fall

PGM 1431 “INTANGIBLE HERITAGE” : oct. 9-16

A Journey on the Great Eurasian Steppe

The softly rolling hills and endless grasslands of “The Great Eurasian Steppe” are home to the mournful, archaic tones of the Armenian duduk—a more soulful member of the double reed family of woodwind instruments, like the western oboe and English horn.

A “steppe” is an eco-region of grassland plains with no trees except next to rivers and lakes. “The Great Eurasian Steppe” is the world’s largest, extending some 5,000 miles from today’s Eastern Europe, across Russia and the “stan” countries of Central Asia, through Manchuria and Mongolia to the western edge of China.

Since the Middle Paleolithic era over 100,000 years ago, the Eurasian Steppe has been the main overland route between Europe and Asia—the much older economic, political, and cultural predecessor of the more famous Silk Road, which matured during the Middle Ages.

In 2005, UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) proclaimed the Armenian duduk and its music a “Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity,” along with other traditional creations of cultural communities.

On this transmission of Hearts of Space from our friendly Canadian guest producer D.J. EGAN, a program inspired by the ethno-ambient music of the Great Eurasian Steppe, with influences and instruments from ARMENIA, GREECE, TURKEY, LITHUANIA, FINLAND, and RUSSIA, and music by ARA DINKJIAN, SAVINA YANNATOU & PRIMAVERA EN SALONICO, DMITRY SOUL, DELAYMAN, SANS, SAULIUS PETREIKIS + RASA SERRA + THE UNIT 7 ALLSTARS, C.DIAB, and TWILIGHT TAPES.

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PGM 1357R ‘AUTUMN TWILIGHT’ : nov.14-21

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. 1331R ‘CELLO ELEGIES 2’ : oct.31-nov.7

Mournful…plaintive…melancholy…somber…sonorous…resonant.

The cello is all this and more — a compact, versatile string orchestra in one instrument, with a four-octave range that comes fully alive in the dark days of autumn. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, it’s an autumn journey featuring the plangent tones of the cello, on a program called “CELLO ELEGIES 2.”

Music is by DAVID DARLING, HANS CHRISTIAN, MAYA BEISER, BLACK TAPE for a BLUE GIRL, ERALDO BERNOCCHI & HOSHIKO YAMANE, JESSE AHMANN, MAX RICHTER, and MARCELLO DE FRANCISCI.

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