Flotation Device 2024-09-08 - Goehr, Max & Saariaho

European composers return to the spotlight as we dive into the premiere recording of Kaija Saariaho’s second opera, Adriana Mater—an opportunity to hear the lingering influence of Sibelius amid her usual blend of spectralism and impressionism, all in service to a somber wartime story of violence, vengeance and forgiveness. We also pay our respects to the late Alexander Goehr, and mark the 90th birthday of his fellow Manchester icon Peter Maxwell Davies, who capped a lifetime of musical exploration and republican political leanings with a decade spent in official service to…Queen Elizabeth II, whose great-great-great-grandfather is depicted in his most famous work which, through its premiere recording, catapulted both Max and Julius Eastman to the top of the avant-garde. An Angélica Negrón miniature, a historical gem by Dewey Redman, and new releases by Christopher Cerrone, Matthew Shlomowitz, Ge Gan-ru, Ivo Perelman and Fred Frith (in a postminimalist mood) round out the playlist.