Genre Fluid Fridays on Classiclectic: Music exploration and discovery through the lens of classically-minded composers and musicians.  Explore beyond the horizon of classical music, Fridays on Public Radio 90, beginning at 9:30am ET.  This time on the program, we explored music and performances by Angele Dubeau & La Pieta, Miloš, Echo Collective, Ofra Harnoy & Mike Herriott, Carr-Petrova Duo, Wei-En Hsu & Kelvin Chan, Jennifer Koh & Qasim Naqvi, and Victor Rosenbaum. SEE Genre Fluid Fridays PAGE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, pianist-composer and vocalist Sharon Fendrich began her music studies at age three. Eventually releasing her debut album, Red Sky Prairie, Fendrich travelled to the small town of Stein in the Netherlands to record the project at Kerani Music Studio with engineer Arno Op de Camp. Comprised of eleven compositions spanning an hour, Red Sky Prairie beautifully epitomizes neoclassical new age exquisiteness with its striking combination of gentle piano and voice set to mellifluous orchestral ensembles. Showcasing the contributing impeccable talents of Russian vocalist Anna Emelyanova, cellist Joep Willems, violinist Wilfred Sassen, and flautists Helen Hendriks and les Muller, Red Sky Prairie brilliantly boasts emotionally therapeutic and mellifluous arrangements of utmost pristine elegance. READ THE FULL Aural Awakenings REVIEW

In their first joint collaboration on disc, Pacifica Quartet and classical guitarist Sharon Isbin have recorded an album on Cedille Records titled ‘Souvenirs of Spain and Italy.' The album features works for guitar and strings by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, and Boccherini. Pacifica Quartet are Grammy Award-winners. Isbin is a multi-Grammy Award winner. "It's really beautiful music with a tremendous amount of variety," Isbin says of the new recording. The program spotlights Italian-born composers influenced by Spanish idioms. Works include Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet, Op. 143; Emilio Pujol's guitar arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's lute Concerto in D Major, RV 93, edited by Isbin; and Luigi Boccherini's Quintet for Guitar and String Quartet in D Major, G. 448. In this podcast, the Rio Grande Guardian presenter Mario Muñoz interviews Isbin. LISTEN

What is a French Suite Anyway? - A so called 'French Suite' is a baroque suite. Meaning an instrumental play composed during the Baroque period (17th to mid-18th centuries) with a consistent cast of characters (the individual movement forms) who introduce an additional few players on occasion to round out the story. All movements of Craig Swanson's French Suite Kit are offered in multiple versions for mixing and matching toward the ideal of the moment. These alternate versions are not intended to cover any particular gamut, neither a pastiche of styles nor a simulacrum of other piano players, dead or alive (exceptions are noted below), nor an exhaustive exploration of tempi or other musical parameters. These are rather, to one degree or another, versions that I believe in and am proud to play, that evince my own thoughts about the music. Obviously there are influences aplenty, but as authors love to write in their forwards: all remaining errors are mine alone. Spokane Public Radio's Jim Tevenan sat down with Swanson to discuss the recording. Listen to the attached clip.

Keyboardist Rick Wakeman is best known in the United States for his half-dozen stints over 30 years in the seminal progressive rock band Yes - appearing on the group's double-platinum 1971 disc "Fragile," with its defining single "Roundabout"; on its highest-charting U.S. album, 1972's "Close to the Edge"; and 1978's platinum "Tormato." He even was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2017, giving a delightfully irreverent acceptance speech that likely ranks as high in the annals of the hall as Yes does. But Wakeman has had a far broader career in which he's released more than 100 solo albums and appeared in more than 2,000 studio sessions, including on David Bowie's "Space Oddity" album, and on songs by T. Rex, Elton John, Lou Reed, Cat Stevens and Al Stewart. He made British chart history in 2017 when his disc "Piano Portraits" became the first solo piano instrumental album to enter the UK's Top 10 on release - a feat he repeated with his most recent disc, last year's "Piano Odyssey." And he's had a long history as a stand-up comedian and television actor, for which he says he's equally known in the United Kingdom. Wakeman will try to impart some of that broader career when he performs at Allentown's Miller Symphony Hall at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. In a recent call from his home studio on the east side of England, 95 miles northeast of London, Wakeman spoke about his show, his career and more.   READ THE Q&A

Pianist Keith Jarrett has long been a global phenomenon – a rare and unique musician known and loved not only for his soulful adventures in jazz improvisation, but also for his recordings of classical music (Bach, Mozart, Shostakovich, Handel, Hovhaness, Harrison, and more).  In 1987, when he was 42, Jarrett made a studio recording of Book I of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier – 24 preludes and fugues in all the major and minor keys that stand as a towering monument to the expressive power of the multi-layered world of counterpoint. Before the release of that recording, Jarrett played the preludes and fugues live in upstate New York at the beautiful Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. And now, the archival recording of that evening has been released on CD. WCRB has chosen it as our CD of the Week for Oct. 7, 2019. READ THE FULL WCRB: Boston ARTICLE

"The love and care that was put into "Red Sky Prairie" is evident in EVERY note. It literally pours out of this album and seeps deeply into our hearts like silken salve for the spirit. And there it remains." – Dyan Garris "Red Sky Prairie" is the extraordinarily beautiful debut album by the extraordinarily talented Sharon Fendrich. Remember that name, because I'm sure you'll be hearing it a lot now and in the future.  Passionate and emotive, I hope I am able to find the right words to effectively describe this work of musical magnificence. It's THE best album I've heard this year, and I have heard a lot of extremely, outrageously beautiful music this year.  "Red Sky Prairie" was recorded in Stein, Netherlands by Arno Op den Camp at Kerani Music Studio. Joining Sharon's sensitively played piano performances on "Red Sky Prairie" is a roster of also amazingly talented and quite prominent guest artists.   Anna Emelyanova's voice is incredible. Wilfred Sassen on violin adds heartfelt, vibrant depth as does Joep Willems' cello performance.  Helen Hendriks on flute and Ies Muller on Irish flute bring even more sweetness into the mix by Arno Op den Camp with Sharon Fendrich.  Sharon composed all the pieces and self-produced this album, which was mastered by the renowned Stephen Marsh at Marsh Mastering in Los Angeles. The album includes a stunningly beautiful booklet. The artwork and design is by award-winning graphic designer, Sam Hayles.  The love and care that was put into "Red Sky Prairie" is evident in EVERY note. It literally pours out of this album like silken salve for the aching spirit. It's hard to believe this is a debut album because it is flawless. Effortless. Impressive. Remarkable.  This may be her first album, however, composer and pianist, Fendrich, is not new to music. She was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, and began her music studies at age three.  Later, at Tufts University, she completed advanced studies in piano, choral music, conducting, orchestration and composition. After college, she continued to explore composition while working in marketing, development and production roles for the La Jolla Music Society and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, in California. In her compositional process, Sharon relies on her fingers and ears to guide her into crafting a complete solo piano work. Then, she begins to add layers of sound through improvisation. Countermelodies emerge and contribute to a full harmonic palette and tempos full of breathing room. The result is a sonically magical world in which the listener is comfortably immersed in tranquility.  Grounded in the Classical genre and inspired by ambient New Age, the 11 tracks, and almost 1 hour of listening enjoyment are full of lush, passionate melodies that immediately captivate the listener's heart.  Within the music one can hear the influences of Enya, Secret Garden, Ludovico Einaudi, Chopin and Debussy.  Sharon says, "The inspiration for the album came from a daydream I had about a tranquil place filled with red-orange skies after the passing of a storm. A hushed early evening breeze had fallen upon a prairie-scape. I saw myself at various ages residing in a weather-worn white farmhouse, able to feel the emotions of the phases of life. A profound sensation of safety and peace permeated the air in this scene and the feeling has stayed with me ever since." "Red Sky Prairie" was born.  If I understand correctly, it is her hope that listeners of this album will be able to embrace all the events and emotions that they've experienced, and will experience, on their life's journey, and their soul's journey – the good and the "bad" – and come to a place of acceptance and deep, heartfelt peace with all. No matter what, keep an open heart, because out of the shadow side of life emerges the light. In my opinion, she succeeds tremendously.  The album opens with the gorgeous, "L'dor Vador" (Generation to Generation). I've never heard this more beautifully done. Here Anna Emelyanova's heavenly vocal washes over you along with Sharon's outstandingly beautiful piano, like a dual wave of soft, angelic light and you know you're in for something truly exceptional here.  ". . . round and round, on and on, I see my life in yours, hopes and memories wrap me with love." The mellow strings enter in, adding even more depth, and the magnificence continues throughout the entire album. It's astounding.  The lyrics, on the five vocal songs on "Red Sky Prairie," are in different languages, including Esperanto, which is an international language created by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof in the 1800s. The purpose of Esperanto was/is to facilitate easy communication among people from different cultures; a language that would allow people who speak different native languages to effectively communicate. The other languages included for the vocal pieces on "Red Sky Prairie" are: English, Spanish, Yiddish, and Latin. "A Secret's Song" is a passionate tribute to "Somewhere Out There" by Jame's Horner, from the animated feature film, "An American Tail." Stunningly beautiful piano here, reminiscent of the work of Italian composer, Ludovico Einaudi.  "Within Whispers" is intimate and delicate. We are reminded of how important it is to try to maintain intimacy, even in the face of obstacles.  The title track, "Red Sky Prairie," is an outstanding soundscape, painting a perfect picture of "Americana." Violin and cello are perfect here along with the piano.  "Song of the Dove" ( Kanto de la Kolombo) is sung entirely in Esperanto. Again, the vocal by Anna Emelyanova is amazing. Very calming with exquisite harmonies. Violin, piano, and cello all blend together in something beyond perfection.  Here we can see and feel the "dove of peace" soaring high, entrusted with its important mission.  The hauntingly beautiful "Never Alone" is sung by Anna in Spanish, English and Yiddish. Sharon wrote this piece in the summer of 2018, at the height of media attention in the United States regarding Latin American refugees entering the country. The lyrics link the story with that of Jewish refugees in World War II. Perhaps we have all been refugees of some sort at some time in our lives. This song reminds us that while we may feel "shut out" at times, we are truly never alone.  A delicate, magical sounding song, "Moonswept" is sweeping, flowing piano, flute, violin and harp. Together these create a romantic soundscape where we feel like we are basking in a peaceful moonlit glow.  Calling up remembrances of long-lost love, the nostalgic, "Bittersweet Memory," is a sweet flute and piano duet.  Sparkling, so lovely, and emotionally stirring.  Grief and sorrow are brought up for closure in, "Last Tears." This is wistful yet uplifting at the same time. Piano, cello, and violin in perfect harmony jostle our heartstrings and bring peace and balance. Dedicated to the 88 souls who perished on Alaska Airlines flight 261, "In Memoriam" is sung in Latin and will give you chills. So very angelic.  "Dona eis pacem. Volant cum angelis. Amen." This translates into, "Grant them peace. They fly with the angels."  As well, do you remember that September 11, 2001, morning? You might recall that it was such a beautiful day all over the United states that day. Picture perfect. Then everything changes and became something else. Life as we knew it completely morphed into completely uncharted territory. Out of that stunned, stupefying darkness, however, we came together, united as humanity in light, hope, and strength.  "That September Day" is sung by Anna Emelyanova so perfectly. Flute, strings, piano, and an astoundingly magnificent vocal, all do the very same on this last track, "That September Day;" a day that is indelibly etched onto our souls forever. This song will remain with you as well, long, long after it is over:    "Hearts broken, tears fall.  In darkness we can't find hope. Out of grief, hope and strength are forged. Through shadow shines a light so bright. Voices cry out you must go on.  Hope will hold our hearts. Together we found a way that September day."   I think that says it all.  A MUST have, give yourself or someone else a great gift of peace, hope, tranquility. This album is completely extraordinary in every single way. Every. Get "Red Sky Prairie" here: https://sharonfendrich.com/store/ or wherever music is sold/streamed. Sharon Fendrich, piano Wilfred Sassen, violin Anna Emelyanova, voice Joep Willems, cello Helen Hendriks, flute Ies Muller, Irish flute