The 20th century has not been kind to most standard classical music forms. The piano sonata, the concerto, the symphony -- none of them have disappeared entirely, but none remain in a state that could be called even remotely healthy. The same was true of the string quartet until 1973, when violinist David Harrington got some friends together to play contemporary music and offered his old high-school composition teacher a bag of donuts if he'd write a piece for them. The resulting composition was the first of over 400 works that have been written for the Kronos Quartet over the course of the following 25 years, a period which has seen the revitalization of the previously moribund string quartet format. But Kronos has done more than simply triple the size of the string quartet repertoire; by focusing on living composers, by cultivating a somewhat rebellious image, and by playing with impeccable professionalism and skill, Kronos has brought a new and primarily young audience to classical music. This massive ten-disc retrospective includes performances of 31 major compositions, most previously released, but some in new recordings. There are none of the miniature works that fill so many of Kronos' individual albums; these are all long-form compositions, all but one presented in their entirety. They include two string quartets by Henryk Gorecki, Terry Riley's post-minimalist Cadenza on the Night Plain, Morton Feldman's Piano and String Quartet, three quartets by Philip Glass, and many others, but the highlights of the collection are the tremendously moving Different Trains by Steve Reich (who combined train sounds, multi-tracked string quartet, and the recorded voices of concentration camp survivors and Pullman porters to create a powerful and deeply personal statement on the Holocaust) and Alfred Schnittke's exquisite Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief. The packaging is excellent as well, and includes a booklet packed with photos, essays, and notes on the individual composers and compositions.
Disc: 1
1. Judah to Ocean
2. Toot Nipple
3. Dogjam
4. Pavane: She's So Fine
5. Rag the Bone
6. Habanera
7. Stubble Crotchet
8. Hammer & Chisel
9. Alligator Escalator
10. Standchen: The Little Serenade
11. Judah to Ocean (Reprise)
12. Fratres
13. Psalom
14. Summa
15. Kyrie
16. Gloria
17. Credo
18. Sanctus
19. Agnus Dei
20. Ite, Missa Est
Disc: 2
1. 1. Gentle, easy
2. 2. Moderate
3. 3. Driving
4. Song of Twenty Shadows
5. Asleep
6. Loving
7. Anxiety
8. Despertar
9. Fear
10. Four, for Tango
Disc: 3
1. Piano and String Quartet - Various Artists
Disc: 4
1. No. 1
2. No. 2
3. No. 3
4. 1957 - Award Montage
5. November 25 - Ichigaya
6. 1934 - Grandmother and Kimitake
7. 1962 - Body Building
8. Blood Oath
9. Mishima / Closing
10. No. 1
11. No. 2
12. No. 3
13. No. 4
14. No. 1
15. No. 2
16. No. 3
17. No. 4
18. No. 5
Disc: 5
1. Prelude: Calmo, sospeso
2. The Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind: I. Agitato - Con fucco - Maestoso - Senza misura, oscilante
3. 2. Teneramente - Ruvido - Presto
4. 3. Calmo, sospeso - Allegro pesante
5. Postlude: Lento, liberamente
6. Quartet No. 4
7. Mugam Sayagi
Disc: 6
1. 1. Largo (Sostenuto - Mesto)
2. 2. Deciso - Energico (Marcatissimo sempre)
3. 3. Arioso: Adagio cantabile
4. Quasi una fantasia (Quartet #2), Op.64 (1990-91): IV. Allegro (Sempre con grande passione e molto marcato)
5. Already It Is Dusk, Quartet No. 1
Disc: 7
1. America - Before the War
2. Europe - During the War
3. Different Trains: America After The War
4. Part One: Departure. 1. Threnody 1: Night of the Electric Insects - 2. Sounds of bones and Flutes - 3. Lost Bells - 4. Devil-music - 5. Danse macabre
5. Black Angels: II. Absence - 6. Pavana Lachrymae - 7. Threnody II: Black Angels! - 8. Sarabanda de la Muerte Oscura - 9. Losts Bells (Echo)
6. Black Angels: III. Return - 10. God Music - 11. Ancient Voices - 12. Ancient Voices (Echo) - 13. Thenody III: Night Of The Electric Insects
Disc: 8
1. Introduction
2. Cadenza: Violin 1
3. Where Was Wisdom When We Went West?
4. Cadenza: Viola
5. March of the Old Timers Reefer Division
6. Cadenza: Violin 2
7. Tuning to Rolling Thunder
8. The Night Cry of Black Buffalo Woman
9. Cadenza: Cello
10. Gathering of the Spiral Clan
11. Captain Jack Has the Last Word
12. G Song
13. 3. The Gift: Echoes of Primordial Time
14. 3. The Gift: Mongolian Winds
15. 5. Good Medicine: Good Medicine Dance
Disc: 9
1. 1. Moderato
2. 2. Agitato
3. 3. Mesto
4. 4. Moderato
5. 1. Lento
6. Allegro
7. 3. Lento
8. 4. Vivace
9. 5. Lento
10. Collected Songs Where Every Verse Is Filled With Grief (1984-85)
Disc: 10
1. 1. Deciso
2. 2. Amoroso
3. 1. Con dolore
4. 2. Risoluto; calmo
5. 3. Con dolore
6. 4. Con precisione
7. 5. Con dolore
8. From Ubirr
9. Tragedy at the Opera
10. First Dance
11. Second Dance
12. Third Dance
13. Fourth Dance
14. Fifth Dance
