The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 16, 1987 - Page])l
Kronos offers innovative twist a
By Edward Benyas
One of the most versatile
mediums ever invented for
traditional music may be the string
quartet, for which a typical concert
might include Beethoven, Mozart,
and perhaps some Dvorak and Ra -
vel. Concert-goers at the Michigan
Theatre tomorrow night, however,
will be surprised and perhaps dis-
sapointed if they expect to hear
such standard fare from the Kronos
String Quartet.
The Kronos Quartet has earned a
reputation for being what the New
York Times termed, "one of the
country's most remarkable
performing groups," by playing
almost entirely Twentieth Century
music. Their most recent release,
Kronos Quartet (on Nonesuch
Records), contains pieces by a mix
of both well known and relatively
obscure contemporary composers;
they perform works by Peter
Sculthorpe, Aulis Sallinen, Philip
Glass, Conlon Nancarrow, and Jimi
Hendrix.
Despite the reluctance of many
audiences to hear concerts of
entirely modern works, Kronos has
remained popular among younger
crowds, whether on tour or at
home. The group itself is young.
David Harrington and John Sherba,
violinists; Hank Dutt, violist; and
Joan Jeanrenaud, cellist, are all in
their early to mid 30's and are
generally casual in both dress and
manner when performing. In
addition, Kronos concerts are
unusually varied. One recent
performance coupled the Bartok
Fourth Quartet with John Cage's
Thirty Piecesfor String Quartet, in
which the four players spread their
chairs around the stage so that they
faced each other's backs.
First violinist David Harrington,
who founded the Kronos Quartet in
1973, tried to explain the
popularity of the group's unique
presentation of contemporary music
among young audiences. "A lot of
our audience shares a silmilar
outlook," he explained, "that the
,conventional boundaries of things
are actually worth reexamining on a
daily basis."
Nevertheless, Harrington
believes that the conventional
quartet literature is still important,
and he states "the greatest
compliment I can pay to the older
repertoire is by attempting to
commission and perform the
greatest current repertoire." As a
result, Kronos sifts through
volumes of scores submitted by
recent composers. Tomorrow, for
example, they will perform Cloth
from the Coast, by Jon Hassel, a
piece written for them about a year
ago. The concert will also include
pieces by Sculthorpe, Ben
Johnston, Philip Glass, Kevin
Volans, Thelonious Monk, Ornette
Coleman, and Bill Evans. Those
with more conservative tastes will
enjoy the Third Quartet of Bartok.
"We're trying to play .a
stimulating evening of music,"
says Harrington, "for us that means
influences probably from around the
world; pieces that balance each
other and work off of each other and
music that reaches out to the
audience." Some of the works to be
performed are from the group's
latest album.
The Kronos String Quartet will
be performing tomorrow night at 8
p.m. at the Michigan Theatre.
Tickets are available for $9.50 and
$15 at the Theatre Box Office, the.
Michigan Union Ticket Office, and
at all Ticketmaster locations. In
addition, the group will be
appearing in person at Schoolkids
Classical record store on Saturday
afternoon at 2p.m.
The Kronos Quartet will be appearing at the Michigan Theatre tomorrow
night. Pictured above (left to right) are players David Harrington, John
Sherba, Joan Jeanrenaud, and Hank Dutt.
Records'
'Continued fromPage10) in these recordings is authentic, not
a white singer with black soul in the self-conscious attempts at
his voice, Phillips came upon Elvis pathos heard in later studio
Presley. In the recordings of "Good sessions. The reason for this is very
Rockin' Tonight" and "That's All simple - these future stars really
Right(Mama)" from 1954, the felt what they were singing. They
listener is treated to the raw hoodoo entered the music business before it
of young Elvis. Other refreshing was a business, and had no
rockers on this two album set are expectations of Top 40 hits or
"Breathless" and "Whole Lotta overnight wealth. The
Shakin' Going On" by the seamy overwhelming sincerity in the
Jerry Lee Lewis, Perkins' "Honey vocals is there because it never
Don't" and "Blue Suede Shoes, occurred to them that there was any
"Get Rhythm" by Johnny Cash, other reason for performing music.
and "Rocket 88" by Jackie Bren - The Sun Story reaffirms the
ston. tradition of rock n' roll existing
The great thing about this album sheerly for the sake of blowing off
is that it offers to the ears the story tense energy rather than making
of rock n' roll's roots as well as a
hint of the direction in which it was money.
to head. The vibrancy and emotion -Joel Tractenberg
ATTENTION LACROSSE PLAYERS
The University of Michigan Lacrosse Team
begins practice on
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16
X at The Colliseum 6 pm - 8 pm i
For Further Information Call 747-6426
x Team T-Shirts Available at Moe's Sport Shop .{
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3:30-4:30 p.m.
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UNION
Arts & Programming
This week at the Michigan Union..
January 19 Banners Exhibit
Silkscreen prints on fabric
by artist Sue Moran.
The University Club
January 22 Arts at Midday
David Scott, piano; Irene
Boruzcko, flute; Don Kuhli,
drum; Allen Lounsberry,
bass, play "Suite by Claude
Bolling."
Pendleton Room, 12:15 FREE
$259l ROUND TRIP
Charter Flight
FT. LAUDERDALE
Feb.20 thru 27 KEY TOURS For details contact:
C2IN
1329 S. Universy7699680 2763Plymouth Rd.
TWOANN ARBOR LOCATIONS
EXHIBITION PARTY
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 MICHIGAN UNION BALLROOM
m-
8 pm -t2am
UKE D..
AN MTV BAND TO WATCH FOR 1987
TO BE TAPED FOR UKE'S VIDEO!
DAVE KENDALL, PRODUCER OF
MTV'S "120 MINUTES" WILL BE PRESENT
gnu
MUSIC
'i I Ei
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J. TOM SIMONIAN
WCBN
SIMULCAST
88.3 FM
11 pm -2am
SPONSORED IN PART BY A GRANT
FROM EYEMEDIAE GALLEFPY
COVER CHARGE: $3
CASH BAR WITH ID.
A BENEFIT FOR THE ARTISTS COOPERATIVE GALLERY
AN INTRODUCTION TO FREE ASSOCIATION CORPORATION