Well done, well done
4
By Boolez
Any one who has read my Kronos Quartet reivews knows I'm not the biggest fan of the boys in the band but this time the've come out with a winner. It's boggling why it took over ten years to release this to the Kronos, the quartet to whom it is dedicated. Any one who expects to hear something new and removed from his previous quartets will be diapointed though. This work falls in line quite nicely with the previous quartets. The reading has a warmth and obvious familiararity with the composers intentions. There are parts that could be said are decendants of Shostakovich's quartets although I fail to find the connection to the eight quartet mentioned by a previous reviewer. This is a strong and powerful work and the record will prove to be the reference recording for years to come. I'd thought I'd never hear myself say this in public but BRAVO Kronos, this is a job well done.
Lovely
4
By KellyOmaha
And with a dark edge unlike any other recording I can recall. This is thought-provoking, mood altering music of the highest order.
Fantastic.
5
By Mozelssohn
As a violist and composer, I must commend the Kronos Quartet and Mr. Gorecki for one of the most sublime and fulfilling musical experiences. The work itself is incredibly massive, with suprisingly simple and uncomplicated thematic material typical of Gorecki's music. I also sense some influence from earlier important quartets, notably Shostakovich's 8th Quartet. At the same time, the fourth movement is strangely, but not displeasingly, removed from the previous movements. It begins in a very bleedingly Romantic way, as if you are listening to something by Tchaikovsky or Brahms, though it quickly moves into a much more "neo-romantic" vein with more modern harmonic language. As you can see by the length of my review, I am thoroughly pleased with this work, and hope to hear more from Mr. Gorecki and the Kronos in future!
no words can describe
5
By rdperez
kronos has been pushing the boundaries of string quartet genre since its conception.
this album is no different. gorecki's third is completely astonishing with haunting melodies and beautiful harmonies. one of the most beautiful albums of modern classical music in decades.
If you like this....
3
By shadow9
then check out The Fountain soundtrack.
Songs in A Universal Language
5
By kitchenette
Anyone can appreciate the leaden beauty of this recording, from metal-lovers to hip-hop afficianados, to sigur ros-ers. This is a work of epic proportions performed by the virtuostic Chronos Quartet. Wordlessly, the music speaks in the universal language of the human tragedy and disquiets the listener, instilling a sense of mission and urgency...to what end? Ah, the great mysteries of instrumentalism! Warning: repeated listening only deepens the mystery.
Hauntingly beautiful
5
By magicfitzpatrick
Life is like music; it must be composed by ear, feeling, and instinct, not by rule!
