A home for new and unusual music from all corners of the classical genre, brought to you by the power of public media. Second Inversion is a service of Classical KING FM 98.1.
byMaggie MolloyViolist/composer Melia Watras and violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim. Photo by Michelle Smith-Lewis.
Duality is a common theme in both literature and music: good and evil, light and dark, tension and release. Sometimes these dualities are represented by opposite characters—and sometimes, they are one and the same.
Doubles, doppelgängers, and duplicity drew the Seattle-based composer and violist Melia Watras to the works of Edgar Allan Poe, a writer whose poetry is quite musical in its own right. Her new piece William Wilson draws on excerpts from Poe’s short story of the same name: the twisted tale of a man and his dark shadow—two sides of the same coin.
Watras wrote the piece for her own kindred spirit: her husband Michael Jinsoo Lim, who sings and performs the piece on violin. We’re thrilled to premiere the music video for William Wilson, which appears on Watras’s brand new album of compositions Firefly Songs.
Music by Melia Watras, performance by Michael Jinsoo Lim, video by Michelle Smith-Lewis.
Watras’s new album Firefly Songs is a collection of original compositions exploring themes of community and personal folklore, with performances from some of her closest friends and collaborators. Firefly Songs is out now on Planet M records. For more details, click here.
Music is like water: it can be calm and serene, or choppy and chaotic. It can lift you, carry you, or bury you—it can immerse you in its waves.
On this Saturday’s episode of Second Inversion, we’re exploring music inspired by water. We’ll get lost in the waves, with music ranging from rippling rivers to epic storms and ethereal whale songs.
byMaggie MolloyShara Nova’s pop opera You Us We All is featured in this week’s episode. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
Love is in the air and on the airwaves this weekend! In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring the music of 21st century troubadours.
In medieval times, troubadours were poets and musicians who wrote songs about chivalry and courtly love; they were basically the singer-songwriters of the Middle Ages. But of course, love and heartbreak are pretty timeless themes—and composers today are still writing love ballads for the modern romantic. On this Saturday’s episode, we’ll hear songs about love, songs about heartbreak, and songs about online dating nightmares.
New York City is the city that never sleeps. How could you? There’s always a new restaurant, art gallery, or neighborhood to explore—and always new music to discover.
On this Saturday’s episode of Second Inversion: I Love New York! We’re taking a bite out of the Big Apple, with music inspired by the sights and sounds of New York City. From the street art to the downtown lofts, Central Park, and even the New York City Marathon, we’ll take a taxi ride through the city that never sleeps.
A snowy landscape is like a fresh white canvas—it’s filled with possibility. Quiet, frosty days bring about stillness, introspection, and transformation.
On this Saturday’s episode of Second Inversion: let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. We’ll hear music inspired by cold winter nights and snowy canvases of white. Plus, a piece from the land of fire and ice.