Flotation Device pays homage to Wolfgang Rihm (1952–2024), the prolific German composer who "brought emotions back into new music". We also dive into Brett Dean's new album of concert pieces derived from his opera Hamlet, using the occasion to contemplate whether he's the first opera composer since Verdi to crack the repertory with a setting of a Shakespeare tragedy.
On the improvisational side, we sample a pair of new albums from William Parker, one featuring the late Charles Gayle and Milford Graves, the other sporting a contemporary trio with Hamid Drake and Cooper-Moore. We also hear Tony Conrad’s piercing violin one last time in a duet with Jennifer Walshe recorded just weeks before Conrad's death in 2016, but only now released on an album. New offerings by Matthew Shipp, Steve Swell, Kim Cass and Horse Lords, and premiere recordings of minimalist works by Julius Eastman and Sophia Jani round out the playlist. Creative and improvised music with host Michael Schell.
