Listen to series of works inspired by trains in music by American Minimalist composer Steve Reich, bassist and composer Florent Ghys, and pianist Lara Downes. Plus, classic American tunes by Elizabeth Cotton and Dave Macon. In 1948, composer, musicologist, engineer, and acoustician Pierre Schaeffer created a piece from the sounds of locomotives, "Etude aux Chemins de Fer" (Study in Locomotives). (He is also a founder of Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète (GRMC), (Wikipedia). The piece consisted of a set of recordings made at the depot for the Gare des Batignolles in Paris: six steam locomotives whistling, trains accelerating, wagons moving over rail joints (Soundartzone). Hear some of American minimalist composer Steve Reich’s work, “Different Trains” for multiple layers of the Kronos Quartet and the sampled voices of Holocaust survivors. The work was inspired by the composer reflecting upon cross-continental train trips he’d made as a youth, and how different those trips would have been had he been a young boy in Europe. Then, listen to music from bassist and composer Florent Ghys, which explores the interplay between acoustic and electronic instruments and incorporates unexpected samples…like trains! Also, hear American pianist Lara Downes in an arrangement by Jeremy Siskind of the traditional folk tune "900 Miles" – “a song about this insatiable nostalgia we seem to carry, as Americans, for our roots, this longing in our bones to find our way home”, (Lara Downes, writing in the liner notes from This Land). There’s a version of American guitarist Elizabeth Cotten’s greatest hit “Freight Train,” as sung Norwegian singer and occasional songwriter Susanna Wallumrød, and together with baroque harp player Giovanna Pessi, Ida Hidle’s accordion and Tuva Syvertsen’s fiddle. Also, listen to a tune by American songster and banjo player Uncle Dave Macon arranged for electric mbira (thumb piano) by percussionist and songwriter Joachim Cooder. And more. - Caryn Havlik Program #4957, Different Trains, Part 1 (First aired 12/11/2024) ARTIST: Pierre SchaefferWORK: Etude aux Chemins de Fer(1948) [1:21]RECORDING: Panorama of Musique ConcreteSOURCE: DTLINFO: Try Discogs ARTIST: Steve Reich / Kronos QuartetWORK: Steve Reich: Different Trains, Different Trains, After the War [10:18]RECORDING: Works 1965-1995SOURCE: Nonesuch #79451INFO: nonesuch.com ARTIST: Florent GhysWORK: Trains [2:51]RECORDING: Ritournelles and MosaïquesSOURCE: Cantaloupe MusicINFO: florentghys.com ARTIST: Edward ArtemievWORK: Train Sequence [3:16]RECORDING: Stalker SoundtrackSOURCE: Superior Viaduct LPINFO: Also available via Mirumir Records LP at Amazon.com ARTIST: Bruce BrubakerWORK: Meredith Monk: Railroad (Travel Song) [2:16]RECORDING: Meredith Monk: Piano SongsSOURCE: ECM RecordsINFO: https://ecmrecords.com ARTIST: Robert EenWORK: Prairie Train [2:46]RECORDING: The Escape ArtistSOURCE: Private Recording / This performance not commercially available.INFO: roberteen.com ARTIST: Dustin O'HalloranWORK: Train in New York [2:49]RECORDING: Puzzle OSTSOURCE: MasterworksINFO: dustinohalloran.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Lara DownesWORK: 900 Miles [2:53]RECORDING: This LandSOURCE: PentatoneINFO: https://lnk.to/ThisLand ARTIST: SusannaWORK: Elizabeth Cotton: Freight Train [3:19]RECORDING: Go Dig My GraveSOURCE: SusannaSonata SONATA039INFO: susannamagical.com ARTIST: John FaheyWORK: Frisco Leaving Birmingham [3:30]RECORDING: John Fahey, Vol. 2, 1964-1983SOURCE: Takoma #8916INFO: acerecords.co.uk ARTIST: Joachim CooderWORK: Dave Macon: When the Train Comes Along [6:51]RECORDING: Live, for the Soundcheck Podcast, Nov. 2020SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G72Em8AL8JAINFO: This performance not commercially available. ARTIST: David BordenWORK: Fog, Stars, Train, West Hill Lights [2:16]RECORDING: Cayuga Night MusicSOURCE: Cuneiform RecordsINFO: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cayuga-night-music
Listen to series of works inspired by trains in music by American Minimalist composer Steve Reich, bassist and composer Florent Ghys, and pianist Lara Downes. Plus, classic American tunes by Elizabeth Cotton and Dave Macon.
In 1948, composer, musicologist, engineer, and acoustician Pierre Schaeffer created a piece from the sounds of locomotives, "Etude aux Chemins de Fer" (Study in Locomotives). (He is also a founder of Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète (GRMC), (Wikipedia). The piece consisted of a set of recordings made at the depot for the Gare des Batignolles in Paris: six steam locomotives whistling, trains accelerating, wagons moving over rail joints (Soundartzone). Hear some of American minimalist composer Steve Reich’s work, “Different Trains” for multiple layers of the Kronos Quartet and the sampled voices of Holocaust survivors. The work was inspired by the composer reflecting upon cross-continental train trips he’d made as a youth, and how different those trips would have been had he been a young boy in Europe.
Then, listen to music from bassist and composer Florent Ghys, which explores the interplay between acoustic and electronic instruments and incorporates unexpected samples…like trains! Also, hear American pianist Lara Downes in an arrangement by Jeremy Siskind of the traditional folk tune "900 Miles" – “a song about this insatiable nostalgia we seem to carry, as Americans, for our roots, this longing in our bones to find our way home”, (Lara Downes, writing in the liner notes from This Land). There’s a version of American guitarist Elizabeth Cotten’s greatest hit “Freight Train,” as sung Norwegian singer and occasional songwriter Susanna Wallumrød, and together with baroque harp player Giovanna Pessi, Ida Hidle’s accordion and Tuva Syvertsen’s fiddle. Also, listen to a tune by American songster and banjo player Uncle Dave Macon arranged for electric mbira (thumb piano) by percussionist and songwriter Joachim Cooder. And more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4957, Different Trains, Part 1 (First aired 12/11/2024)
ARTIST: Pierre SchaefferWORK: Etude aux Chemins de Fer(1948) [1:21]RECORDING: Panorama of Musique ConcreteSOURCE: DTLINFO: Try Discogs
ARTIST: Steve Reich / Kronos QuartetWORK: Steve Reich: Different Trains, Different Trains, After the War [10:18]RECORDING: Works 1965-1995SOURCE: Nonesuch #79451INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Florent GhysWORK: Trains [2:51]RECORDING: Ritournelles and MosaïquesSOURCE: Cantaloupe MusicINFO: florentghys.com
ARTIST: Edward ArtemievWORK: Train Sequence [3:16]RECORDING: Stalker SoundtrackSOURCE: Superior Viaduct LPINFO: Also available via Mirumir Records LP at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Bruce BrubakerWORK: Meredith Monk: Railroad (Travel Song) [2:16]RECORDING: Meredith Monk: Piano SongsSOURCE: ECM RecordsINFO: https://ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Robert EenWORK: Prairie Train [2:46]RECORDING: The Escape ArtistSOURCE: Private Recording / This performance not commercially available.INFO: roberteen.com
ARTIST: Dustin O'HalloranWORK: Train in New York [2:49]RECORDING: Puzzle OSTSOURCE: MasterworksINFO: dustinohalloran.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Lara DownesWORK: 900 Miles [2:53]RECORDING: This LandSOURCE: PentatoneINFO: https://lnk.to/ThisLand
ARTIST: SusannaWORK: Elizabeth Cotton: Freight Train [3:19]RECORDING: Go Dig My GraveSOURCE: SusannaSonata SONATA039INFO: susannamagical.com
ARTIST: John FaheyWORK: Frisco Leaving Birmingham [3:30]RECORDING: John Fahey, Vol. 2, 1964-1983SOURCE: Takoma #8916INFO: acerecords.co.uk
ARTIST: Joachim CooderWORK: Dave Macon: When the Train Comes Along [6:51]RECORDING: Live, for the Soundcheck Podcast, Nov. 2020SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G72Em8AL8JAINFO: This performance not commercially available.
ARTIST: David BordenWORK: Fog, Stars, Train, West Hill Lights [2:16]RECORDING: Cayuga Night MusicSOURCE: Cuneiform RecordsINFO: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cayuga-night-music