Paul Epstein’s music is deceptive. What appear to be beautiful melodies set within easy-to-recognize harmonies that cradle traditional tonal centers demand careful listening. Those melodies and harmonies are tricky. They slip in and out of an aural context that’s been carefully designed by an artist who has carefully studied the music from Machaut to Stravinsky to Reich. As Kyle Gann has so beautifully written, “The music sounds simple, but actually it’s very intricate and tremendously inventive within small confines.”This episode features two works of Paul’s that were composed for the members of the Relache Ensemble. Paul was a close associate and friend of Relache for many years having composed ten works for the group and its members. We’ll feature two of those works, “Moving Voices” for two singers and flute and “Chamber Music: 3 Songs from Home” for singer Barbara Noska and the Relache Ensemble. To comment on Paul’s music, we’ve asked a former student of his in Philadelphia, Dustin Hurt to join us as we relive Paul’s music and life.

Episode Nineteen of the Relache Chronicles is the third of three dedicated to Music in Motion, a project created by the Relache Organization in partnership with the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Between 1995 and 2001 the Relache Ensemble and four other ensembles, each dedicated to the creation and performance of contemporary music, collaborated with five presenting organizations in five cities throughout the U.S. The intent was to collaborate with composers to create new works while interacting with a potential audience as the work was in development. An overarching goal was to enhance the audience for new musical works while expanding the repertoire of each ensemble. Phase One comprised the first three years. Phase Two comprised the second two years and introduced an interactive computer program named "The Virtual Concert," which was developed by composer-educator Mark Weber. In this episode Mark will discuss his role in the development of The Virtual Concert and the tools he created to compose a work for the Relache Ensemble while sharing those tools with the audience, both in person and virtually. Two works of Mark's will be played, "Disconnect IV," and "Asphalt Grooves."

Episode Eighteen is a continuation of Music in Motion, a project created by the Relache Organization in partnership with the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Between 1995 and 2001 the Relache Ensemble and four other ensembles, each dedicated to the creation and performance of contemporary music, collaborated with five presenting organizations in five cities throughout the U.S. The intent was to collaborate with composers to create new works while interacting with a potential audience as the work was in development. An overarching goal was to enhance the audience for new musical works while expanding the repertoire of each ensemble. Phase One comprised the first three years. Phase Two comprised the second two years and introduced an interactive computer program named The Virtual Concert. A total of thirty composers participated in the project. One of those was Mary Ellen Childs whose work “Parterre” was written for the Relache Ensemble. It is the featured work on Episode Eighteen. Episode Nineteen of the Relache Chronicles will feature music and commentary by Mark Weber.