Customer Reviews

Kronos Quartet: 25 Years [Box Set]

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This is really a set to treasure. The Kronos quartet's credentials, along with the Ardittis, as champions of new music are not in question, but whereas the Ardittis champions the avant-garde end of the spectrum, the Kronos focuses on the more, shall we call it "post-avantgardish" composers. Thus, Kronos has, in addition to playing and commissioning music by leading contemporary composers - in particular those associated with minimalism - made forays into world- and non-western (and even pop) music. Indeed, it is perhaps striking that none of the composers featured on this set are, at least originally, from Western Europe (but there is, to be fair, a disproportionate number of Americans here). Still, the material - mostly reissued from earlier Kronos releases - displays a wide variety of styles, from uncompromising avant-gardism (Feldman and Crumb), through the tintinnabuli style of Pärt and the non-western foundations of e.g. Sculthorpe and Volans, to the crossover borderline contributions from Golijov and Piazzolla. And that they are without exception up to the widely variegated technical demands (in the case of Gubaidulina and Reich also involving multiple quartets and multi-tracking) is beyond doubt. And despite the wide variety of musical styles, they (as everyone acquainted with the Kronos quartet would expect) bring their own individual sound to every piece, perhaps even a little bit too much so (it would be interesting to hear what some of the material here sounded like in other hands). In several of the works they also join forces with other performers such as the clarinetist David Kracauer (Golijov), the pianist Aki Takahashi (Feldman), singers Hargis, Elder, Rogers and Hillier (Pärt) and even didjeridoo players Michael Brosnan and Mark Nolan (Sculthorpe).

The first disc opens with John Adams' `John's Book of Alleged Dances', an irresistibly chatty set of `dances for which the steps have yet to be invented'. While I am, perhaps, personally not John Adams' biggest fan, this set is an extension of the style of (his masterpiece) the chamber symphony. It is juxtaposed with several offerings from Arvo Pärt, among other things a string quartet version of `Fratres' (works rather well), and the extremely concise but ultimately perhaps not very memorable `Missa Syllabica'.

The second disc consists of music by Ken Benshoof (the not very memorable `Traveling Music', probably included because it was the Kronos' first commissioned piece, and the far more interesting, later Song of Twenty Shadows) and Astor Piazzolla - in the latter case his 5 Tango Sensations, probably worthwhile for those who generally warm to his music, and the short, aggressive Four, for tango, which is fascinating even to those who don't.

The third disc is allocated to Feldman's `Piano and String Quartet', an uncompromisingly feldmanesque, static - but quite mesmerizing - work, and the fourth disc to four string quartets signed Philip Glass. These are in fact excellent works, surprisingly fresh, inventive and variegated, and probably belong among the absolutely best on this composer's huge and hugely variable work-list. The fifth disc contains the perhaps most immediately approachable work, Osvaldo Golijov's `The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind', a stirringly atmospheric, visionary and almost hysteric kletzmer-based work. It is interestingly contrasted with Sofia Gubaidulina's compelling but far more concentration-requiring fourth quartet and Ali-Zadeh's atmospheric but overlong Azerbaijani folk music inspired `Mugam Sayagi'.

The sixth disc presents Henryk Gorecki's (then) two quartets, strident and rather abrasive pieces that would serve as a refreshing anti-dote to anyone who has experienced his famous elegiac third symphony. The seventh disc is allotted to the music of Terry Riley, the rather uninteresting, if intermittently pleasant, `Cadenza on the Night Plain', and `In g', the somewhat pale and inconsequential follow-up to his famous In C. Far more interesting are the excerpts from `Salome Dances for Peace', but on the whole this is probably the least interesting disc in the set. By contrast, the eighth disc contains two already classic masterpieces, Steve Reich's harrowing `Different Trains', and George Crumb's even more harrowing - terrifying, even - take on Schubert's `Death and the Maiden' and the Vietnam war in `Black Angels'.

The ninth disc is given to Alfred Schnittke's second and fourth string quartets and an arrangement of a section from his choir concerto. These are dark, stirring and immensely worthwhile personal utterances. The last disc represent the most non-Western based music in the set, with Sculthorpe's take on Australian Aboriginal music (complete with didjeridoos - without sounding at all gimmicky - in `From Ubirr' ), a short piece from P.Q. Phan and the South-African Kevin Volans' already classic first string quartet `White Man Sleeps' - also possibly deserving of the epithet `masterpiece'.

This excellently played and broad survey is, in short, probably the best possible introduction to the (more or less) contemporary post-avant-garde. Even the design and the presentation are exquisite. Strongly recommended.

My opinion pales when compared to this CD. Indeed the group's ingeniousness, its knowing and its balls are in full display here, hopefully to put to rest any lingering contention that there is little more to Kronos than form. To any person who accepts the merits of 20th-century music, this CD presents the genius of our culture and teaches that daring and ingenuity do not have to be sacrificed on the road to technical brilliance. My only regret is that the CD does not include Kronos's interpretation of Bartok. But, so what? Górecki's here, as are Part and Benshoof. Listen to this CD -- soar and struggle with it.

The Kronos Quartet has released many albums. There let us see what the quartet has tried new titles and arrenges in each period. But this is the best set for understand the quartet as summary of thier works. The CDs are distributed by each composers and we can see thier identities easily.Unfortunately this dose not include all but be enough to see what the quartet has been.I hope that every classical music fans(not only contemporaly music fans) listen this CDs.

Since their youthful start in the NW back in the 70's, Kronos has collaborated with, commissioned, or just played such a breadth of musicians it almost seems that breadth - and especially non western world culture - is their mission. But, while this conservatively and esthetically designed 25-yr-retrospective box (with its increasingly sophisticated photo-portraits) belies the pulsation of social angst and conscience that underlies the bulk of the inclusions, the latter concern, its vitality and relevance - and not some stylish chasing after cultural breadth - is what overtakes the listener/reader, rather soon. I say reader, since the booklet is very helpful, especially to the relative novice, and well balanced in its coverage of composers, historical contexts, performers, individual texts, etc.

There are probably more non contemporaries performed by the Quartet over the years than this selection would indicate. That undercuts their ties with the sense of revolution in music throughout the ages, but it leaves more time for the present: and that is where one expects the group wishes to be, is most contributory and challenged, and is best and most fairly judged. Highly recommended, both for those who know Kronos's work well and wish a handsome tribute on their shelf, and for those who do not but are open and ready to be affected, whether impacted esthetically, reminded socio-morally, or whatever combination of both befits.

I like more classic period, like Hayden, but Cronos does it very well, technicaly excelent. The ten sets are wonderful recordings and the selection is unique. It deserves the investment, If you buy it, youre going to have more than ten hours of joy.