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Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)

Posted By: Designol
Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)

Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)
George Crumb, Thomas Tallis, István Mártha, Charles Ives, Dmitri Shostakovich

EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 243 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 149 Mb | Scans included
Label: Nonesuch/Elektra | # 7559-79242-2 | Time: 01:01:39
Classical, Contemporary, Avant-Garde

This disc is supposed to hurt. Just look at the program: it starts with Crumb's Black Angels for electric string quartet, a work that is the aural equivalent of Coppola's Apocalypse Now, and ends with Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, a work that is either the aural equivalent of a monument to the victims of war and fascism written in the ruins of Dresden or the musical equivalent of a suicide note written before the composer joined the Communist Party. With the spooky and evocative performances of Thomas Tallis Spem in Alium, Istvan Marta's Doom. A Sigh, and Charles Ives' There They Are!, this disc is so painful it could be the soundtrack for an unmade Kubrick movie.

The question is, is this disc supposed to hurt so much? The Kronos Quartet is a harsh and aggressive ensemble with an angular approach to rhythm and structure and an overwhelming need to assert its individual and collective identity. It tears into the howling notes that begin Black Angels with the ferocity of The Furies and they don't take the pedal off the metal until the last gasp of the final Largo of the Eighth. Yet surely this is the intent of the music: Crumb's Black Angels is as violently anti-war as Shostakovich's Eighth is fatally anti-totalitarian, and any performance that doesn't hurt with the deep pain of righteous vehemence would hardly be worth hearing. Nonesuch's 1990 digital sound is so in your face that it's in your skull.

Review by James Leonard, Allmusic.com

Stylishly packaged, intelligently programmed, superbly recorded and brilliantly performed. In short, very much the sort of disc we've come to expect from the talented and imaginative Kronos Quartet. With an overall theme of war and persecution linking the works, the disc opens with George Crumb's Black Angels for electric string quartet; a vividly descriptive work inspired by the Vietnam war. It dates from 1970 (it was completed somewhat ominously on Friday, March 13th) and is described by Crumb as ''a kind of parable on our troubled contemporary world''. Those familiar with Crumb's works will be aware of his fondness for asking his performers to double on other instruments, and here a gamut of sounds ranging from gongs, maracas and crystal glasses, to vocal sounds such as chanting, whistling and whispering combine with Crumb's colourful, imaginative string writing.

At first glance Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in alium may seem a little out of place, particularly on a disc of string quartet music inspired by war. But as the accompanying note rightly points out it's probable that the original Latin text was taken from the story of Judith, in which Nebuchadnezzar's general, Holofernes, was besieging the Jewish fortress of Bethulia. Kronos's own arrangement (involving some multi-tracking) certainly makes a fascinating alternative to the original, with Kronos sounding remarkably like a Renaissance consort of viols.

An atmospheric blend of electronic sounds, string quartet and recorded folk-songs (collected by the composer during a visit to Trunk, Romania) can be heard in Istvan Marta's powerfully disturbing hommage to a small village community as they desperately fight to retain their sense of identity and heritage in the face of dictatorship and persecution. Not a piece I would find myself returning to often, but an impressive and moving work none the less. Something of a curiosity follows: Charles Ives recorded his song They are there! over 50 years ago (full marks for conviction Mr Ives, but zero for vocal technique!), but by the miracle of modern technology is partnered here by Kronos courtesy of an accompaniment part arranged by John Geist.

An intense, poignant account of Shostakovich's Eighth String Quartet (a work dedicated to the victims of Fascism and war) brings this unusual and thought-provoking recital to a fitting conclusion. I've avoided bringing into play any comparisons with this performance as it strikes me that the interest and value lies primarily in the recital nature of the disc, though let me say that this performance can more than hold its own in the stiffest of competition.'

Review by Michael Stewart, Gramophone

Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)



Kronos Quartet:

David Harrington – violin
John Sherba – violin
Hank Dutt – viola
Joan Jeanrenaud – cello

Tracklist:

George Crumb
Black Angels Thirteen Images from the Dark Land (1970)
01. I. Departure (05:37)
02. II. Absence (05:25)
03. III. Return (07:29)

Thomas Tallis
04. Spem in Alium (Sing And Glorify) late 16the century (09:01)
40-Part Motet Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) arranged by Kronos (1989)

István Mártha
05. Doom. A Sigh (1989) (11:03)

Charles Ives
06. They are There! (1917/1942) Fighting for the People's New Free World (03:01)
Kronos part arranged by John Geist (1990)

Dmitri Shostakovich
Quartet No. 8 (1960)
07. I. Largo (04:56)
08. II. Allegro molto (02:36)
09. III. Allegretto (04:18)
10. IV. Largo (04:13)
11. V. Largo (03:53)


Exact Audio Copy V1.1 from 23. June 2015

EAC extraction logfile from 16. August 2016, 18:45

Various / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet)

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Gap handling : Appended to previous track

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TOC of the extracted CD

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 5:37.62 | 0 | 25336
2 | 5:37.62 | 5:25.63 | 25337 | 49774
3 | 11:03.50 | 7:29.50 | 49775 | 83499
4 | 18:33.25 | 9:01.50 | 83500 | 124124
5 | 27:35.00 | 11:03.45 | 124125 | 173894
6 | 38:38.45 | 3:01.30 | 173895 | 187499
7 | 41:40.00 | 4:56.70 | 187500 | 209769
8 | 46:36.70 | 2:36.50 | 209770 | 221519
9 | 49:13.45 | 4:18.72 | 221520 | 240941
10 | 53:32.42 | 4:13.08 | 240942 | 259924
11 | 57:45.50 | 3:53.42 | 259925 | 277441


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Track 3

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Track 4

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Track 6

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Track 7

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Track 9

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Track 10

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Track 11

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Accurately ripped (confidence 35) [001DC968] (AR v2)
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All tracks accurately ripped

No errors occurred

End of status report

–– CUETools DB Plugin V2.1.6

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Submit result: SrYDW0bpFmMZl2kIcinGdAXAaI4- has been confirmed
Track | CTDB Status
1 | (42/44) Accurately ripped
2 | (42/44) Accurately ripped
3 | (41/44) Accurately ripped
4 | (42/44) Accurately ripped
5 | (39/44) Accurately ripped
6 | (41/44) Accurately ripped
7 | (42/44) Accurately ripped
8 | (44/44) Accurately ripped
9 | (43/44) Accurately ripped
10 | (44/44) Accurately ripped
11 | (43/44) Accurately ripped


==== Log checksum CE4FEBFC9275DEEBF1F54DBEFEF230263C72667903BC0CFB5F9CEC7EEF54A992 ====

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-08-29 14:29:06

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Crumb, George / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet) (1-3)
Ives, Charles / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet) (4)
Marta, Istvan / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet) (5)
Schostakowitsch, Dmitri / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet) (6-10)
Tallis, Thomas / Black Angels (Kronos Quartet) (11)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR15 0.00 dB -20.49 dB 5:38 01-Black Angels - I Departure
DR20 -0.62 dB -27.20 dB 5:26 02-Black Angels - II Absence
DR24 0.00 dB -31.99 dB 7:30 03-Black Angels - III Return
DR13 -4.63 dB -20.70 dB 3:01 06-They Are There!
DR15 -0.01 dB -21.86 dB 11:04 05-Doom. A Sigh
DR14 -9.62 dB -29.68 dB 4:57 07-Streichquartett Nr. 8 - I Largo
DR13 -0.60 dB -16.81 dB 2:37 08-Streichquartett Nr. 8 - II Allegro molto
DR15 -1.20 dB -24.94 dB 4:19 09-Streichquartett Nr. 8 - III Allegretto
DR16 -0.43 dB -22.95 dB 4:13 10-Streichquartett Nr. 8 - IV Largo
DR13 -5.74 dB -26.71 dB 3:54 11-Streichquartett Nr. 8 - V Largo
DR13 0.00 dB -19.60 dB 9:02 04-Spem in Alium (arr. Kronos Quartet)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 11
Official DR value: DR15

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 591 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)

Kronos Quartet - Black Angels (1990)

All thanks to original releaser - Farscape2008

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