'NUEVO.' Music by Briseno (arr. Osvaldo Golijov), Lara (OG), Revueltas: Sensemaya (arr. Stephen Prutsman), Esquivel (OG), Dominguez (SP), Sanchez (OG), Golijov, Bolanos (arr. Ricardo Gallardo), Cafe Tacuba (OG) ~~ Gorecki: Quartet #2 ("Quasi Una Fantasia"). Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, San Francisco, CA. March 16th.
Kronos has never been afraid of challenges or controversy, and their 'NUEVO' program proved their astonishing versatility. It was divided into two very distinct musical halves, with excerpts from their new Nonesuch CD of Mexican music, on the first, and a complete performance of Polish composer Henry M. Gorecki's "Quasi una Fantasia," Qrt. #2, Op. 64 (1990-91) on the second. And though both parts seemed to come from entirely different worlds, a little reflection provided the link Ð each piece derived in whole, or in part, from folk or popular sources. This was obvious in the first part's selections, most of which were arranged for Kronos by composer Osvaldo Golijov, who served in that capacity on the quartet's last "world music" CD, 'Caravan,' but much less so in the Gorecki.
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