COMPOSERS: Ali-Zadeh,Golijov And Kancheli,Gubaidulina,Tahmizyan,Trad,Yanov-Yanovsky
LABELS: Elektra Nonesuch
ALBUM TITLE: Collection: Night Prayers
WORKS: Kongerei
PERFORMER: Kronos Quartet, etc
CATALOGUE NO: 7559-79346-2 DDD
Ambassadors or art-thieves? The Kronos has a knack of introducing world musicians – from Ghana (Pieces of Africa), India (Short Stories) and now growling throat singers from western Siberia – but you wonder who is climbing on whose bandwagon. That said, there are a few excellent new works written specifically for the quartet, including Gubaidulina’s atmospheric String Quartet No. 4, with pre-recorded balls bouncing on strings, and Yanov-Yanovsky’s searing vocal lines in Lacrymosa. But the CD as a whole seems arbitrarily put together. Kate Sherriff
Trad,Yanov-Yanovsky, Ali-Zadeh, Gubaidulina, Tahmizyan, Golijov And Kancheli
Ambassadors or art-thieves? The Kronos has a knack of introducing world musicians – from Ghana (Pieces of Africa), India (Short Stories) and now growling throat singers from western Siberia – but you wonder who is climbing on whose bandwagon. That said, there are a few excellent new works written specifically for the quartet, including Gubaidulina’s atmospheric String Quartet No. 4, with pre-recorded balls bouncing on strings, and Yanov-Yanovsky’s searing vocal lines in Lacrymosa. But the CD as a whole seems arbitrarily put together. Kate Sherriff
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:12 pm