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PGM 785R 'LAMENTO' : apr. 3-10

Descending into the dark season, we find music that portrays human emotions at their most vulnerable: music of pathos, loss and remembrance. These are some of our most powerful and affecting feelings, and they call for music that reaches into the depths of our souls.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a special program of choral, vocal and instrumental music for the dark season from guest producer ELLEN HOLMES called LAMENTO.

A lament is a cathartic song or poem expressing grief or mourning. Many of the oldest and most enduring poems in human history have been laments; they're found in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Hindu Vedas, and in ancient Near Eastern religious texts, including the Old Testament. 

Music is by GEORGE ROCHBERG, ARVO PÄRT, GARRETT FISHER, SAVINA YANNATOU, SILVIA NAKKACH, ZBIGNIEW PREISNER, NIKOLAI KARETNIKOV, VICTOR KALINNIKOV, ALEXANDER KASTALSKY, URMAS SISASK, and SANCTUARY.

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PGM 749R2 'TRANSLUCENT MUSIC' : mar.27-apr.3

In dark and dangerous times, we're confronted with depressing and painful emotions. Irrationally, when we consciously immerse ourselves in fear and dread, we can emerge stronger. Music has mysterious restorative powers that come from the emotional confrontation with deep and challenging feelings. The Ancient Greeks called it...catharsis.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum, in dark times we crave light and hope—balm for battered souls. Here music brings beauty and peace, inspiration and joy.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the fragile lightscape of the psyche, from dark, to translucent, to luminous—on a program called TRANSLUCENT MUSIC.

Featuring LISA GERRARD & JEFF RONA, ELENI KARAINDROU, ARVO PÄRT, VALENTIN SILVESTROV, and KARL JENKINS.

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PGM 1243 'SEVEN DAYS WALKING' : mar. 20-27

Since the mid-1990's Italian composer and pianist LUDOVICO EINAUDI has quietly become the most ubiquitous contemporary classical artist in the world. His music has been heard on hundreds of soundtracks, advertisements, solo albums, and live concerts.

We've programmed his music on Hearts of Space since 2004, with a retrospective show in 2008. His music is often described as minimalist, meditative, and introspective. All true, but his style of minimalism is profoundly lyrical, emotional and sensitive, in the great humanistic tradition of European Romantic music.

In the winter of 2018, Einaudi began to compose music inspired by solitary walks in the Italian Alps, which ultimately became a seven-album box set of impressions, soundscapes, and variations. I'm STEPHEN HILL, and on this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a selection of highlights from the set, on a program called SEVEN DAYS WALKING. Einaudi plays a Steinway nine foot concert grand piano, with FEDERICO MECOZZI on violin and viola, and REDI HASA on cello.

Ludovico Einaudi's musical journey in the Italian Alps: SEVEN DAYS WALKING — on this transmission...of Hearts of Space.

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PGM 1038 'CELTIC LEGACY 2' : mar. 13-20

Every year on the threshold of spring, we celebrate the memory of St. Patrick and the sublime music of the Celtic lands on the western edge of Europe. For folk music fans, it's a visit to one of the key sources of American music; for lovers of the ethereal ballad, it's a deep drink from the well; and for anyone who appreciates fine acoustic music and great vocalists, it's an unending delight. For Celtic music renews itself in every generation, embracing the present while honoring its long and brilliant expression of essential human emotion.

On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, another journey in the Celtic soundscape, on a program called CELTIC LEGACY 2. Music is by MIKE OLDFIELD, CLANNAD, DAVID ARKENSTONE & CHARLEE BROOKS, KATE PRICE, JOHN DOAN, AINE MINOGUE, and BRIAN KEANE.

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PGM 1242 'ASTRAL TRAVELER 2' : mar. 6-13

In esoteric cosmology, a plane is a region of reality corresponding to a level of being. The concept is found in many religious and esoteric teachings extending back for thousands of years.

The concept of an "astral" plane dates from the Neo-Platonic era in the 3rd century AD, and is said to be occupied by the soul and spirit before birth and after death, as well as all consciousness. In an era where truth and science are under attack, it's hard to dismiss metaphysical ideas about the organization of reality. They provide an important framework for personal spiritual beliefs in an increasingly secular age.

Ambient and electronic musicians have long been drawn to these themes because of the ability of electronic instruments to create subtle vibrations and imaginary worlds of sound. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a journey in the subtle planes and celestial spheres, on a program called ASTRAL TRAVELER 2. Music is by JONN SERRIE, TELOMERE, CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, JIM OTTOWAY, IMMERSION THEORY, MEG BOWLES, JAJA, and DAVE LUXTON.

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PGM 1241 'SPACEJAZZ 8 : ATMOSPHERES feb. 28-mar. 6

Some of the most dynamic and exciting contemporary music is made by jazz musicians. They combine absolute mastery of traditional acoustic instruments with the unpredictable language of improvisation. But along with this powerful creative music, there's always been a slower, more contemplative side of jazz, which led to a much-loved repertoire of mellow, relaxed jazz with high musical standards. When combined with the spatial sensibility of contemporary ambient, we call it "spacejazz."

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the space where jazz meets ambient—on a program called SPACEJAZZ 8: ATMOSPHERES. Music by SHAI MAESTRO, JAKOB BRO, GERHARD DAUM, TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO, MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO, TIGRAN HAMASYAN, and EIVIND AARSET.

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PGM 1068R 'WINTERTONES 2' : feb. 21-28

 

The latter days of winter bring a special kind of fatigue mixed with impatience. For residents of snow-crossed parts of the country, winter has begun to overstay its welcome; while here in California the trees are blossoming, and February feels like spring.

As the sound of the season evolves, music of the far north and Arctic countries still resonates, connecting with contemplative acoustic mainstays like the cello and the piano. From deep minimalist patterns to Romantic melodicism, we find the soul and comfort to endure.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, wintry acoustic spacemusic for the season on a program called WINTERTONES 2.  With Icelandic musicians OLAFUR ARNALDS and HILDUR GUTHNADOTTIR, cellist DAVID DARLING with SYLVIA NAKKACH and JACQUELINE TSCHABOLD BHUYAN, MICHAEL HOPPE & HAROLD MOSES, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, and RALPH ZURMUHLE.

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PGM 1240 'LIMINAL WORLDS' : feb. 14-21

Liminal Space — the in-between place where dreams and desires are born.
A threshold of consciousness — between dream-inspired sleep and rational wakefulness.
A time of transition — between what was and what will be.
A place where healing and transformation can occur.
The most important liminal space is the present moment: a space of pure possibility.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient adventures in transition zones, on a program called LIMINAL WORLDS. Music is by KEVIN BRAHENY FORTUNE, JARGUNA, HOWARD GIVENS & CRAIG PADILLA, BRIAN ENO, REMOTE VISION, and PAUL AVGERINOS.

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PGM 1239 'FROZEN TIME 2' : feb. 7-14

There's a complementary relationship between classical string instruments and the extended winters of northern Europe, where the string family evolved. In the chilled, wet, gray winters north of the Mediterranean, the rich harmonies and bright overtones of the string family pierce the cold and dark, and touch our souls.

Whether the music is noble and expansive, somber and melancholy, or quiet and contemplative—it nourishes the spirit and warms the heart. Today, a new breed of classical composer/performers in Europe and the U.S. are combining strings, electronics and studio techniques to create a contemplative ambient music for the 21st century.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, warm winter strings and cool electronics for the season, on a program called FROZEN TIME 2. Music is by MARTIN TILLMAN, HANS CHRISTIAN, DAVID DARLING, CHRISTOPHER TIGNOR, JOAN JEANRENAUD, and MAX RICHTER.

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PGM 1238 'WINTER : STILL' : jan.31-feb.7

 Winter days bring us extremes of weather—from challenging storms with snow, sleet, and freezing rain—to brilliant clear days with endless vistas.

Winter nights bring us a very different aspect of the season; as the temperature drops, time seems to slow and activity stops. Even the wind rests, while the cosmic panorama wheels slowly overhead—complex patterns of ancient light from a vast universe. For those hearty souls who venture out, it's an experience of contemplative stillness.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, ambient soundscapes for quiet winter nights, on a program called WINTER : STILL. 

Music is by ROBERT JÜRJENDAL & MIGUEL NOYA, GEORGE WALLACE, DARSHAN AMBIENT (R.I.P.), IGNEOUS FLAME, MAX CORBACHO, JUHA-MATTI RAUTIAINEN, STEVE ROACH, and ROBERT SCOTT THOMPSON.

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