Poster Portrait of a woman in front of a blue sky with clouds
Olivia Belli's 'Limina Luminis' was inspired by the awe that astronauts experience viewing the Earth from space.
Dovile Sermokas
Extra Eclectic

Eternity and beyond

Extra Eclectic - Aug. 3, 2026

While classical music — old and new — can sometimes be about frivolous things, this episode of Extra Eclectic is concerned strictly with ideas on a “higher plane,” so to speak. Host Steve Seel brings us Olivia Belli’s Limina Luminis, inspired by the awe that astronauts experience viewing the Earth from space, as well as the reverent sounds of Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa, Gavin Bryars’ Eternity is a Mysterious Absence of Times and Ages from his work The Fifth Century, and more. Listen now!

Playlist

Arcana: Search
Composer: Alex Shapiro
Soloists: Adam Marks, piano
Innova 41

Limina Luminis
Composer: Olivia Belli
Soloists: Anna Lapwood, organ
Sony 80927

Tabula Rasa
Composer: Arvo Part
Conductor: Richard Studt
Orchestra/Ensemble: Bournemouth Sinfonietta
Soloists: Tasmin Little, violin
Virgin 45314

The Fifth Century: Eternity Is a Mysterious Absence of Times and Ages
Composer: Gavin Bryars
Conductor: Donald Nally
Orchestra/Ensemble: The Crossing
ECM 2405

Code
Composer: Paola Prestini
Orchestra/Ensemble: A Far Cry Orchestra
Soloists: Awadagin Pratt, piano
New Amsterdam 177

And Some Will Fall
Composer: Max Richter
Soloists: Max Baillie, violin
London/Decca 6572991

Lonely Angel
Composer: Peteris Vasks
Conductor: Jonathan Stockhammer
Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra
Soloists: Mari Samuelsen, violin
DG 4835869

Drone Mass: Divine Objects
Composer: Johann Johannsson
Conductor: Paul Hillier
Orchestra/Ensemble: Theatre of Voices
DG 4837419

Nightfall
Composer: Meredith Monk
Soloists: Sean Shibe, electric guitar
PentaTone 988

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