KRONOS QUARTET – Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (2023 Reissue) – 2LP – Vinyl

2LP – Black Vinyl. First time to be issued on vinyl.

Nonesuch releases Kronos Quartets acclaimed album Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass on vinyl for the first time to coincide with Kronos Quartet: Five Decades, a year-long celebration marking the quartets 50th anniversary. Originally released in 1995, the album features David Harrington (violin), John Sherba, (violin), Hank Dutt (viola) and Joan Jeanrenaud (cello) performing Quartet No. 2 (Company) (1983), No. 3 (Mishima) (1985), No. 4 (Buczak) (1990), and No. 5 (1991), the first piece Glass wrote especially for Kronos.

Recorded at Skywalker Sound in California, the album was produced by Judith Sherman, Kurt Munkacsi and Philip Glass. The cover art features Francesco Clementes painting The Four Corners (1985). At the time of the albums release, the New York Times said, It contains some of Glass’s best music since Koyaanisqatsi. His ear for sumptuous string sonorities is undeniable, while the Washington Post called it An ideal combination of composer and performers. It was a top 10 hit on Billboards Top Classical Albums, and spent 12 weeks on Billboards Classical chart.

When Kronos plays a piece, they become fellow composers, true collaborators. Without them, we wouldnt have the kind of string quartet playing that we find around us today. There are two kinds of string quartet playing: the Before Kronos and the After Kronos. Philip Glass

Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets can do.
New York Times

Tracklist:

String Quartet No. 5 (1991) (21:53)
1. I [1:11]
2. II [2:59]
3. III [5:28]
4. IV [4:38]
5. V [7:36]
String Quartet No. 4 (Buczak) (1990) (23:01)
6. I [7:54]
7. II [6:18]
8. III [8:38]
String Quartet No. 2 (Company) (1983) (7:24)
9. I [2:09]
10. II [1:34]
11. III [1:28]
12. IV [2:04]
String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) (1985) (15:30)
13. 1957-Award Montage [3:27]
14. November 25-Ichigaya [1:19]
15. 1934-Grandmother And Kimitake [2:41]
16. 1962-Body Building [1:40]
17. Blood Oath [3:11]
18. Mishima/Closing [2:56]