Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Patchwork Suite
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Patchwork Suite
By WGTE Public MediaArts
The Patchwork Suite episodes
- Variation No. 5 by Jay WelencToledo composer and teacher Jay Welenc re-harmonizes and orchestrates the Granados waltz theme to depict the adventures and perils of maritime life, symbolized in this episode by a sailcloth. He conducts a performance by his students at Toledo School for the Arts.16 min
- Variation No. 4 by Meredith GullaCleveland-based composer Meredith Gulla uses a three-note snippet of the Granados waltz theme to craft a piano solo based on the cloud-like softness of her high school prom dress, a symbol of adulthood. She takes us through a series of rhapsodic musical episodes, akin to flashbacks from her youth, styled in a way that’s sometimes whimsical, other times earnest, and heartwarming throughout.17 min
- Variation No. 3 by Stephen DeeterWisconsin artist Stephen Deeter is a composer, a vocalist, and a lyricist too. His poem “Secondhand” traces his musings on what it means to love and be loved, taking inspiration from both a thrift-shop quilt and from his relationship with his partner. In Stephen’s variation on the Granados waltz theme, he sets “Secondhand” to music by playing with the melodic contour of the original theme and supporting the text with modern-minded harmony.19 min
- Variation No. 2 by Alvin LeungHong Kong-born composer Alvin Leung shares his electroacoustic interpretation of the Granados waltz theme, taking inspiration from flannel textures. He nestles fragments of the original theme into an atmospheric soundscape that’s reminiscent of wintertime and all its coziness.15 min
- Variation No. 1 by Michael NichtCincinnati-based composer Michael Nicht contributes a piano solo to the patchwork, taking inspiration from a beautiful brindle prayer shawl. In this variation, Michael casts the Granados theme in an asymmetrical meter with surprising harmonies to convey the instability one may experience in the search for spirituality.14 min
- The Theme by Enrique GranadosWelcome to The Patchwork Suite, a theme and variations project based on a waltz by Enrique Granados. Here, Mary Claire Murphy uncovers the scope of the podcast, surveys the life of Enrique Granados, and introduces the waltz theme that will reappear under various guises throughout the series.10 min
About The Patchwork Suite
From the publisher's feed
Touchstone Award Winner - Radio Long Form 2024 In "The Patchwork Suite" podcast, composers are asked to draw musical inspiration from a given classical theme and extra-musical inspiration from a…
textile of choice. This season, composers put their unique spin on “Vals Melódico,” a theme from the piano work Valses Poéticos by Spanish composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916). Mary Claire Murphy introduces the Granados theme, and then its melody blossoms throughout the season as composers write their own contemporary variation on it. We get to explore the particulars of each variation and learn about the incredible artists along the way. By the end, we’ll have woven a colorful and diverse patchwork of creativity. Join us as this musical tapestry takes shape! Season 2 evolves the pilot concept from its textile emphasis to now take listeners on a cross-country and cross-continent exploration of mural artwork, all while composers put their own spin on a lament by the 19th century classical guitar virtuosa, Madame Sidney Pratten. Following Mary Claire’s introduction to the lament theme, each episode highlights a single variation and composer, so that by the end of the sequence, we’ll have patched together a brand new and diversely influenced theme and variations suite.