Alejandro Viñao - Children of Nancarrow (2004)

This radio programme is about the Children of Nancarrow, the composers who came after him and have been influenced by his music or, perhaps even more so, by his ideas. This post Nancarrow generation took off where Nancarrow's piano etudes left to explore in different directions the issue of multiple simultaneous tempi. During the programme I play and discuss selected movements or complete pieces by these composers. Alejandro Viñao

Featuring excerpts from:

*Alejandro Viñao, 'The World We Know'
*Alejandro Viñao, 'Phrase & Fiction' performed by the Flux Quartet
*Javier Alvarez, 'Cuaderno Para Armar', by Banda Elastica
*Luca Francesconi, 'Mambo', by Jean-Luc Plouvier (piano)
*Gyorgy Ligeti, 'Etudes Pour Piano - No.6' , by Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
*Gyorgy Ligeti, 'Piano Concerto' by Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez with Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
*John Adams, 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine', by Netherlands Wind Ensemble conducted by Stephen Mosko
*Conlon Nancarrow, 'Etude No.15' by a player piano
*Conlon Nancarrow 'Etude No.9' performed by Ensemble Modern
*Moritz Eggert, 'The Trouble with Trills'
*Charles Amirkhanian, 'To a Nanca Rose'
*Charles Amirkhanian, 'A Rimsky Business'
*Charles Ives, realised and completed by Larry Austin 'Universe Symphony'
*Igor Stravinsky, 'The Rite of Spring' by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez
*Giuseppe Verdi, 'Requiem' performed by the orchestra and choir of Teatro de la Scala conducted by Ricardo Muti
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 'The Magic Flute' by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan
*Hector Berlioz 'Symphonie Fantastique' by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan
*Johann Sebastian Bach 'Musical Offering' by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields conducted by Neville Marriner

Aired on 18.09.04 by BBC Radio 3, Hear & Now.
Written & presented by Alejandro Viñao
Produced by Philip Tagney

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Alejandro Viñao - Hildegard's Dream (1994)

The first 3 pieces in this CD form a trilogy for soprano and computer which explores the relationship between melody and timbre in 3 different contexts. Both "Chant d’Ailleurs" [Chant from Elsewhere] and "Borges y el Espejo" [Borges and the Mirror] are concerned with melodic processes based on non European singing models, seeking to extend the syntax of these models beyond their Oriental origin. ‘Chant d’Ailleurs’ takes as a model the chanting tradition of Mongolia and ‘Borges y el Espejo’ that of the classical Arabic singing. ‘Hildegard’s Dream’ functions as a connecting point between these Eastern traditions and the more recent melodic tradition of Europe. The piece, as the title suggests, draws its melodic material from the monophonic singing of the Middle Ages. In those early days, the European melodic syntax was not as different from its Eastern counterpart - as it was to become after the Renaissance - enjoying a rhythmic freedom which had not yet been subjected to the constraints of a rigid meter. This composition marks the beginning of my exploration of melody and timbre which culminated, some 10 years later, in the 3 pieces forming the trilogy. All four works were influenced by the writings of Jorge Luis Borges and his labyrinthine view of the world. His influence was imprecise and diffused and yet I experienced it as something very real. If I try to define it in my own words it is the words of Borges that come to my mind: “luckily we don’t owe ourselves to one tradition. We can aspire to all of them”. Alejandro Viñao

1-3. Chant d'Ailleurs (1992, for soprano and computer)
4-5. Hildegard's Dream (1994, for soprano and computer)
6-7. Borges y el Espejo (1992, for soprano and computer)
8-9. Go (1981, tape composition)

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