Kronos Quartet live in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph by Henryk Kotowski.
Studio albums
44
Soundtrack albums
5
Compilation albums
2
Video albums
3
Contributions
29
The discography of the Kronos Quartet includes 43 studio albums, two compilations, five soundtracks, and 29 contributions to other artists' records. The Kronos Quartet plays classical, pop, rock, jazz, folk, world and contemporary classical music (often written especially for them by for instance Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Alexandra Vrebalov) and was founded in 1973 by violinist David Harrington. Since 1978, they have been based in San Francisco, California. Since 1985, the quartet's music has been released on Nonesuch Records.
Early recordings by the quartet contain contemporary classical music and adaptations of more popular music, such as jazz and rock and roll. Since the 1980s, and especially with the release of Cadenza on the Night Plain, written as a collaboration between composer Terry Riley and the quartet, much of the quartet's repertoire and album releases contain music written especially for them, by composers such as Terry Riley, Kevin Volans, Henryk Górecki, and Ástor Piazzolla. Their music "covers a who's who of 20th century-composers", as one critic noted in 1998.[1]
The quartet has achieved considerable commercial and critical success and by 1998 (the year of the quartet's 25th anniversary) had sold more than 1.5 million albums.[2] Many of Kronos' albums have ranked on various Billboard charts;[3] the 1992 album Pieces of Africa reached #1 in the Top World Albums chart.[4] The quartet won a Grammy for the 2003 album Lyric Suite.
Compositions by Thelonious Monk.[6] With Ron Carter (bass improvisation).[7] Re-released in 2005 as CD, on Savoy. Re-issued with Music of Bill Evans on 2CD as 32 Jazz: The Complete Landmark Sessions.[8]
Collaboration between composer Terry Riley and the Quartet.[9] "Charming music that grows on one, in really committed performances."[10] Rereleased on CD (Gramavision #18-7014-2), August 1, 1992; rereleased on CD (Hanibal #1509), January 31, 2006.
Steve Reich: Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint
Released: March 3, 1989
Label: Nonesuch (#79176)
Format: LP, CD, MP3
Two Steve Reich compositions. Kronos Quartet play tracks 1–3 (Different Trains); Pat Metheny (guitar) plays tracks 4–6 (Electric Counterpoint). Different Trains written for the quartet.[18] Listed at #16 in the Los Angeles Times Classical Top 25 of 1989.[17] Reich won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition, with Kronos Quartet as performing artist.[19]
Two compositions by Polish composer Henryk Mikolaj Górecki. "Already It Is Dusk" (String Quartet No. 1, Op. 62, 1988) played by Kronos Quartet; "Lerchenmusik" (Recitatives & Ariosos, Op. 53, for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, 1984) by the London Sinfonietta.
"An ideal combination of composer and performers."[37] Reached #9 in Billboard's "Top Classical Albums,"[38] and spent 12 weeks on the "Billboard Classical 50" chart.[39]
With Zakir Hussain, Taraf de Haïdouks, Kayhan Kalhor, Ziya Tabbassian, Ali Jihad Racy, Souhail Kaspar, and Martyn Jones. Music by ten different composers incl. Carlos Paredes.[45] Reached #4 in Billboard's "Top Classical Albums" and stayed on the chart for 15 weeks.[46]
Music by Mexican composers: "A full-throttled celebration of the multitextured sounds of Mexico."[47] Reached #8 in Billboard's "Top Classical Crossover Albums" and stayed on the chart for 14 weeks.[48]
2003
Pēteris Vasks: String Quartet No. 4
Released: August 19, 2003
Label: Nonesuch (#79695)
Format: CD single, MP3
Written by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks for the quartet;[49][50][51] achieves "both feverish intensity and active rumination as the piece requires."[52]
Four works by the Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, three of which ("Oasis" (1998), "Apsheron Quintet" (2001), and "Mugam Sayagi" (1993)) commissioned by the Quartet. Fourth track is Ali-Zadeh's "Music for Piano", which is performed by the composer, who also plays piano on "Apsheron Quintet." Reached #14 in Billboard's "Top Classical Albums."[55]
"Editor's Choice" for Strings magazine: "a solemn, spiritual, and revolutionary work."[60] Entered at #6 in Billboard's "Top Classical Albums" on March 30, 2007.[61]
Music written or arranged for the quartet, "from cultures based in areas surrounded by water and prone to catastrophic flooding."[65] Includes long piece by Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov.
2010
Rainbow: Music of Central Asia Vol. 8
Released: 2010
Label: Smithsonian Folkways 40527
Format: CD, MP3
With Alim and Fargana Qasimov (tracks 2–6) and Homayun Sakhi (track 1)
Features Kronos Quartet, Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen (live electronics).[66] Seven-part suite for string quartet, accordion and live electronics composed by Pohjonen and Kosminen.
10-CD box set retrospective.[7] Recorded "with virtuosity, vigor, and astonishing stylistic dexterity."[68]
2014
Kronos Explorer Series
Released: April 8, 2014
Label: Nonesuch #536951
5-CD box of five previously released albums from five different parts of the world: Pieces of Africa, Night Prayers, Caravan, Nuevo, and Floodplain. Includes interview with David Harrington by author Jonathan Cott.
2014
A Thousand Thoughts
Released: 2014
Label: Nonesuch #536952-2
Featuring Asha Bhosle, Zakir Hussain, Tony MacMahon, Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Astor Piazzolla, Homayun Sakhi, Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ, Don Walser, Wu Man.
2015
One Earth, One People, One Love: Kronos Plays Terry Riley
Released June 23, 2015
Label: Nonesuch #548925
5-CD box of four albums in honor of American composer Terry Riley's 80th birthday. Includes three albums previously released by Nonesuch and a new record, "Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector".
Kronos plays "Close Your Eyes (instrumental)", "Ceasar's Song", "Without A Word", "Close Your Eyes (vocal)." Other tracks by Salvatore Licitra, Taraf de Haïdouks, and others.[71][72]
Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation
Released: July 8, 2007
Label:
Format: CD
Kronos plays on "Way Down in the Hole", "God's Away on Business", "Lost In The Harbor", and "Diamond In Your Mind", four songs with Tom Waits (vocals) and Greg Cohen (bass). "Thanks to Waits' complex sense of the human condition, these are among Kronos' most powerful, satisfying performances. Highly recommended."[76]
Kronos plays "Tenebrae 1", "Tenebrae 2." "This is Kronos far afield from pop flirtations, spiritually resplendent and leaving you wanting more at the same time."[77]
^Richardson, Derk (January 1999). "Portrait of a Quartet: The Kronos reaps the rewards of 25 years of not fitting the mold". Strings. 13 (5). String Letter Publishing: 49–57.
^ abcdefBogdanov, Vladimir; Chris Woodstra; Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2002). "Kronos Quartet". All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz Music. Backbeat. p. 300. ISBN978-0-87930-717-2. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
^Kohlhaase, Bill (April 20, 1990). "MJQ, Kronos: 2 Sides of the Same Mirror. Jazz: Younger quartet says that in watching the four older masters, it is 'almost seeing ourselves in 30 years' time.' They play in Orange County Sunday". Los Angeles Times.
^Feathers, Leonard (August 31, 1986). "An Era of Pickiness: A Guitar LP Sampler". Los Angeles Times.
^Holden, Stephen (August 8, 1986). "Pop and Jazz Guide". New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
^ ab"By The Numbers: Top 25 Classical Albums of 1989". Los Angeles Times. December 26, 1989.
^Todes, Ariana (2006). "On the Reich Tracks". The Strad. 117 (1398): 42–46.
^Marsh, Robert C. (April 3, 1990). "Passion is lacking in Part's Passio". Chicago Sun-Times.
^Woodard, Josef. "Performing Arts; East, West and Improvised; Terry Riley is a musician in the trenches—composer, pianist, raga singer—pursuing the 'moment . . . when music is vitally alive.'". Los Angeles Times. p. 70.
^Dyer, Richard (June 5, 1997). "Rev. of Kronos Quartet, David Krakauer: Osvaldo Golijov – The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind". The Boston Globe.
^ abMcLellan, Joseph (June 27, 1997). "New Releases: Classical". Washington Post. p. G.08.
^Cowan, Rob (October 20, 2003). "The Compact Collection; Rob Cowan on the best CD Releases". The Independent. p. 15.
^ abcFelsenfeld, Daniel (January 2004). "Titans of Cool: Kronos Quartet marks its 30th anniversary with three new recordings". Strings. 18 (5). String Letter Publishing: 91–92.
^G., L. (September 2005). "Rev. of You've Stolen My Heart by the Kronos Quartet and Asha Boshle". New Internationalist. 382: 26.
^Tsioulcas, Anastasia; Jonathan Cohen (August 27, 2005). "Rev. of You've Stolen My Heart: Songs From R.D. Burman's Bollywood by the Kronos Quartet and Asha Boshle". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 35. p. 52.
^Taylor, Hollis (February–March 1999). "A Kronos Quartet Retrospective: 25 Years of Experimentation". Strings. 13 (6). String Letter Publishing: 127–30.
^Lechner, Ernesto (August 3, 2003). "Movies; Expressive restraint; Gustavo Santaolalla is building on his reputation as a Latin-music producer by scoring high-profile movies". Los Angeles Times. p. E6.
^Cahill, Greg (November 2007). "Rev. of Healing the Divide: A Concert for Peace and Reconciliation". Strings. 22 (4). String Letter Publishing: 89–90.
Richardson, Derk (January 1999). "Portrait of a Quartet: The Kronos reaps the rewards of 25 years of not fitting the mold". Strings. 13 (5). String Letter Publishing: 49–57.
