The 20th century has not been kind to most standard classical music forms. The piano sonata, the concerto, the symphony -- none of them have disappeared entirely, but none remain in a state that could be called even remotely healthy. The same was true of the string quartet until 1973, when violinist David Harrington got some friends together to play contemporary music and offered his old high-school composition teacher a bag of donuts if he'd write a piece for them. The resulting composition was the first of over 400 works that have been written for the Kronos Quartet over the course of the following 25 years, a period which has seen the revitalization of the previously moribund string quartet format. But Kronos has done more than simply triple the size of the string quartet repertoire; by focusing on living composers, by cultivating a somewhat rebellious image, and by playing with impeccable professionalism and skill, Kronos has brought a new and primarily young audience to classical music. This massive ten-disc retrospective includes performances of 31 major compositions, most previously released, but some in new recordings. There are none of the miniature works that fill so many of Kronos' individual albums; these are all long-form compositions, all but one presented in their entirety. They include two string quartets by Henryk Gorecki, Terry Riley's post-minimalist Cadenza on the Night Plain, Morton Feldman's Piano and String Quartet, three quartets by Philip Glass, and many others, but the highlights of the collection are the tremendously moving Different Trains by Steve Reich (who combined train sounds, multi-tracked string quartet, and the recorded voices of concentration camp survivors and Pullman porters to create a powerful and deeply personal statement on the Holocaust) and Alfred Schnittke's exquisite Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief. The packaging is excellent as well, and includes a booklet packed with photos, essays, and notes on the individual composers and compositions. by Rick Anderson
Tracklist 1 :
John's Book Of Alleged Dances, for string quartet (33:16)
1-1 Judah To Ocean 2:22
Composed By – John Adams
1-2 Toot Nipple 1:13
Composed By – John Adams
1-3 Dogjam 2:30
Composed By – John Adams
1-4 Pavane: She's So Fine 6:29
Composed By – John Adams
1-5 Rag The Bone 2:59
Composed By – John Adams
1-6 Habanera 4:46
Composed By – John Adams
1-7 Stubble Crotchet 2:39
Composed By – John Adams
1-8 Hammer & Chisel 1:11
Composed By – John Adams
1-9 Alligator Escalator 3:50
Composed By – John Adams
1-10 Ständchen: The Little Serenade 4:52
Composed By – John Adams
1-11 Judah To Ocean (Reprise) 2:20
Composed By – John Adams
1-12 Fratres 9:25
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-13 Psalom 2:00
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-14 Summa 5:11
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
Missa Syllabica, for chorus (12:38)
1-15 Kyrie 2:06
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-16 Gloria 2:45
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-17 Credo 4:27
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-18 Sanctus 0:55
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-19 Agnes Dei 1:45
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
1-20 Ite, Missa Est 0:25
Composed By – Arvo Pärt
Tracklist 2 :
Traveling Music No. 4, for string quartet (18:57)
2-1 I. Gentle, Easy 2:15
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-2 II. Moderate 8:19
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-3 III. Driving 8:19
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
2-4 Song Of Twenty Shadows 11:17
Composed By – Ken Benshoof
Five Tango Sensations, for bandoneón & string quartet (abridgement and arrangement of Sette sequenze) (26:46)
2-5 Asleep 5:23
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-6 Loving 6:11
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-7 Anxiety 4:52
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-8 Despertar 6:03
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-9 Fear 4:00
Composed By, Bandoneon – Astor Piazzolla
2-10 Four for Tango, for string quartet 3:58
Composed By – Astor Piazzolla
Tracklist 3 :
3-1 Piano And String Quartet 1:19:33
Composed By – Morton Feldman
Piano – Aki Takahashi
Tracklist 4 :
Quartet No. 4 (Buczak) 23:04
4-1 I 7:54
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-2 II 6:18
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-3 III 8:38
Composed By – Philip Glass
Mishima Quartet, Quartet No. 3 15:29
4-4 1957 - Award Montage 3:27
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-5 November 25 - Ichigaya 1:19
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-6 1934 - Grandmother And Kimitake 2:40
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-7 1962 - Body Building 1:39
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-8 Blood Oath 3:11
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-9 Mishima/Closing 2:56
Composed By – Philip Glass
Company, Quartet No. 2 7:23
4-10 I 2:09
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-11 II 1:34
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-12 III 1:28
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-13 IV 2:04
Composed By – Philip Glass
Quartet No. 5 (21:53)
4-14 I 1:11
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-15 II 2:59
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-16 III 5:28
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-17 IV 4:39
Composed By – Philip Glass
4-18 V 7:37
Composed By – Philip Glass
Tracklist 5 :
The Dreams And Prayers Of Isaac The Blind (32:05)
5-1 Prelude: Calmo, Sospeso 3:14
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-2 I. Agitato - Con Fuoco - Maestoso - Senza Misura, Oscilante 8:33
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-3 II. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto 10:34
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-4 III. Calmo, Sospeso - Allegro Pesante 7:07
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-5 Postlude: Lento, Liberamente 2:20
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Basset Horn – David Krakauer
Composed By – Osvaldo Golijov
5-6 Quartet No.4 11:47
Composed By – Sofia Gubaidulina
5-7 Mugam Sayagi 21:27
Composed By – Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
Tracklist 6 :
Quasi Una Fantasia, Quartet No. 2, Op. 64 (31:54)
6-1 I. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto) 8:08
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-2 II. Deciso - Energico (Marcatissimo Sempre) 6:45
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-3 III. Arioso: Adagio Cantabile 7:23
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-4 IV. Allegro (Sempre Con Grande Passione E Molto Marcato) 9:31
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
6-5 Already It Is Dusk, Quartet No. 1, Op. 62 13:58
Composed By – Henryk Górecki
Tracklist 7 :
Different Trains, for double string quartet & tape 26:50
7-1 America - Before The War 8:59
Composed By – Steve Reich
7-2 Europe - During The War 7:31
Composed By – Steve Reich
7-3 After The War 10:19
Composed By – Steve Reich
Black Angels (Images I), for electric string quartet 18:16
7-4 I. Departure 5:26
Composed By – George Crumb
7-5 II. Absence 5:25
Composed By – George Crumb
7-6 III: Return 7:13
Composed By – George Crumb
Tracklist 8 :
Cadenza On The Night Plain (30:39)
8-1 Introduction 2:21
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-2 Cadenza: Violin I 2:33
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-3 Where Was Wisdom When We Went West? 3:07
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-4 Cadenza: Viola 2:24
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-5 March Of The Old Timers Reefer Division 2:14
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-6 Cadenza: Violin II 2:06
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-7 Tuning To Rolling Thunder 4:53
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-8 The Night Cry Of Black Buffalo Woman 2:53
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-9 Cadenza: Cello 1:08
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-10 Gathering Of The Spiral Clan 5:25
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-11 Captain Jack Has The Last Word 1:35
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-12 Terry Riley: G Song 9:36
Composed By – Terry Riley
From Salome Dances For Peace, pieces (5) for string quartet (29:00)
8-13 Echoes Of Primordial Time 11:15
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-14 Mongolian Winds 4:10
Composed By – Terry Riley
8-15 Good Medicine Dance 13:29
Composed By – Terry Riley
Tracklist 9 :
String Quartet No. 2 (21:51)
9-1 I. Moderato 3:12
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-2 II. Agitato 5:36
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-3 III. Mesto 6:41
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-4 IV. Moderato 6:22
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
String Quartet No. 4 (34:41)
9-5 I. Lento 9:01
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-6 II. Allegro 7:00
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-7 III. Lento 5:57
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-8 IV. Vivace 3:21
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
9-9 V. Lento 9:16
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
Concerto for choir (Concerto for soprano & chorus)
9-10 Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief 8:13
Composed By – Alfred Schnittke
Tracklist 10 :
Jabiru Dreaming, String Quartet No. 11 (12:32)
10-1 I. Deciso 5:03
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-2 II. Amaroso 7:30
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
String Quartet No. 8 (11:54)
10-3 I. Con Dolore 2:03
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-4 II. Risoluto; Calmo 3:14
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-5 III. Con Dolore 3:02
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-6 IV. Con Precisione 1:35
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-7 V. Con Dolore 1:50
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
10-8 From Ubirr 11:12
Composed By – Peter Sculthorpe
Didgeridoo – Mark Nolan, Michael Brosnan
Memoirs of a Lost Soul, for string quartet
10-9 Tragedy At The Opera 6:29
Composed By – P. Q. Phan
White Man Sleeps, String Quartet No. 1 (22:20)
10-10 First Dance 4:03
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-11 Second Dance 5:05
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-12 Third Dance 3:23
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-13 Fourth Dance 6:16
Composed By – Kevin Volans
10-14 Fifth Dance 3:20
Composed By – Kevin Volans
Credits :
Cello – Joan Jeanrenaud
Viola – Hank Dutt
Violin – David Harrington, John Sherba 
