kronos: music from 4 fences - program

4
KRONOSQUARTET David Harrington violin John Sherba violin Hank Dutt viola Jeffrey Zeigler cello Laurence Neff lighting designer • Scott Fraser sound designer • Calvin Ll. Jones technical associate Z Space @ Artaud — San Francisco, California Featuring the West Coast premiere of JON ROSE’s MUSIC FROM 4 FENCES Plus music by TERRY RILEY and… DAMON ALBARN, JG THIRLWELL and ALEXANDRA DU BOIS on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 (Please join Kronos in the lobby for a drink after the concert!) JOHN ZORN and FELIPE PEREZ SANTIAGO on Thursday, February 25, 2010 CLINT MANSELL and DAN VISCONTI on Friday, February 26, 2010 BRYCE DESSNER and AVIYA KOPELMAN on Saturday, February 27, 2010 Kronos dedicates these concerts to the memory of Howard Zinn (1922–2010). kronosquartet.org facebook.com/kronosquartet myspace.com/kronosquartet • @kronosquartet #kronos

Upload: kronos-quartet

Post on 18-Nov-2014

133 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Kronos: Music from 4 Fences - PROGRAM

KRONOSQUARTET David Harrington violin • John Sherba violin

Hank Dutt viola • Jeffrey Zeigler cello

Laurence Neff lighting designer • Scott Fraser sound designer • Calvin Ll. Jones technical associate

Z Space @ Artaud — San Francisco, California

Featuring the West Coast premiere of JON ROSE’s MUSIC FROM 4 FENCES

Plus music by TERRY RILEY and…

DAMON ALBARN, JG THIRLWELL and ALEXANDRA DU BOIS on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 (Please join Kronos in the lobby for a drink after the concert!)

JOHN ZORN and FELIPE PEREZ SANTIAGO on Thursday, February 25, 2010

CLINT MANSELL and DAN VISCONTI on Friday, February 26, 2010

BRYCE DESSNER and AVIYA KOPELMAN on Saturday, February 27, 2010

Kronos dedicates these concerts to the memory of Howard Zinn (1922–2010).

kronosquartet.org • facebook.com/kronosquartet • myspace.com/kronosquartet • @kronosquartet #kronos

Page 2: Kronos: Music from 4 Fences - PROGRAM

MUSIC FROM 4 FENCES Music and fence design by Jon Rose Visual design by Willie Williams Lighting design by Laurence Neff Sound design by Calvin Ll. Jones For over 35 years, Jon Rose has been at the sharp end of experimental, new and improvised music. Central to that practice has been “The Relative Violin” project, a unique output, rich in content, realizing almost everything on, with and about the violin—and string music in general. Most celebrated is the worldwide Fence project; least known are the relative violins created specifically for and in Australia. Rose has worked with many of the mavericks of contemporary music such as John Cage, Derek Bailey, John Zorn, Otomo Yoshihide, Alvin Curran, Jim Denley, Barry Guy, Frances Marie Uitti and Fred Frith. In the area of interactive electronics, his work is considered exemplary, having pioneered the use of the MIDI bow in the “Hyperstring” project. Other interactive multimedia projects have featured badminton and netball games, a giant ball, kites, kayak and a Front End Hoe Excavator. For more information, visit jonroseweb.com. When I started to play concerts on fences in 1983, I saw fences purely in terms of sonic material. Indeed, that was the conceit: Australia was not covered with millions of miles of fences—it was criss-crossed with a network of string instruments waiting to be bowed. However, the metaphorical significance of fence music soon became evident. As symbol and tool of division, conquest, ownership, hegemony and paranoia, you cannot find a better exemplar of “the species problem.” As the earth’s resources collapse under our imposed weight, new fences are required, and old ones need to be reinforced. To find music in such inherently ugly and unlikely artifacts can be a powerful experience. Fence music often encap-sulates the vastness of border country; it is the music of distance. The fence also challenges our perceptions of what a musical instrument can be. For some years now, I have been looking to expand the project and convince other string players to get involved. Playing a fence is risky business. Apart from the possibility that a border guard might try to shorten your life, classically trained musicians are not usually game enough to exchange a tried-and-tested violin for the unreliable response of fence wire or even barbed wire. If you think about it, there is only one group in the world whose members would be willing to put themselves on the line for a project utilizing industrial strength wire. When David Harrington said that he wanted Kronos involved, I was delighted. Making fence music happen for the Kronos Quartet presented some interesting practical problems that I previously never had to contend with. Normally, my partner Hollis Taylor and I play fences in situ or build a fence in a public space where it is installed for several weeks. The Kronos fence would have to function on a concert stage (no drilling of holes), be self-supporting, be erected and dismantled for one night only, and, in a world of increasingly expensive air travel, be as light as possible. It would, however, still have to contain the sonic

essence of an outback or border fence. The solution is a modular one: Music from 4 Fences with each member of Kronos playing his own personal fence. A fence comes with its own innate theatre: everyone knows what a fence is and what it is for—ordinarily not for concert music! Music from 4 Fences takes advantage of the unique set of images available from the wire and metal fence posts being played live on stage. Barbed wire is iconic and overwhelming in its host of received associations. Invented in the 1860s, barbed wire is as old as the music of Brahms. Further images for the composition derive from archetypal border fences that entwine and entangle our world—a smorgasbord of political and imperial screw-ups. Playing music on fences will not get rid of them or the causes for their existence. The fence, after all, is considered a practical success story. The future of fences is assured, as new technology is harnessed. Witness the new “invisible fences” that deliver a sharp shock to hapless human or cow. Currently there are many debates about the origins of music: What is it for? Does it still have a function? Those who hear Music from 4 Fences will never look at a fence in quite the same way again. —JON ROSE When I first heard a recording of Jon Rose bowing the barbed-wire rabbit fences of Australia six years ago, I could not believe my ears. The variety of sounds and range of musical color that a bass bow can get out of a barbed wire fence, combined with the intensity and expressiveness of those sounds, led me to conclude that Jon had uncovered a new and widely prevalent musical instrument. I determined that Kronos needed to learn to play this instrument, and that we had to bring it into our concerts. The idea that musicians can turn objects of confine-ment, detainment and violence into musical instruments has inspired me since I first heard the fence music of Jon Rose. Through our concerts, Kronos attempts to make statements about our world. That we are surrounded by fences seems to be an essential part of the time we live in. There might be a way to transform the nature of fences, by bowing them. We will try. —DAVID HARRINGTON Produced by Janet Cowperthwaite Production management by Kronos Performing Arts Association Music from 4 Fences was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by the Sydney Opera House, Purdue Convocations—Purdue University, Australia Council for the Arts, and the David Harrington Research and Development Fund. Special thanks to Hollis Taylor, Ian Scobie & Arts Projects Australia, Van Jarvis & Creative Technology, Todd Wetzel & Purdue Convocations, and Tony Bond.

Page 3: Kronos: Music from 4 Fences - PROGRAM

TERRY RILEY Terry Riley (b. 1935) first came to prominence in 1964 when he subverted the world of tightly organized atonal composition then in fashion. With the groundbreaking In C—a work built upon steady pulse throughout, simple repeated melodic motives, and static harmonies (and premiered at the former San Francisco Tape Music Center at 321 Divisadero)—Riley achieved an elegant and non-nostalgic return to tonality. In demonstrating the hypnotic allure of complex musical patterns made of basic means, he produced the seminal work of the so-called "minimal" school. Riley's facility for complex pattern-making is the product of his virtuosity as a keyboard improviser. He quit formal composition following In C in order to concentrate on improvisation, and in the late 1960s and early '70s he became known for weaving dazzlingly intricate skeins of music from improvisations on organ and synthesizer. At this time, Riley also devoted himself to studying North Indian vocal techniques under the legendary Pandit Pran Nath, and a new element entered his music: long-limbed melody. Riley began notating music again in 1979 when both he and the Kronos Quartet were on the faculty at Mills College in Oakland. By collaborating with Kronos, he discovered that his various musical passions could be integrated, not as pastiche, but as different sides of similar musical impulses that still maintained something of the oral performing traditions of India and jazz. Riley's first quartets were inspired by his keyboard improvisations, but his knowledge of string quartets became more sophisticated through his work with Kronos, combining rigorous compositional ideas with a more performance-oriented approach. This long and fruitful association has so far produced approximately two dozen works for string quartet. KRONOS: UNDER 30 PROJECT The Kronos: Under 30 Project is a program through which musicians under 30 years of age are selected to create music for the Kronos Quartet. The program was conceived by Kronos in 2003 to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of the ensemble. It was started out of Kronos’ desire to support the creation of new work by young artists, and to help Kronos cultivate stronger connections with young musicians in order to develop lasting artistic relationships with the next creative generation. In each round of the Kronos: Under 30 Project, musicians are asked to submit a variety of works, regardless of instru-mentation, to introduce Kronos to the music that some of the youngest members of the musical community are creating. The quartet reviews all materials personally, and then chooses to collaborate with a composer with whom they feel a strong artistic commitment. A new work is then created expressly for the Kronos Quartet. The works on this series by Alexandra du Bois (String Quartet: Oculus pro Oculo Totum Orbem Terrae Caecat (“an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”), 2/24), Felipe Perez Santiago (CampoSanto, 2/25), Dan Visconti (Love Bleeds Radiant, 2/26) and Aviya Kopelman (Widows & Lovers, 2/27) were commissioned through the Under 30 Project. Kronos has performed these works collectively over a hundred times in 22 countries. The call for scores for the fifth installment of the Under 30 Project will be in 2011/12.

KRONOS QUARTET For more than 30 years, San Francisco's Kronos Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 45 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioning more than 650 new works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos’ work has also garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and “Musicians of the Year” (2003) from Musical America. Since 1973, Kronos has built a compellingly eclectic repertoire for string quartet, performing and recording works by 20th-century masters (Bartók, Shostakovich, Webern), contemporary composers (Aleksandra Vrebalov, John Adams, Alfred Schnittke), jazz legends (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk), and artists from even farther afield (rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Azeri vocalist Alim Qasimov, avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn). Integral to Kronos' work is a series of long-running, in-depth collaborations with many of the world's foremost composers. Kronos has worked extensively with composers such as "Father of Minimalism" Terry Riley, whose work with Kronos includes Salome Dances for Peace, the multimedia production Sun Rings, and 2005's The Cusp of Magic; Philip Glass, recording his complete string quartets and scores to films like Mishima and Dracula; Azerbaijan’s Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, featured on the 2005 release Mugam Sayagi; Steve Reich, whose Kronos-recorded Different Trains earned a Grammy; Argentina's Osvaldo Golijov, whose work with Kronos includes both compositions and arrangements for albums like Kronos Caravan and Nuevo; and many more. In addition to composers, Kronos counts numerous artists from around the world among its regular collaborators, including Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man; the legendary Bollywood "playback singer" Asha Bhosle; Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq; Mexican rockers Café Tacuba; the Romanian gypsy band Taraf de Haïdouks; and American soprano Dawn Upshaw. Kronos has performed live with icons Allen Ginsberg, Modern Jazz Quartet, Tom Waits, David Barsamian, Howard Zinn, Betty Carter and David Bowie, and has appeared on recordings by such diverse talents as Nine Inch Nails, Amon Tobin, Dan Zanes, DJ Spooky, Dave Matthews, Nelly Furtado, Rokia Traoré, Joan Armatrading and Don Walser. The quartet spends five months of each year on tour, appearing in concert halls, clubs and festivals around the world including BAM Next Wave Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Barbican, WOMAD, UCLA's Royce Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Shanghai Concert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Kronos is equally prolific and wide-ranging on disc. The ensemble's discography on Nonesuch Records includes collections such as Pieces of Africa (1992), a showcase of African-born composers, which simultaneously topped Billboard's Classical and World Music lists; 1998's ten-disc anthology, Kronos Quartet: 25 Years; Nuevo (2002), a Grammy- and Latin Grammy-nominated celebration of Mexican culture; and the 2003 Grammy-winner, Alban Berg's Lyric Suite.

Page 4: Kronos: Music from 4 Fences - PROGRAM

KRONOS PERFORMING ARTS ASSOCIATION As a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, the Kronos Quartet/Kronos Performing Arts Association has commissioned more than 650 new works and arrangements for string quartet and recorded more than 50 CDs. Music publishers Boosey & Hawkes and Kronos have released sheet music for three signature works, all commissioned for Kronos, in the Kronos Collection, a performing edition edited by the group. In addition to mentoring young composers, the quartet is also committed to working with emerging professional performers, and next month will lead a Professional Training Workshop with three string quartets as part of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Kronos relies on financial contributions from individuals, foundations, corporations and government agencies in order to commission composers and perform new work at home and around the world. Many new works are currently in progress! Please consider a gift, no matter how small or large, to support their completion. 100% of your donation supports the commissioning of new work by the Kronos Performing Arts Association. For information about contributions or commis-sioning, please contact Laird Rodet, Associate Director, at [email protected], or visit kronosquartet.org/give. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Kronos Performing Arts Association is grateful for recent generous support from our contributors, which has made these programs possible. INDIVIDUALS Bob Allen and Pat Mcinteer • Jacquelynn Baas and Rob Elder • Tina Beebe and Buzz Yudell • Melanie Beene • Susan Bedsole • Harriet Benson • Howard and Gail Berman • Dr. Robert Bhisitkul and Sara MacPherson • Martha and David Bills • Judithe Bizot • Lisa and Mike Bromberg • Gretchen Brosius • Caitlin and Nathan Brostrom • Christine Bullin • Gregory Burrell • Ted and Constance Captanian • Guymon Casady • Steve Cassidy and Rebecca Powlan • Wally and Karen Chappell • Margaret Cohen • Jennifer and Colin Cooper • Jan Cornwell • Janet Cowperthwaite and Paul Kilduff • Joanne and Jeremy Cowperthwaite • Dr. Michael Cowperthwaite • Chris Daily and Deborah Spencer • Tom Di Maria • Theresa Donohue • Margaret Dorfman and The Ralph I. Dorfman Family Fund • Jane Dutcher • Hank Dutt and Greg Dubinsky • Karie Epstein • Stuart Epstein • Lois and Roland Feller • Christine Fiedler and Tom O’Connor • Alan Fleming and Kate Eilertsen • Curtis Freilich and Mireille Soria • Tom and Kitty Friel • Anthony Ganz • Jonathan D. Gerrish • Jeanne Giordano and Bob Frasca • Sabine and Bernd Girod • Robert E. Gordon • Kay Sprinkel Grace • Tony Gulisano • Anna Halprin • Ann Hamilton • Mary Edna Harrell • David and Regan Harrington • Hazel and David Harrington • Debbie and Creig Hoyt • Robert Hurwitz • Kim and Dennis Isaac • Sumiko Ito and Don Allison • Joan Jeanrenaud • Mark and Cheri Johnson • Paul and Joan Johnson • Allyson and Laurence Jossel • Sonia and Philippe Kahn • Timothy King • Brian Kleis and Jim Lock • Julie and Hendrick Koning • Robert Kotchick • Lynn Landor • Linda Lichter and Nick Marck • Andrea Abernethy Lunsford • Teresa Lynn • Beverly and Fritz Maytag • Cyra McFadden and Don Bennett • Jim Melchert • Jeffrey Miller • Michael Milligan • Greg Minshall • Esther and Jim Munger • Larry and Hannah Neff • John Nelson • Jim Newman and Jane Ivory • Dr. Frederick and Chantal Oei • Steve and Nancy Oliver • Camilla and David Olson • Michael and Judy O’Shea • Donald Patterson • Gary Payne • Richard Peters • Susan Peterson and Randie Lintz • Steve and Suzan Plath • John Prokop • Alexandra Quinn and Mark Spolyar • Marjorie Randolph • Anna Ranieri and Stephen Boyd • Lory and Carol Ratner • Terry and Ann Riley • Mary Risley • Ashley Rodet and Rick Leifer • Thierry Rosset • Allen Santos • Tim Savinar and Patty Unterman •

Jean Schwarzkopf • Sharon Shepherd and Laird Rodet • John and Mizue Sherba • Colin Smith • Curtis Smith and Susan Threlkeld • Karen and Thomas Smith • Mare Joy Smith and Karl Berry • Dr. Scott C. and Alice So • Catharine and Jeffrey Soros • Dr. Robert and Naomi Stamper • Karl and Connie Sterne • Priscilla Stoyanof and David Roche • Carolyn Talcott • Carolyn Tawasha and Randall Kay • Steve Thompson • Alta Tingle • Ola Torstensson • Paul Weir • Barbara Whipperman • Alice Wingwall and Donlyn Lyndon • Terri Wong • Bagley and Virginia Wright • Dick Yamagami • Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester • Fumiko and David Zeigler • Jeff Zeigler and Paola Prestini INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia • Amphion Foundation • Asia Cultural Council • Bank of America • Chamber Music America Commissioning Program • Columbia Foundation • The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc • French American Fund for Contemporary Music • Grammy Foundation • Hellman Family Foundation • The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation • The James Irvine Foundation • LEF Foundation • The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation • Meyer Sound • The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation • The Bernard Osher Foundation • Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation • Thendara Foundation • Tides Foundation GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals & Exhibitions • Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund • National Endowment for the Arts/Artistic Excellence • National Endowment for the Arts/American Masterpieces • NEA/American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Kronos' San Francisco Home Season is sponsored in part by: Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund • The Bernard Osher Foundation • National Endowment for the Arts

Kronos Quartet/Kronos Performing Arts Association P. O. Box 225340 San Francisco, CA 94122-5340 USA Janet Cowperthwaite managing director • Laird Rodet associate director • Sidney Chen artistic administrator • Scott Fraser sound designer • Christina Johnson communications manager • Calvin Ll. Jones production associate • Asheton Lemay intern • Nikolás McConnie-Saad administrative assistant • Laurence Neff production director • Lucinda Toy business operations manager • Julie Yip administrative assistant • Anna M. Ranieri chair, board of directors

A SERIES OF TUBES We email. www.kronosquartet.org We post. www.facebook.com/kronosquartet We tweet. www.twitter.com/kronosquartet We shoot. www.flickr.com/kronosquartet We screen. www.youtube.com/user/kronosquartet1 We party like it’s 2005. www.myspace.com/kronosquartet See you online.