AROUND THE WORLD WITH KRONOS
SAN RAFAEL, CA—As usual, the fast-flying Kronos Quartet was innovating mightily. Instead of the standard string quartet concert program, on May 4 they offered a 10-piece musical mosaic based on world music—a double-espresso of surprises, which is hardly the regular cup of tea for string quartets.
Are you new to Kronos, our seemingly ageless ensemble? In a nutshell: The four string players are always amplified, giving a more assertive and metallic sound; living composers of both gendersalways dominate; music is usually high-energy and high-rhythm, coming from every idiom—pop, jazz, rock, contempo, minimalist, Asiatic, dance; finally, no two programs are remotely similar. With yet another program listed for the coming week, the only certainty is that these players do NOT rehearse 25 hours a day. But maybe close.
The Kronos adventure in the past week launched arrangements of short works from Egypt, Iran, Somalia, Serbia, India and elsewhere. The most ambitious and longest piece of the night was Indian, Zakir Hussein’s “Pallavi,” based on traditional ragas, with added counterpoint but negligible microtonality. Over and above the prerecorded tabla (drumming) and drone tone, the live part featured animated violin duets, as well as a fine-spun cello solo (by Sunny Yang).
“Pallavi” is also part of “Fifty for the Future,” a unique program of Kronos’ fast-growing repertory specifically for younger string musicians, allowed for free downloading from the web, with some 14,000 such downloads already. For players around the world, it’s like being handed a cornucopia of fine jewelry with the comment, “Take it, please, it’s free.”
Lively dance rhythms predominated in the Egyptian Islam Chipsy’s “Zaghala” and the Somali Dur-Dur Band’s “Dooyo.” Solo violin with a rhythm section marked the big crescendo piece by the emigre Serbian Aleksandra Vrebalov’s “My Desert, My Rose.” And moments of serenity marked both the Iranian Aftab Darvishi’s “Daughters of Sol” and Philip Glass’ minimalist “Quartet Satz” after Schubert. The night’s most moving moments evoked John Coltrane’s “Alabama” recalling the deaths of four girls, with solos by each of the players(including violist Hank Dutt, violinist John Sherba and leader-annotator Davis Harrington, all of whom have propelled the Kronos starship since the 1970s).
These are crackerjack musicians, well-drilled, on pitch, seemingly tireless, and so rhythmic that you’d swear they were trained by Stravinsky. In the end, Kronos offers musical adventures more than mere concerts.
They play again May 9 at Sonoma State, Rohnert Park, CA. With a different program. Of course!!
Kronos Quartet in (mostly) world music on May 4 at Kanbar Center, Osher Marin JCC, 200 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael. For Kronos info: go online.
