During the first decade of the twenty-first century, music took another turn on its ambient axis, and ‘post-classical’ was born. Mark Prendergast had already claimed the previous century to be the ambient century, with everything from Mahler to Trance falling under its all-encompassing sonic spell. One nevertheless suspects that, had Prendergast published his book a few years later, he may have been persuaded to call it The Long Ambient Century, such was ambient and its offshoots’ enduring appeal to post-millennial listeners. For better or worse, performers and musicians from Chilly Gonzales, Peter Broderick, Nils Frahm, Johann Jóhannsson, Hildur Guðnadóttir to Ólafur
Read moreOn February 13, 2026, Sub Rosa Records released Gendarme de la Libertad, a digital album featuring music composed by David Toub with performances by pianist Stephane Ginsburgh. This is an hour of piano music, solidly in the minimalist tradition that, according to the liner notes: “… reflects today’s anxieties and uncertainty.” Gendarme is music with a strong moral viewpoint. If the task of contemporary music is to reflect the critical issues of our time, then Gendarme de la Libertad accomplishes that. There are two tracks on the album of 30 minutes each. The first incorporates spoken words from a 1964
Read moreVoices of Ascension: Canticle of the Sun Voices of Ascension, Beth Willer, conductor Church of the Ascension May 21, 2026 Published in Sequenza 21 By Christian Carey NEW YORK – Beth Willer, Director of Choral Activities at Peabody Conservatory and Artistic Director of Lorelei Ensemble, served as guest conductor for Voices of Ascension’s recent Canticle of the Sun concert. To say the program was ambitious is to undersell the challenges posed by all of the pieces. Most choral ensembles, even professional ensembles, would consider any one of these works to be an inclusion sufficient to prove their capabilities
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