The Sea.
During this theme programme we focus on music inspired by the sea or which has at least some connection to it. A classic in this theme of course is Debussy’s ‘La mer’, which he wrote in 1905 for orchestra. Though the sea in all its aspects is still incredibly fascinating for today’s composer.
We’ll be listening to releases from the last few decades, with new approaches to the sea. In Joby Talbot’s ‘Tide Harmonic’ (2011), for example, it is not so much about a person observing the water, but it is an almost scientific look at the properties of the water and the sea itself. Or for example in ‘St. Carolyn by the Sea’ (2014), in which composer Bryce Dessner created a panorama based on the book ‘Big Sur’ by Jack Kerouac. In this book the writer describes hallucinations he experienced while staying in a cottage in Big Sur, on the coast of California below San Francisco.
Playlist:
1) “The Sea Between” by the Apollo Saxophone Quartet & Artvark Saxophone Quartet. Oink Records, OINK-011901.
2) “Tide Harmonic” by Joby Talbot. Signum Records, SIGCD 260.
3) “Toward the Sea” by Toru Takemitsu, performed by Patrick Gallois on flute, Fabrice Pierre on harp and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. Universal 00028945345925; Deutsche Grammophon 453 459-2.
4) “St. Carolyn by the Sea” by Bryce Dessner, performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by André de Ridder. Universal, 00028947924579, Deutsche Grammophon, 479 2388.
5) “Humanity is an Ocean, var. 2” by Yael Acher-Modiano, flute. Centaur Records CRC 3830.
6) “Naval Aviation in Art?” by Frank Zappa. Performed by the Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez. EM
