As I was preparing episode #78, composer Ned McGowan said to me over the phone: “It’s hard to live up to the expectations of opera.” But here are some marvelous attempts to do just that.

Among highlights, I perform a one-minute dadaist operatic tour de force by Moritz Eggert, and we hear excerpts from the premiere Eggert’s new opera Caliban last week here in Amsterdam. But that’s not all! Composer and pianist Alanna Battat shares an exclusive improvisation just for our listenners; and we hear an advance track from an upcoming LP called “Waves” – for 150-foot-long amplified cables.

AMERICAN HIGHWAYS #78: NEW OPERAS

Theme Music :

Steve Reich. The Desert Music (1984)

First Movement (Fast).

Chorus of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Michael Tilson Thomas & William Carlos Williams.

Nonesuch Records 79101.

Kurt Weill

Street Scene – “Lonely House”

Dawn Upshaw; David Zinman: Orchestra Of St. Luke’s

Nonesuch 79458-2

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Stairway to Heaven

Altius String Quartet

Navona Records (NV6078)

Scott Joplin

Kismet

Richard Dowling, piano

Rivermont CD BSW-2240

William Bolcom

Incinerator Rag

Altius Quartet

Parma Recordings/Navona NV6078

Moritz Eggert

Hämmerklavier XI

Guy Livingston, piano

Wergo 6649-2

Moritz Eggert

Caliban [excerpt]

Asko/Schonberg Ens, conducted by Steven Sloane

world premiere – live recording March 25, 2017

Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik

Waves [excerpt]

Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik, electronics

Telemark LP 62801 [release planned for 2018]

Mohammed Fairouz

The Named Angels

V. Mikhail’s Thunder

VI. Azrael. Malak-al Maut

VII. Jibreel at HIRA

VIII. Israfel’s Spell

Del Sol String Quartet

Dorian Sono Luminus DSL 92193 CD

Alanna Battat

One minute improv

Alanna Battat, pianist

private recording

LINKS

Richard Dowling plays Joplin at Carnegie Hall

CD (release date: April 1st 2017 – tomorrow!)

Caliban

The New Prince

Opera Forward Festival

Advance warning: 2018 release pending on Edition Telemark in Berlin of WAVES

Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik – Waves video

Altius Quartet Dress Code CD on iTunes

and same thing from Naxos Direct