Track Listing
Click tracks with speaker icon to listenNews & Reviews
- Monday, September 29, 2008
Guardian: Kronos Quartet Show "Range with a Virtuoso Set" in "Outstanding" Barbican Concert with Alim Qasimov
Kronos Quartet joined legendary Azerbaijani singer Alim Qasimov and his ensemble at London's Barbican this past Friday for the center's annual Ramadan Nights celebration of Sufi music. The Guardian says the pairing produced an "outstanding" concert from the "intriguing collaboration" between Qasimov, "certainly one of the most thrilling, unashamedly emotional performers on the planet," and the Quartet, which showed "daring" and "range with a virtuoso set."
- Friday, September 26, 2008
Kronos Quartet Joins Legendary Singer Alim Qasimov to Open Barbican's Ramadan Nights Festival
Kronos Quartet is in London this weekend for what promises to be a whirlwind of events at the Barbican: both its Open Weekend and Ramadan Nights, its annual festival of Muslim music. Kicking things off, Kronos performs tonight with the man who has been called Azerbaijan's greatest singer, Alim Qasimov, and his ensemble, including his daughter, Fergana. The Times (UK) calls the power of their vocals "devastating" and quotes Kronos's David Harrington as placing Alim Qasimov "up there in the top five of all time" among the world's greatest singers.
About this Album
Written by Chinese composer Tan Dun, Ghost Opera is a dramatic five-movement composition for string quartet and pipa—with vocalizations and percussive effects from water, metal, stone, and paper, performed by Kronos and Wu Man. The composition explores human spirituality, employing elements from Chinese, Tibetan, English, and American cultures, as well as a multitude of theatrical traditions. “Remarkable,” said the Los Angeles Times of the piece. “In this broad-minded, culture-bending opus, shards of Bach, Shakespeare, a bright pentatonic palette of Chinese origin and such sonic exotica as the water gong find peaceful and poignant coexistence.”
Credits
MUSICIANS
Kronos Quartet:
David Harrington, violin, water bowl, bowed gong, vocals, one-stringed lute, cymbals, stones
John Sherba, violin, paper whistle, vocals, cymbals, stones, one-stringed lute, bowed gong, waterbowl
Hank Dutt, viola, vocals, cymbals, stones, bowed gong, water bowl
Joan Jeanrenaud, cello, vocals, bowed gong, water bowl
with
Wu Man, pipa, soprano voice, vocals, bowed gong, tam-tam, Tibetan bells, paper
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Judith Sherman
Recorded January 1996 at Skywalker Ranch, Nicasio, CA
Engineer: Craig Silvery
Assistant Engineer: Chris Haynes
Mastered by Judith Sherman and David Harrington at SoundByte Productions, New York City
Art Direction and Design by Frank Olinsky
Cover: Cylindrical Vessel Supported by Three Rhinoceros (late 14th c. BCE) by Don Hamilton
Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz
![The Fountain [Soundtrack]](http://www.nonesuch.com/sites/nonesuch/files/imagecache/section-artists-albumsforsale/albums/coverart/mansell-the-fountain-OST.jpg "The Fountain [Soundtrack]")
![Requiem for a Dream [Soundtrack]](http://www.nonesuch.com/sites/nonesuch/files/imagecache/section-artists-albumsforsale/albums/coverart/kronos-quartet-requiem-for-a-dream-soundtrack.jpg "Requiem for a Dream [Soundtrack]")
![Mishima [Soundtrack]](http://www.nonesuch.com/sites/nonesuch/files/imagecache/section-artists-albumsforsale/albums/coverart/glass-mishima-soundtrack.jpg "Mishima [Soundtrack]")