Lubomyr Melnyk (b. 1948) is a Ukranian pianist and composer who pioneered the concept of "continuous music" in the 1970s. "Continuous music" can be described as a never-ending and unbroken stream of notes played very quickly with both hands while holding down the sustain pedal. From a technical point of view, these continuous ... [Continue Reading]
Contemporary
Cesária Évora: Mãe Carinhosa
A new song by Cesária Évora is certainly a good excuse to open the floodgates of nostalgia! The Cape Verdean singer passed away in December 2011 after a very successful "late" international career. The singer was 47 when she recorded her first breakthrough album [amazon text=La Diva Aux Pieds Nus&asin=B00017YY90] in 1988. ... [Continue Reading]
Max Richter: The haunted ocean
Waltz with Bashir (2008) is a groundbreaking animated documentary by Israeli film maker Ari Folman. One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there's a connection to their Israeli ... [Continue Reading]
Max Richter: Shadow journal
The Blue Notebooks "Shadow journal" was originally released in [amazon text=The Blue Notebooks&asin=B00BAFMQ24] (2004), the second solo album by German born British composer Max Richter. While classically trained, the musician is also influenced by Rock and Electronic music or by modern minimalists such as Philip Glass, ... [Continue Reading]
Antony and the Johnsons feat. Björk: Flétta
This exquisite collaborative track comes from Antony and the Johnsons' 2010 recording [amazon text=Swanlights&asin=B003TE9BJ0]. The track was originally composed in 2006 during the recording sessions for Björk's album [amazon text=Volta&asin=B000OLG5OK] which includes two duets with Antony Hegarty. In "Flétta", Antony ... [Continue Reading]
Maja Ratkje and Frode Haltli: Vandring
Vandring This is a composition from Frode Haltli's 2007 recording Passing Images featuring a vocal performance by Maja Ratkje and Arve Henriksen on trumpet. As the accordion player notes, the origin of this track is twofold: Vandring is based on "Jeg er på vandring gjennom livet" as it is sung by Elias Akselen (b. 1947) ... [Continue Reading]
