Kronos Quartet - Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic
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Music CD Cover Artist: Kronos Quartet Performer: Kronos Quartet Performer: Wu Man Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2008-02-05 Music Label: Nonesuch Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic Album
Free Music Review: Atmospheric and hypnotic.
Hit: 4 Stars
"This project by pipa player Wu Man and the untiringly eclectic string quartet Kronos continues a collaboration that began more than a decade ago, when they recorded Ghost Opera.."(The Guardian).
Once again the Kronos, the hippest string quartet on the planet, has teamed up with its favourite composer, Terry Riley, the man who brought '60s hippieness into classical music. The original minimalists are now old men.
Riley, turned 70 in 2005 and to mark the occasion the Kronos Quartet commissioned a new work from him.
In this six-movement "mid-summer rite", there's a prominent solo role for the jangling Chinese lute, or pipa, played by the wonderful Wu Man - who also sings Chinese lullabies - against the astringent, urgent ensemble sound that Kronos applies to everything from Africa to India.
Alongside Wu Man we hear Riley's beloved Indian melodies, a Russian cartoon bear's song, and a Cuban dance, not to mention the odd snatch of Tchaikovsky.
"Extra drums, synths and vocals appear from time to time, and the somewhat creepy fifth movement, Emily and Alice, incorporates musical toys.
Yet it is the straightforward partnership of pipa and string quartet that is most arresting and satisfying" (The Guardian).
The inspiration for the work came from the toy collection of Kronos violinist David Harrington's granddaughter, the assorted sounds of which Riley integrated into the work (played by the quartet) along with the quirky addition of Chinese vocalist and pipa player Wu Man.
There's a lot of fun in this music, a mood that lends itself readily to the minimalist style. But there is nostalgia, too, which shines through poignantly.
Riley has a subtle musical mind, and what emerges is surprisingly delicate and witty, with a genuine power to move.
The Cusp of Magic's easeful hypnotic flow is laced with a playfulness and Orientalism that are both refreshing and reflective.