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
29.9.21
KRONOS QUARTET - 25 Years : Retrospective (1998) 10CD BOX-SET / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
31.12.20
STEVE REICH - Phases : A Nonesuch Retrospective (2006) 5xCD Box Set / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Steve Reich has a remarkable arrangement for a composer in that he is an exclusive artist for Nonesuch and has been so for more than two decades. Back in 1996, when Reich celebrated his 60th birthday, Nonesuch issued a 10-CD box set of "everything" -- all of the works in the Warner Classics vaults that he had recorded, including some new at the time, such as Steve Reich: Works 1965-1995. With Reich's 70th birthday afoot, the earlier set still in print and Nonesuch belonging to a classical music division that is operating on one lung, it has decided on a more modest approach to the newer observance with Steve Reich: Phases -- A Nonesuch Retrospective, a collection consisting of five discs. It is an apt description, as apart from Come Out, everything on this compilation was recorded originally for Nonesuch and produced by Judith Sherman between 1984 and 2005. There is nothing new here, and Steve Reich: Phases -- A Nonesuch Retrospective incorporates the whole of his most recent Nonesuch album, You Are (Variations), along with the Nonesuch recordings of The Desert Music, Drumming, and Music for 18 Musicians, all works occupying complete Nonesuch discs. In the first three cases, Nonesuch has added works to flesh the discs out to fill more time than the originals occupied.
Reich has done relatively little recording for Nonesuch since 1996, and much of what there has been is rather difficult to compile into a collection like this one; Reich's operas The Cave and Three Tales are not things even the most disinterested of producers would care to carve into. One development since 1996 that has added considerable interest to Reich's recorded canon is the increasing number of artists other than Steve Reich and Musicians, and specific players for whom he fulfills commissions, who are learning, performing, and recording Reich's work. While Reich is an expert performer of his own music, without others coming into the fold his output will succumb to "Harry Partch Syndrome," a condition whereby the music becomes more or less unperformable after the passing of the composer. There is no reasonable way for Nonesuch to reflect such a wide array of more recent developments in recorded Reichiana -- that is best left to those who enjoy collecting Reich recordings of the single-disc variety. However, there's no denying that Steve Reich: Phases -- A Nonesuch Retrospective is a tremendous bargain; you can get most of his key works here along with others in authoritative readings in a package totaling nearly 400 minutes for roughly the price of a two-disc set. If you have a Reich-loving relative this would make a superb gift, or want to even just test the waters with Steve Reich: Phases -- A Nonesuch Retrospective, which is a very generous and comprehensive starting point. It seems strange to praise a collection of the music of Steve Reich from the standpoint of economics, so it should be mentioned that all of these Nonesuch recordings are, or were, state of the art when made and reflect Reich's intentions to a "T." by Uncle Dave Lewis
20.10.18
DELTA SAXOPHONE QUARTET — Minimal Tendencies (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
–Steve Reich New York Counterpoint
1 – Part 1 4:54
2 – Part 2 2:38
3 – Part 3 3:32
–Philip Glass Mishima
4 – Part 1 3:56
5 – Part 2 1:47
6 – Part 3 2:49
7 – Part 4 1:54
8 – Part 5 3:23
9 – Part 6 2:49
10 –Gavin Bryars Alaric I or II 14:32
–Michael Nyman Songs For Tony
11 – Part 1 3:04
12 – Part 2 3:51
13 – Part 3 5:41
14 – Part 4 4:47
15 –Terry Riley Tread On the Trail 7:29
Baritone Saxophone – Chris Caldwell, Peter Whyman (tracks: 13)
Performer – Delta Saxophone Quartet
Soprano Saxophone – Gareth Brady (tracks: 10)
Soprano Saxophone, Liner Notes – Stephen Cottrell
Tenor Saxophone – Gareth Brady
20.8.18
STEVE REICH – Works : 1965/1995 (1997) 10xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Track Listing - Disc 1
1 Come Out, for tape 12:58
Steve Reich
2 Piano Phase, for 2 pianos (or 2 marimbas) 20:36
Steve Reich
It's Gonna Rain, for tape
3 Part I 7:59
Steve Reich
4 Part II 9:55
Steve Reich
5 Four Organs, for 4 electric organs & maracas 15:52
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 2
Drumming, for 2 female voices, piccolo, 4 pairs of bongos, 3 marimbas & 3 glockenspiels
1 Part I 17:30
Steve Reich
2 Part II 18:10
Steve Reich
3 Part III 11:12
Steve Reich
4 Part IV 9:50
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 3
1 Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ, for 3 female voices, 3 marimbas, 3 glockenspiels, vibes & organ 16:58
Steve Reich
2 Clapping Music, for 2 performers 4:48
Steve Reich
3 Six Marimbas (rearranged version of "Six Pianos") 16:19
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 4
Music for 18 Musicians, for 4 female voices & 16 instruments
1 Pulses 5:26
Steve Reich
2 Section I 3:58
Steve Reich
3 Section II 5:13
Steve Reich
4 Section IIIa 3:55
Steve Reich
5 Section IIIb 3:45
Steve Reich
6 Section IV 6:36
Steve Reich
7 Section V 6:48
Steve Reich
8 Section VI 4:54
Steve Reich
9 Section VII 4:19
Steve Reich
10 Section VIII 3:34
Steve Reich
11 Section IX 5:23
Steve Reich
12 Section X 1:50
Steve Reich
13 Section XI 5:44
Steve Reich
14 Section Pulses 6:10
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 5
1 Eight Lines (revision of "Octet"), for chamber orchestra 17:36
Steve Reich
Tehillim, for 3 sopranos, alto, winds, strings, percussion & keyboards
2 Part I: Fast 11:45
Steve Reich
3 Part II: Fast 6:01
Steve Reich
4 Part III: Slow 6:18
Steve Reich
5 Part IV: Fast 6:23
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 6
The Desert Music, for small chorus & large orchestra
1 First Movement (Fast) 7:54
Steve Reich
2 Second Movement (Moderate) 6:59
Steve Reich
3 Third Movement, Part One (Slow) 6:59
Steve Reich
4 Third Movement, Part Two (Moderate) 5:53
Steve Reich
5 Third Movement, Part Three (Slow) 5:54
Steve Reich
6 Fourth Movement (Moderate) 3:35
Steve Reich
7 Fifth Movement (Fast) 10:47
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 7
New York Counterpoint, for clarinet, bass clarinet & tape
1 Fast 5:03
Steve Reich
2 Slow 2:43
Steve Reich
3 Fast 3:40
Steve Reich
Sextet, for percussion, piano & synthesizers
4 1st Movement 10:29
Steve Reich
5 2nd Movement 4:12
Steve Reich
6 3rd Movement 2:27
Steve Reich
7 4th Movement 3:14
Steve Reich
8 5th Movement 5:59
Steve Reich
The Four Sections, for orchestra
9 I. Strings (with Winds and Brass), quarter note=80 11:25
Steve Reich
10 II. Percussion, quartet note=80 2:29
Steve Reich
11 III. Winds and Brass (with Strings), quarter note=120 5:54
Steve Reich
12 IV. Full Orchestra, quarter note=180 6:14
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 8
Different Trains, for double string quartet & tape
1 America - Before the war 8:58
Steve Reich
2 Europe - During the war 7:30
Steve Reich
3 After the war 10:30
Steve Reich
Electric Counterpoint, for electric guitar, bass guitar & tape
4 Fast 6:50
Steve Reich
5 Slow 3:22
Steve Reich
6 Fast 4:39
Steve Reich
Movements (3) for orchestra
7 Movement I: quarter note=176 6:43
Steve Reich
8 Movement II: quarter note=88 3:41
Steve Reich
9 Movement III: quarter note=176 4:18
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 9
The Cave, multimedia theater work for piano, sampling keyboards & voice of Neville Chamberlain
1 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Typing Music (Genesis XVI) 2:58
Steve Reich
2 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Who is Abraham? 1:33
Steve Reich
3 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Who is Ishmael? 4:42
Steve Reich
4 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Genesis XVIII 2:32
Steve Reich
5 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Genesis XXI 2:36
Steve Reich
6 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. The Casting Out of Ishmael and Hagar 5:25
Steve Reich
7 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Machpelah Commentary 3:27
Steve Reich
8 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Genesis XXV (chanted in Hebrew from the Torah by Ephraim Isaac) 1:20
Steve Reich
9 Act 1. West Jerusalem / Hebron. Interior of the Cave 4:30
Steve Reich
10 Act 2. East Jerusalem / Hebron. Surah 3 (chanted in Arabic from the Koran by Sheikh Dahoud Atalah, 4:40
Steve Reich
11 Act 2. East Jerusalem / Hebron. El Khalil Commentary 5:19
Steve Reich
12 Act 3. New York City / Austin. Who is Abraham? 6:29
Steve Reich
13 Act 3. New York City / Austin. Who is Sarah? 4:23
Steve Reich
14 Act 3. New York City / Austin. Who is Hagar? 4:40
Steve Reich
15 Act 3. New York City / Austin. Who is Ishmael? 4:04
Steve Reich
16 Act 3. New York City / Austin. The Binding of Isaac 4:28
Steve Reich
17 Act 3. New York City / Austin. The Cave of Machpelah 8:42
Steve Reich
Track Listing - Disc 10
1 Proverb, for 3 sopranos, 2 tenors, 2 vibes & 2 organs 14:09
Steve Reich
2 Nagoya Marimbas, for 2 marimbas 4:35
Steve Reich
City Life, for for chamber ensemble
3 I. Check It Out 5:51
Steve Reich
4 II. Pile driver / alarms 3:53
Steve Reich
5 III. It's been a honeymoon - Can't take no mo 4:47
Steve Reich
6 IV. Heartbeats / boats & buoys 3:59
Steve Reich
7 V. Heavy smoke 4:42
Steve Reich
+ last month
e.s.t. — Retrospective 'The Very Best Of e.s.t. (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
"Retrospective - The Very Best Of e.s.t." is a retrospective of the unique work of e.s.t. and a tribute to the late mastermind Esb...