Kronos Quartet seeks to redefine 'concert'

By Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 6, 2008 at 7 p.m.

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Photo by Jay Blakesberg

Members of the Kronos Quartet are, from left, Jeffrey Zeigler, John Sherba, Hank Dutt and David Harrington.

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Leather get-ups, atmospheric lighting, big-screen visuals, exotic set pieces, cutting-edge music.

No one but the Bay Area-based Kronos Quartet can fit all those descriptions. The ensemble has left the traditional concert format in its dust over the past 35 years, and the program Saturday at the University of Denver's Newman Center is no exception.

"We are constantly reexamining the notion of gathering in a room to share a musical experience," said Kronos violinist David Harrington. The violinist recently offered details on the DU program while looking back at some of the group's eye-popping multimedia evenings. Here's a list of his Kronos favorites:

1. Black Angels - George Crumb's piece inspired the formation of Kronos in 1973. "When I heard it at the University of Maryland, it started me on that journey. We use a suspended gong and crystal glasses placed on an altar. Early on, we had a cape that was lifted to reveal the glasses. In another version, we employ a lighting design that added color and drama. We lit the glasses from below.

"People talk about 'seeing' a concert rather than hearing one - but it's true! Visual elements are important."

2. Different Trains - Steve Reich's work calls for a live and recorded quartet. Kronos has performed it with a projected film of trains and railroad tracks. "One time, the prerecorded tape started slowing down for some reason. We looked at each other with bug eyes but somehow managed to adjust.

"That's when we hired our own sound engineer."

3. Ghost Opera - Tan Dun's work is scored for quartet and pipa player. "We created a full staging with (pipa player) Wu Man, employing specific lighting and movement. It uses tuned rocks and bowls of water. It was the basis of his Water Passion (performed at Gates Hall in 2004)."

4. Visual Music - A full-evening presentation of works by several composers. "I created the concept. There are different environments, a different concert hall for each piece. We open with a Steve Reich work (Pendulum Music) that features swinging microphones. In Penderecki's String Quartet No. 1, we project the score and play from that, so the audience can see what's going on. At first, it's hard to make sense of it, but by the end, they've learned how to read the music."

5. Sun Rings - Terry Riley's 10-movement tribute to the beauty and mystery of the cosmos employs projected photos and videos supplied by NASA, sounds recorded by interplanetary spacecraft and a visual presentation by Willie Williams and Larry Neff. The group performed it at Boulder's Chautauqua Auditorium in 2006.

Kronos Quartet

* When and where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Gates Concert Hall, University Boulevard and Iliff Avenue

* Cost: $28 to $52

* Information: 303-357-2787

* Of note: The group appears with Alternative Radio host David Barsamian and guest Diane Wilson. The quartet will also host two master classes and a seminar at the University of Denver on Monday, all free and open to the public. At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, David Harrington will host a "listening party" in Hamilton Recital Hall. (Information on all these events: 303-871-6412)

'Radio program' mixing talk and music grew out of disillusion over Iraq

The violinist described Boulder- based radio host David Barsamian as a longtime friend and important broadcaster. The idea of joining Barsamian's program, Alternative Radio, emerged from the violinist's response to the Iraq invasion.

"I became very depressed - even though I'd just become a grandfather. So, David gave me (historian) Howard Zinn's phone number. In an hour, Howard convinced me that being a musician was the most important thing I could do.

"After that, I wanted to present David's radio program onstage and have Howard as the guest. We premiered it at Carnegie Hall in March 2006. It was an amazing experience. I now divide my life into 'before that concert' and 'after that concert.'

"What we do onstage is two one- hour radio programs mixing music with talk. (Environmental activist) Diane Wilson will join David and they'll talk. We'll choose some music before the concert - things from Iraq or Iran or Afghanistan - and we'll play them under their conversation or punctuate it as a counterbalance to the talk. We have about 30 to 40 pieces we can choose from.

"One piece I wish we could include is a new arrangement of Dark Was the Night, by Blind Willie Johnson. I fitted a violin with guitar strings and use a bottleneck and plectrum. It's an amazing sound. John (Sherba) and I always bring two violins, but if we played it, I'd then have to bring three. Maybe that's the next thing for us - to hire a roadie!"

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