Greenwood x Strootman: solo guitar and solo violin

Jonny Greenwood plays Electric Counterpoint

Alternative pop/rock and modern classical music have grown increasingly closer together. This trend actually began in the 1960s with the minimal music of Steve Reich and his kindred spirits. The tight, groovy patterns of yesteryear are still recognizable. Like in Reich's guitar composition Electric Counterpoint, performed by none other than Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood! Greenwood also delivers an atmospheric composition: his new Violin Concerto 'æþm', based on the earlier Horror vacui, is an almost ritualistic piece for violin and 56 strings, in which the musicians have a lot more to do than just bowing. This is music for the ears and eyes, naturally with the dark undertones you would expect from a Radiohead frontman.

Pop, minimal, folk, baroque, avant-garde

Bryce Dessner also draws from a wide musical pool. In addition to being the rock guitarist in The National, he is a composer of multi-stylistic pieces. He combines pop influences and hints of minimal music, which are almost self-evident for an American, with folk, touches of baroque, and avant-garde. A fine example is Garcia Counterpoint, a companion piece to Electric Counterpoint based on a guitar solo by Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead). In Garcia Counterpoint, Aart Strootman plays solo on electric guitar. And in turn, Strootman, well versed in experimental pop and minimal music, also contributes his own work, specially composed for the Saturday Matinee.