List Updates:

Personal List: 392 (+16)

Full List: 721 (+22)

Misc. Ideas:

This was a fruitful month for my music exploration. First, I became aware of the SOUNZ center for New Zealand music which has been great for discovering new pieces. In this time I have also been looking more and more at finding and discovering music completely encased by different languages (at this time mostly Latin American and East Asian) with the help of Google Translate. Although Google Translate isn't a perfect tool, it is always fun to find music that would have otherwise been unnoticed by English speakers. There is also a good bit of mixed content where both languages are in the title or recording of the work.

String Orchestra Works of the Month:

Korean Simple Suite, Op. 267B for String Orchestra, 세계초연 – Han-Ki Kim ~5-5.5

This is another contemporary work that truly speaks to me. It is a collection of 5 traditional Korean melodies adapted for string orchestra. It is not too experimental for those who like more traditional string orchestra works, and it has riveting 1st and 5th movements with excellent middle movements as well.

High Windows – Christopher Cerrone ~6

This is one of my favorite contemporary works from an amazing contemporary composer. High Windows meshes old and new to create a beautiful work that projects into the far reaches of concert halls, especially the churches for which the piece was composed. Hearing it in person is an unforgettable experience that will surely leave an impression.

Non-String Orchestra Work of the Month:

Sound and Fury – Anna Clyne

I have a lot of favorites but trust me when I say Anna Clyne is one of the best. I love her string orchestra music, and her work "Sound and Fury" is a great chamber orchestra work that utilizes both strings and other instruments to create a cohesive and fascinating experience. It is a very difficult work especially for large orchestras but NYO-USA plays it very well in this recording.