred (Bonobo Remix)

In the late 90’s, east-side LA was in the throws of a post-indie explosion; a network of stoned bands ranging from neo-psychedelia to pseudo-country overran Spaceland (our generation’s Troubadour) and the local Silverlake Lounge. I was playing freakbeat records twice a week in dive bars, half of Spacemen 3 was crashing at my house (my drop-out roommate was Sonic Boom’s tour drummer) and it was during this blur that I met Raymond Richards, a clean-cut all-American pedal steel guitarist playing in Mojave 3 (the country-tinged 4AD side project of shoegaze royalty, Slowdive). I was instantly swept off my feet, head over heels in love with Raymond's weeping tone — the most chill-inducing, emotionally responsive dialog I’d had with music since discovering Satie as a child — it was then and it is now, truly haunting. After a year of personnel trials, my roommate and I stole Raymond for our own band, and not only did he smother our songs with his enchanting steel, he was virtuosic with a variety of atypical instruments such as baritone guitar and theremin, he utilized them all. The band was short-lived — I split to jam with Ariel Pink, Raymond fled to Portland, then me subsequently to New York City — but in founding the ESP Institute years later, there was always a recurring mental note; "we must make Raymond’s pedal steel album." I had managed to wrangle his blessed performance on a remix for Project Club’s 'El Mar Y La Luna', but it took almost a decade until I once again wore the producer hat and we began working on 'The Lost Art Of Wandering', a title borrowed from Sam Shepard’s 'Stories'. Spiritually candid, expansive yet enveloping, this is the strung-out, visceral country music that simply radiates from Raymond. Each song is his set of coordinates in a vast open terrain, holding a sentimental familiarity, a truthful longing for the simple comforts that diffuse life’s complications, a place to get lost. —Lovefingers

Produced by Lovefingers
Cover image - Barbara and Michael Leisgen, Eintauchen [detail], 1972

Daniel Bjarnason, Bow to String 3) Air to Breath

zoemartlew