United States Various: Kronos Quartet (David Harrington, John Sherba [violins], Hank Dutt [viola], Sunny Yang [cello]); Soo Yeon Lyuh (haegeum), Eiko Otake (motion), Peni Candra Rini (vocals and rebab), Ván-Ahn Vô (dàn bàu). Zankel Hall, New York, 27.1.2023. (DS)
Kidjo – ‘YanYanKliYan Senamido #2’
Rini – ‘Maduswara’ (arr. Jacob Garchik)
Darvishi – ‘Daughters of Sol’
Lyuh – ‘Yessori (Sound from the Past)’
Swift – ‘She is A Story, Herself’
Otake – ‘eyes closed’ (world oremiere)
Kouyoumdjian – ‘I Haven’t the Words’ (New York premiere)
Vô – ‘Adrift’ (New York premiere)
Lizée – ‘ZonelyHearts’ (New York premiere)
When an ensemble’s idea each maintains inventive momentum and transcends its musicians, it has reached landmark standing – one thing that may definitely be stated of the Kronos Quartet, now in its fiftieth 12 months for the reason that first efficiency in November 1973. Their latest live performance at Zankel Hall marked a change of the guard – it was the second-to-last efficiency with cellist Sunny Yang earlier than Paul Wiancko takes her place.
Founder David Harrington led the night along with his now-iconic and ever-captivating capability to remark all through a efficiency as if his phrases connect with the works themselves. And connection was most in want this explicit night. While the 9 works every provided a singular compositional voice and, in sure circumstances, compelling and profitable realization, it fell collectively extra like a pack-it-all-in closing live performance to a light-weight summer season pageant than the expertly curated present one has come to anticipate from Kronos. However, the splendidly intimate, in-the-round setting helped domesticate superior sound, and it provided a more in-depth glimpse into their venerable, customized and wealthy craft of ensemble enjoying.
Many of the works had been a part of their Fifty for the Future mission. Harrington defined that the quartet scores are provided free of charge on their web site – a very optimistic and energizing mission, nicely price looking via.
The night started with Angélique Kidjo’s ‘YanYanKliYan Senamido #2’, which could be accessed on the net now. This Benin-born composer is an knowledgeable weaver of melodic rhythms and patterns threaded from throughout cultural borders. Kidjo wrote the piece for the mission, and he or she completely matched it to the quartet’s capability to maneuver complicated phrases and diverse timbres however painting them as glisteningly facile and clear to the listener. The flawless efficiency was fantastically balanced and highlighted a top quality of round, ongoing movement. It was a great opening to set the tone of the night through which the works that mixed Western and non-Western parts proved to be essentially the most profitable.
Peni Candra Rini’s ‘Maduswara’, Soo Yeon Lyuh’s ‘Yessori (Sound from the Past)’ and Ván-Ahn Vô’s ‘Adrift’ included non-Western devices on which the composers performed and joined the quartet. Rini carried out with the ensemble on the Javanese rebab, a two-string, lute-like instrument. In ‘Maduswara’, her dedication to mixing Javanese fashion with Western scales together with a compositional ethic of saving delicate, conventional sounds got here collectively like an epic poem. The recorded sounds of rain and nature lent a vastness to her work via which her singing articulated a delicate manipulation of every pitch that appeared to sculpt the air round her.
The string quartet’s agile collaboration with composer/performers continued with Lyuh, who emerged (dazzling in a two-toned inexperienced lace robe) to play the Korean fiddle-like, two-string haegeum. In ‘Yessori’, she considered the string quartet as ‘an extension of haegeum’, which she succeeded in realizing with the ingenious use of trills, vibratos and wobbled bowings that by no means appeared reductive however turned required substances in expressing an encounter with conventional Korean music. Lyuh’s personal efficiency was lyrically virtuosic, and the haegeum solo she performed earlier than the tip was deeply expressive.
Similarly, Vô transported listeners to far-off lands in ‘Adrift’. She joined the quartet with the Vietnamese dàn bàu, a 16-stringed zither. Inspired by a Vietnamese idiom of resilience handed down by her grandparents, this work evoked a deeply private tone that, at instances, slid right into a jazz-like dream and connected a fascinating, fashionable aesthetic to a severe tone. Vô clearly knew methods to information every instrumental voice, both right into a shining central focus or blended again right into a supportive function.
The remainder of the works took their very own turns and didn’t reply in any vital approach to the others. Mary Kouyoumdjian’s ‘I Haven’t the Words’ had essentially the most satisfying construction and evocative expression. Originally improvised on piano in response to George Floyd’s demise, Kronos requested her to rework it right into a quartet. She refers to it as a ‘journal entry’. It digs into the soul – the passages transfer round collectively in register, shortening or broadening in rhythmic unison, to evoke deep questioning, misplaced ruminating and, finally, sorrow. (This work tragically had its New York Premiere a mere hour from the discharge of the brutal video of Tyre Nichols’ arrest.)
Aftab Darvishi’s ‘Daughters of Sol’, impressed by an Ahmad Shamlou poem, started with promise. She used an attention-grabbing slippage of sounds and created a bittersweet temper of curiosity and melancholy, however the work was nonetheless on the lookout for its heart. Similarly, Mazz Swift’s ‘She Is A Story, Herself’ – in regards to the author Andrea Lunsford – started with distinctive power powered by pizzicatos, slides and daring ricochets. It performed out episodically, which I discovered surprising, and in addition begged for a way of thematic core.
A nod to extra ‘traditional’ avant-garde, as one may name it now, got here from Eiko Otake’s ‘eyes closed’ and the ultimate work of the night, ‘ZonelyHearts’ by Nicole Lizée. Otake’s work was extra of a ‘happening’, and the instrumentation – cello solely – felt compelled. Otake and the others crinkled, crumpled and ripped enormous items of white tissue paper in a motion choreography, largely molding chic, cloud-like shapes within the air. This created a steady and pleasantly analog, static-like sound. However, the interlude appeared misplaced, after which turned awkwardly dramatic because it led to screams and scraping cello improvisations.
Lizée’s ZonelyHearts additionally verged on a 1950’s downtown-style occurring on this nod to The Twilight Zone by Rod Serling, whom we hear repeating ‘The only way out is through’ in voiceover. With quirky cardboard TVs and previous telephones on stage, it pulled the idea of a ‘prepared piano’ work, however for quartet, together with DJ-like samplings interspersed. While playful and conceptually attention-grabbing at moments, it learn as a work-in-progress in want of refining – each in composition and between ensemble gamers.
But, by no means thoughts. The complete sum of the night was memorable and provided a lot price revisiting. Being capable of look down upon the stage and see every musician’s course of was really particular, notably with such a diverse set of works. Finally, earlier than Harrington bade us farewell in that deeply calming voice, the quartet carried out a landmark work for an encore – Laurie Anderson’s ‘Everything is Floating’. It was beautiful.
Daniele Sahr