Brand Spanking New

Today, we look at two striking examples of new music custom-made for individual performers. British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has adapted and arranged some of guitarist John Scofield's themes for jazz trio and orchestra on a new fusion-oriented album called "Scorched" (hence the title - SCofield ORCHestratED). Both artists join us to share some of the results. Similarly, a new opera by composer Sephen Paulus called "Hester Prynne at Death" began when American soprano Elizabeth Dabney was looking to develop a vehicle for her singing. The resulting work recounts a fictional last hour in the life of Hester Prynne, the heroine from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. We'll hear some live excerpts from the opera as we’re joined by Dabney, Paulus, and librettist Terry Quinn.
Additional Resources:
» An interview with Marc-Anthony Turnage
» Stephen Paulus's Web site