Kronos Quartet

• Concerts

According to the New York Times, »the Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do.« And it’s true: the quartet led by founder David Harrington has given this traditional genre a thorough update. From minimal music by Steve Reich and Jimi Hendrix arrangements to world-music expeditions to Afghanistan and Brazil, the Kronos Quartet’s sound atlas is a broad and expansive one. The fab four now celebrate their 50th birthday in the Elbphilharmonie.

In their »Five Decades« world tour, the Kronos Quartet will be appearing in a line-up that has remained virtually unchanged since 1978. Alongside a work by this year’s spotlight composer Sofia Gubaidulina, the programme also includes »Different Trains« by the minimal music legend Steve Reich, which Kronos premiered many years ago. The piece – which was composed more than 40 years after the Second World War – is a musical reflection on the National Socialists’ deadly deportations of Europe’s Jewish population.

The quartet also presents other highlights from their enormous library of music, which includes 1,000 commissions alone, and they also perform brand-new works and arrangements. Even after half a century, the kronometer just keeps ticking.

PERFORMERS

Kronos Quartet string quartet

David Harrington violin

John Sherba violin

Hank Dutt viola

Paul Wiancko violoncello

PROGRAM

»KRONOS Five Decades Celebration«

Jlin
Little Black Book

Aleksandra Vrebalov
Gold Came From Space

Sun Ra, Terry Riley, Sara Miyamoto
Kiss Yo’ Ass Goodbye

Terry Riley
Lunch in Chinatown

Nicole Lizée
PhoneTap + CCTV

Peni Candra Rini
Movement I

- Interval -

Sofia Gubaidulina
Streichquartett Nr. 4

Steve Reich
Different Trains für Streichquartett und Tonband