Commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by the community of The Sea Ranch in celebration of the famed California seaside retreat’s 50th birthday, composer Aleksandra Vrebalov’s The Sea Ranch Songs connects with the spirit, nature, and architecture of this unique place — a grand experiment in environmental stewardship, land development and intentional community planning.
Featuring documented sounds from the Northern California coastal community and its wild surroundings, this multimedia work is paired with a dreamlike cinematic exploration by videographer Andrew Lyndon. The film may be viewed on YouTube, and its is also included on a bonus DVD with the CD and as part of the iTunes Deluxe Edition.
“The Sea Ranch idea on a global scale might be utopian,” Vrebalov writes in her liner notes, “but through music, we praise its beauty and affirm its urgent relevance in our wounded world, so much in need of healing.”
SELECT CREDITS
Kronos Quartet
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola
Sunny Yang, cello
Video and animation by Andrew Lyndon
Produced by Kronos Quartet and Aleksandra Vrebalov
Aleksandra Vrebalov’s The Sea Ranch Songs was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by the community of The Sea Ranch in celebration of its 50th Birthday, with special thanks to Marilyn Green and Drew McCalley, Andrea Lunsford, Donlyn Lyndon and Alice Wingwall, Dennis and Nancy Marks, and John and Nancy Fox.