Recordings

Kronos Explorer Series (Box Set)

Kronos Quartet

2014

“For 40 years now, the Kronos Quartet have been forcing audiences to revise their expectations of the string quartet. They have, almost singlehandedly, overhauled the mainstream perception of chamber music, transforming it from light luncheon entertainment into a challenging, experimental genre… The Kronos Explorer Series is comprised of five quintessential Kronos Quartet releases… The amalgamation of these seemingly disparate collections provides a great ‘beginners guide’ to Kronos… This release offers an insight into the palette of rhythms and timbres that have coloured the quartet’s output for four decades, displaying a broad selection of the many musical paths that the group has trodden in its long, fruitful career. The diversity in the collection is astounding.”

Kate Travers, The Line of Best Fit

About the album

Nonesuch Records, the Kronos Quartet’s longtime label, celebrated the group’s 40th anniversary year with the release of the Kronos Explorer Series five-CD box set that collected Pieces of Africa (1992), Night Prayers (1994), Caravan (2000), Nuevo (2002) and Floodplain (2009) with new liner notes that include an in-depth interview of Kronos’ artistic director, founder, and violinist David Harrington by author Jonathan Cott.

SELECT CREDITS

Kronos Quartet:
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola

Joan Jeanrenaud, cello (1978–1999)
Jennifer Culp, cello (1999–2005)
Jeffrey Zeigler, cello (2005–2013)

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

(See individual albums for additional musician and production credits)

Disc 1: Pieces of Africa (1992)

Mai Nozipo (feat. Dumisani Maraire, ngoma, hosho)
Composed by Dumisani Maraire
Saade (I’m Happy) (feat. Hassan Hakmoun, lead vocal, sintir; Radouane Laktib, oud, vocal; Said Hakmoun, bander, vocal)
Composed by Hassan Hakmoun, realized by Itaal Shur and Richard Horowitz
Tilliboyo (Sunset) (feat. Foday Musa Suso, kora)
Composed by Foday Musa Suso
Ekitundu Ekisooda (First Movement)
Composed by Justinian Tamusuza
Escalay (Water Wheel) (feat. Hamza El Din, tar)
Composed by Hamza El Din, relaized by Tohru Ueda
Wawshishijay (Our Beginning) (feat. Obo Addy, donno, brekete, pretia, aketse, gidi, vocal)
Composed by Obo Addy, realized by Chris Baum
White Man Sleeps: I.
White Man Sleeps: II.
White Man Sleep: III.
White Man Sleep: IV.
White Man Sleep: V.
Composed by Kevin Volans
Kutambarara (Spreading) (feat. Dumisani Maraire, lead vocal, mbira; Dan Pauli, hosho; Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir [Terrence Kelly, director])
Composed by Dumisani Maraire

Disc 2: Night Prayers (1994)

Kongerei (feat. Throat Singers of Tuva: Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, Anatoly Kuular, Kongar-ool Ondar)
Traditional, arr. S. Mackey
Lacrymosa (feat. Dawn Upshaw, soprano)
Composed by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky
Mugam Sayagi
Composed by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh
Quartet No. 4
Composed by Sofia Gubaidulina
A Cool Wind Is Blowing (feat. Djivan Gasparian, duduk)
Composed by Tigran Tahmizyan
K’Vakarat (feat. Mikhail Alexandrovich, cantor)
Composed by Osvaldo Golijov
Night Prayers
Composed by Giya Kancheli

Disc 3: Caravan (2000)

Pannonia Boundless
Composed by Aleksandra Vrebalov
Cancão Verdes Anos (Song of the Green Years)
Composed by Carlos Paredes, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Aaj Ki Raat (Tonight Is the Night) (feat. Zakir Hussain, tabla)
Composed by Rahul Dev Burman, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
La Muerte Chiquita (The Little Death)
Composed by Enrique Rangel, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Turceasca (Turkish Song) (feat. Taraf de Haïdouks)
Composed by Sapo Perapaskero, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Szomorú Vasárnap (Gloomy Sunday)
Composed by Rezsö Seress, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Cortejo Fúnebre en el Monte Diable (Funeral March on Mount Diablo)
Composed by Terry Riley
Responso (Responsory)
Composed by Aníbal Troilo, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Romance No. 1
Composed by Carlos Paredes, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Gallop of a Thousand Horses (feat. Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh; Ziya Tabassian, tombak)
Composed by Kayhan Kalhor
Ecstasy (feat. Ali Jihad Racy, nay; Souhail Kaspar, tar)
Composed by Ali Jihad Racy
Misirlou Twist (feat. Martyn Jones, drums)
Composed by Nicholas Roubanis, inspired by Dick Dale, arr. Osvaldo Golijov

Disc 4: Nuevo (2002)

El Sinaloense (The Man from Sinaloa)
Composed by Severiano Briseño, arr. by Osvaldo Golijov
Se Me Hizo Fácil (It Was Easy for Me) (feat. Luanne Warner, marimba)
Composed by Agustín Lara, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Mini Skirt
Composed by Juan García Esquivel, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
El Llorar (Crying) (feat. Alejandro Flores, vocals, violin; Efrén Vargas, vocals)
Composed by Traditional (Son Huasteco), arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Perfidia (Perfidy) (feat. Carlos Garcia, musical leaf)
Composed by Alberto Domínguez, arr. Stephen Prutsman
Sensemayá (feat. Tambuco Percussion Ensemble)
Composed by Silvestre Revueltas, arr. Stephen Prutsman
K’in Sventa Ch’ul Me’tik Kwadulupe (Festival for the Holy Mother Guadalupe) (feat. Luanne Warner, marimba; Rominko Patixtan Patixtan, arpa; Pegro Lunes Tak’il Bek’et, vob; Carmen Gomez Oso, Xun Perez Hol Cotom, Rominko Mendez Xik, vocals)
Composed by Osvaldo Golijov
Tabú (feat. Luis Conte, percussion)
Composed by Margarita Lecuona, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
Cuatro Milpas (Four Cornfields)
Composed by Belisario García de Jesús and José Elizondo, arr. Stephen Prutsman
Chavosuite (feat. Gustavo Santaolalla, toys, percussion)
Medley of somgs composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, El Chapulín Colorado, and Roberto Gómez Bolaños, arr. Ricardo Gallardo
Plasmaht (feat. Ariel Guzik, plasmaht)
Composed by Ariel Guzik, arr. Kronos Quartet
Nacho Verduzco
Composed by Chalino Sánchez, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
12/12 (feat. Café Tacuba)
Composed by Café Tacuba, arr. Osvaldo Golijov
El Sinaloense (Dance Mix)
Remix by Plankton Man

Disc 5: Floodplain (2009)

Ya Habibi Ta’ala (My Love, Come Quickly) (feat. Jamie Papish, riqq)
Composed by Midhat Assem, arr. Osvaldo Golijov and Kronos Quartet
Tashweesh (Interference) (feat. Ramallah Underground, electronics)
Composed by Ramallah Underground, arr. Kronos Quartet and Jacob Garchik
Wa Habibi (Beloved)
Traditional, arr. Stephen Prutsman
Getme, Getme (Don’t Leave, Don’t Leave) (feat. Alim Qasimov Ensemble)
Composed by Said Rustamov, arr. Alim Qasimov, string arr. Jacob Garchik
Raga Mishra Bhairavi: Alap (feat. Terry Riley, tambura; Wu Man, electric sitar)
Composed by Ram Narayan, arr. Kronos Quartet, transc. Ljova
Oh Mother, the Handsome Man Tortures Me
Unknown, arr. Ljova and Kronos Quartet
Mugam Beyati Shiraz
Composed by Rahman Asadollahi, arr. Kronos Quartet, transc. Ljova
Lullaby
Traditional, arr. Kronos Quartet and Jacob Garchik
Nihavent Sirto (feat. Jamie Papish, darbukka)
Composed by Tanburi Cemil Bey, arr. Stephen Prutsman
Kara Kemir
Composed by Kuat Shildebaev, arr. Kronos Quartet
Tèw semagn hagèré (Listen to Me, My Fellow Countrymen)
Composed by Alèmu Aga, arr. Jacob Garchik
Instruments designed and constructed by Walter Kitundu
… hold me, neighbor, in this storm …
Composed by Aleksandra Vrebalov