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November, 2006
Dear Friends,
Back in the early 1960’s, I joined the Columbia Record Club
for a penny and got to choose a few LP’s for my membership. Among
them were some amazing recordings including the Budapest Quartet playing
Beethoven’s Opus 127 in E flat major. I’ll never forget
those opening chords – the sonority ¬– that incredibly
resonant sound! I listened over and over and decided that I had to
make that sound myself. So I went to the public library and checked
out the Beethoven Quartets. With a group of friends from the local
youth symphony, the very first quartet we ever tried playing was Opus
127. The thrill of hearing those opening chords has stayed with me
ever since and, even today, I still love the self-contained aspect
of a quartet: a complete society in miniature.
What I value most about making music is the opportunity to explore
the world of notes. For me, a single note is a huge place where realities
and imaginings can exist together. Since playing that first quartet,
I have been hooked for life on the process of preparing new pieces,
getting to know composers closely, putting an imprint on unheard music,
and being among the first to perform a newly composed piece. Is there
another art form that possesses the breadth of expression and the immense
emotional scope that composers have given the string quartet? I’m
convinced that today’s composers are exploring, through the lens
of this very revealing medium, worlds beyond normal comprehension.
The string quartet still proves itself to be one of the most malleable
artistic resources ever created. How, then, can I not want to continue
the explorations I began as a teenager?
The connection I still feel with those E flat major chords is strengthened
every time a new work is written for Kronos. Everything Kronos has
done since 1973 has been an attempt to enlarge the world we inherited.
For example, there was a time in Kronos’ career when there was
no music written for string quartet by African composers, when there
was no music for string quartet by Chinese composers, when music written
by women was rarely played or heard. This musical void was (and still
is) vast. Long ago, our medium somehow landed in the hands of some
who thought it needed a fence built around it to protect it from the
rest of the world. Kronos bulldozed that fence and has built in its
place an expansive and inspiring repertoire, hopefully reflecting some
of the diversity of musical possibilities. I hope Kronos will always
have a hand in bringing more of our world into the string quartet form.
Though a lot has been accomplished through the years, I feel Kronos
is just getting started. There are so many possibilities for the future
of our music that it is staggering to contemplate. At this very moment
there are at least 55 new pieces being written for Kronos. We must
build on what we have already accomplished and continue to share our
newest music with you in concert, on our recordings, and through technology.
Kronos’ commitment, however, can only be realized by the breadth
and range of your financial support. I hope as you plan your donations
for 2006 and beyond, that you will consider a generous contribution
to help move Kronos’ work forward.
Sincerely,
David Harrington
Founder and Artistic Director
Kronos Quartet |
