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PGM 1360 'EVENSONG' : dec.1-8

Unless you've studied medieval history, it's hard to imagine how different life in Europe must have been in the 1100's—a pre-scientific, pre-industrial world of manual labor, general illiteracy, baffling pandemics, and short lives—dominated from birth to death by the Catholic church.

In this environment, one figure stands out, not least because she was a woman—the great German composer, writer, philosopher, visionary, mystic, and saint HILDEGARD VON BINGEN.

Her music is beautiful, elegant, and sounds surprisingly modern. In addition to her music, she founded two monasteries, invented the scientific study of natural history, wrote books on theology and medicine, and composed hymns, chants, poems, and liturgical dramas. 

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a Contemporary-Medieval journey, featuring interpretations of 12th century sacred vocal music by HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, plus original music inspired by her work, on a program called EVENSONG.

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PGM 894R 'IMAGINARY ROADS' : nov. 24-dec.1

The quiet days after the Thanksgiving celebration are an interlude to rest, regroup, and prepare for the busy holiday season ahead. We turn from the dark times of Scorpio to the season of light; internalize the spirit of gratitude we feel for friends and family and the good fortune we have...and perhaps watch a bit of football while we polish off the last of those endless turkey sandwiches.

At Hearts of Space, it's time for us to return to our theme of virtual travel through music. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient acoustic journey for late autumn called IMAGINARY ROADS.

Music is by WILL ACKERMAN, PHIL KEAGGY & JEFF JOHNSON, RUSSEL WALDER, WAYNE GRATZ, MICHAEL STRIBLING, BRUNO SANFILIPPO, and the PAUL WINTER CONSORT.

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PGM 1125R 'STARSCAPES' : nov.17-24

In the 1950s and 60s, the new sounds of electronic music emerged from academic laboratories in Europe and the United States. The motivations were self-consciously experimental, artistic, and technical.

In Cologne, Germany, one great innovator was the powerful theorist and teacher KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN. One of his surprising early discoveries was that unlike acoustic instruments, abstract electronic sounds seemed to create the impression of cosmic space. "In my imagination," Stockhausen said, "I can fly anywhere—to the stars—use the music as a flying device, to unify with the cosmic forces. I think it's important that...we are instruments ourselves, and that cosmic vibrations create sounds through us."  It was the beginning of what we now call Electronic Spacemusic.

Today, inexpensive instruments and recording software allow anyone to create electronic music, and the sounds of space are all around us — in music and film, games and video. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, another cosmic-electronic journey, on a program called STARSCAPES.

Music is by VANGELIS, MICHAEL STEARNS, DAVE LUXTON, JIM OTTOWAY, JONN SERRIE, and JAJA (JANA ROCKSTROH).

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PGM 1359 'HEALING WINDS' : nov. 10-17

THE FLUTE is perhaps the oldest musical instrument—a primitive but effective technology for turning breath into resonant sound, and eventually turning structured sound into music.

Flutes arrived about 50,000 years ago in diverse cultures around the prehistoric world. In Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, ancient artisans made early flutes from reeds and grasses, and the hollow bones of animals and birds. The Anasazi tribes of the American Southwest made simple end-blown flutes from the soft, aromatic wood of western cedar trees. They were said to be used for courtship and healing. Typically tuned to a pentatonic minor scale, their plaintive sound seems to resonate with the wistful emotions of the fall season and the endless spaces of the Southwestern desert.

The Native American flute was revived in the 1960s by the pioneering native label Canyon Records, who released hundreds of albums by native artists, including flute recordings by R.Carlos Nakai and others. The instrument became popular in the burgeoning New Age genre in the 1970s and 80s, and new age artists expanded into electronics, guitars, and other popular instruments. Today, the native flute scene is less active, but a core group of committed artists continue to extend the artistic dimensions of the genre, while the cedar flute is increasingly popular for therapeutic applications.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an autumn journey in the gentle world of the Native American flute, on a program called HEALING WINDS. Music is by COYOTE OLDMAN, JOHNNY WHITEHORSE, JONN SERRIE & GARY STROUTSOS, KENNETH HOOPER, KIRK MONTEUX, JENN STEEGE, and ANN LICATER.

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PGM 960R 'DECOMPRESSION' : nov.3-10

After the brilliant light and intensive energy of summer, the natural world cools and contracts. In the dimming days of autumn, we begin our descent into the dark months, and the music of the season becomes more somber. As the leaves wither and fall, we pass through a period marked by the letter "d": deflation...decomposition...decay. In music, it's the sound of desaturated timbres, darkening harmonies and descending progressions.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we reflect the sound of the season on a program called DECOMPRESSION. Music is by PATRICK O'HEARN, MICHAEL DE SALEM, DAVID HELPLING & JON JENKINS, DAVID ARKENSTONE, GILES REAVES, and MOBY.

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PGM 1358 'DARKTIME ATMOSPHERES' : oct.27-nov.3

The Dark Ambient genre evolved out of the Industrial, Experimental, and Noise genres of the 1970s. The arrival of affordable synthesizers, samplers, and effects units in the 1980’s led to more complex styles like Ritual Industrial, Black and Doom Metal, Dark Wave, Gothic, and who can forget the reverberating chains and tortured screams of Dungeon Synth?

Our yearly immersion in the morbid emotions of fear, death, and horror at Halloween, provides an insight into the more aesthetic and environmental qualities of Dark Ambient. Whereas the horror genres aim to shock and terrify, Dark Ambient seeks merely to disturb, evoke feelings of isolation, melancholy, and confinement, and reflect an atmosphere of gloom and darkness. 

I'm DR. DARKO, and on this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, a subterranean underworld journey for Halloween, on a program called DARKTIME ATMOSPHERES. Music is by BRANNAN LANE, CHRISTIAN WITTMAN, SUN'S MUSE, SHIBALBA, REMANENCE, YEN POX, INSECTARIUM, and TOR LUNDVALL.

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PGM 1094R 'LAMENTO 2' : oct.20-27

 

DESCENDING INTO THE SHORT DAYS OF THE DARK SEASON, once again we seek music that portrays human emotions at their most vulnerable: music of pathos, loss and remembrance. These are some of our most powerful and deeply affecting feelings, and they require music that touches the depths of our souls.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, a special program of sacred choral, vocal and instrumental music for the dark season, from longtime guest producer ELLEN HOLMES called LAMENTO 2.

A lament is a cathartic song or poem expressing grief or mourning: a recognition of the ultimate sadness of mortality. 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.

We'll feature selections extending across 500 years of western classical music, by JOSQUIN DES PREZ, CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI, CARLO GESUALDO, DIETRICH BUXTEHUDE, ANTONIO VIVALDI, GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL, JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, LILY BOULANGER, RALPH LAURIDSEN, LISA GERRARD, STELLAMARA, LES NOUVELLES POLYPHONIES CORSES, and MAX RICHTER.

Threnodies for the dark season : LAMENTO 2...on this transmission... of Hearts of Space.

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PGM 1357 'AUTUMN TWILIGHT' : oct.13-20

Of all the seasons, fall is the one that comes with the most mixed emotions: relief at the return of moderate temperatures, pleasure at nature’s autumn color show, and a feeling of melancholy at the darkening of the light.

Technical interventions like Daylight Saving Time can’t hide the fact that the amount of daylight is decreasing. In the northern hemisphere, we’re counting down to the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year, around December 21st.

For ambient musicians, fall offers a darker palette, more somber harmonies, and a call to explore deeper feelings. On this transmission of HEARTS of SPACE, we descend into the dimming light of fall, on a program called AUTUMN TWILIGHT.

Music is by TOM EATON, BOB HOLROYD, SUBDREAM, DEEPSPACE, STEVE ROACH, and RUSSEL WALDER.

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PGM 855R 'MELOS' : oct. 6-13

In the pantheon of immortal combinations of musical instruments, there must be a special temple for the piano and cello. It's hard to think of another duo that offers more musical possibilities, or draws more effectively on the respective strengths of both instruments.

From the piano we get effortless rhythmic definition, chords, and harmonies; from the cello, long, singing lines and rich overtones that stretch melody to the boundaries of expression. Together, they define a musical landscape of emotional range, depth, and beauty.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, we celebrate the piano and cello, on an autumn journey derived from the Byzantine hymns, traditional folk, and sacred Sufi music of Central Asia, called MELOS.

Music is by G.I.GURDJIEFF and THOMAS DeHARTMANN, performed by pianist VASSILIS TSABROPOULOS and cellist ANJA LECHNER; by MANUEL de FALLA, performed by violist KIM KASHKASHIAN and pianist ROBERT LEVIN; by pianist MISHA ALPERIN, and by cellist HANS CHRISTIAN.

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PGM 1356 'TIMELESS RAPTURE' : sept.29-oct.6

This week we return to the mesmerizing music of the Middle East. Steeped in centuries of history and tradition, rich in character and spiritual intensity, it often comes from a generation of artists who've escaped the repressive regimes of their homeland. Today they thrive in exile and address a worldwide audience, thanks to contemporary media platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space, the modal scales, sinuous melodies, and hypnotic rhythms of the Middle East, on a program called TIMELESS RAPTURE. Music is by OPIUM MOON, STELLAMARA, ANOUAR BRAHEM, YUVAL RON, FANAR, and singers NAI BARGHOUTI and EMEL MATHLOUTHI. 

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