classical

‘The Resonance Between’ Is More Than the Sum of Its Intercultural Parts

‘The Resonance Between’ Is More Than the Sum of Its Intercultural Parts

Alam Khan’s The Resonance Between employs techniques from Hindustani and European art music traditions, but it’s about more than just fusion.

Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri Adapt ‘Oedipe’ for Modern Jazz

Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri Adapt ‘Oedipe’ for Modern Jazz

Though Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri’s Oedipe Redux is quite a technical achievement, it faces an uphill battle when it comes to stirring the soul.

Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Reflections’ Soundtrack Is Impressive If Vague

Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Reflections’ Soundtrack Is Impressive If Vague

Composed by Sufjan Stevens, the Reflections soundtrack is virtuosic and a pleasant listen but on its own the album feels indistinct and largely forgettable.

The TANK Center for Sonic Arts Find a New Way to Interpret Beethoven

The TANK Center for Sonic Arts Find a New Way to Interpret Beethoven

National Sawdust Ensemble’s work on Slow Beethoven recasts Beethoven’s Opus 131 as something wholly new, recasting it as a contemporary classical dirge.

The Nuanced History Eluvium’s Many Clockwork Fables

The Nuanced History Eluvium’s Many Clockwork Fables

Ambient maestro Matthew Robert Cooper (Eluvium) is two decades into his career, and on his latest LP, overcomes surprising obstacles physical and geographical.

An Evening in a Crypt with French Classical Composer RIOPY

An Evening in a Crypt with French Classical Composer RIOPY

Risk-taking self-taught classical pianist RIOPY talks with PopMatters after his Death of Classical performance at the Crypt Chapel beneath Harlem’s Church of the Intercession.

Erik Hall Creates Minimalist Compositions with Warm Beauty on ‘Canto Ostinato’

Erik Hall Creates Minimalist Compositions with Warm Beauty on ‘Canto Ostinato’

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Erik Hall shares his second installment of a trilogy with a tribute to Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt on Canto Ostinato.

Faten Kanaan Revels in Ever-Molting Textures on ‘Afterpoem’

Faten Kanaan Revels in Ever-Molting Textures on ‘Afterpoem’

Faten Kanaan’s musical molting feels more organic than the repetition in Steve Reich or Philip Glass; her music doesn’t rely on an unwavering framework for effect.

John Bence Turns to His ‘Archangels’ for Detoxification

John Bence Turns to His ‘Archangels’ for Detoxification

John Bence’s Archangels has got to be one of the quietest new albums. He’s conjured a storm’s eye, making it a fascinating aesthetic contradiction.

Stephanie Lamprea Creates a Fearless Interpretation of an Avant-Garde Song Cycle

Stephanie Lamprea Creates a Fearless Interpretation of an Avant-Garde Song Cycle

Colombian-American soprano Stephanie Lamprea brings a spectacular amount of vocal technique to a challenging, unique, and weirdly playful piece of music.

Anne H. Goldberg-Baldwin Interprets Bespoke 21st-Century Compositions on ‘Permutations’

Anne H. Goldberg-Baldwin Interprets Bespoke 21st-Century Compositions on ‘Permutations’

Composer Anne H. Goldberg-Baldwin tackles 15 contemporary pieces for solo piano on her deeply felt and surprisingly varied album, Permutations.

Lutist/Composer Jozef Van Wissem Hears ‘The Call of the Deathbird’ 

Lutist/Composer Jozef Van Wissem Hears ‘The Call of the Deathbird’ 

Longtime Jim Jarmusch collaborator Jozef Van Wissem turns his attention to another film soundtrack with Nosferatu, which redefines the lute.